Beneath the saccharine setting of the Wizard of Oz, something truly wicked is lurking.
Wicked, Stephen Schwarz's Tony, Grammy and Olivier award-winning musical, has begun its four week run at The Grand Theatre, Leeds - and if last night's performance was anything to go by, it's going to be a magical time.
Wicked truly is a global phenomenon, and it deserves to be - the music is irresistibly catchy, the lyrics a perfect blend of poetry and wit and the plot, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, is remarkably clever.
Wicked tells the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good came to be, weaving their history with the arrival of Dorothy and her journey up the yellow brick road.
You will never see the Wiz in the same way after you have seen this show - and the spellbinding songs will not leave your head.
Defying Gravity and For Good are undoubtedly the most powerful numbers - the finale of Defying Gravity drew gasps from the audience at last night's show, and was a triumphant moment for Nikki Davis-Jones as Elphaba - but even the shorter, plot-progressing songs are expertly written.
Popular showcased Emily Tierney's comic range as pretentious, shallow Glinda, drawing laughs thoughout, as did What Is This Feeling.
And Dale Rapely, who played both the Wizard and Dr Dillamond, shone in Wonderful, offering an eye-opening insight into the back-story of the Wizard.
Wicked doesn't have too many traditional song-and-dance numbers, but the ensemble's dance routines, while infrequent, captured the mystery and surrealism of the show.
From the language (it's the first time I've seen a 'congratulotions' banner, anyway) to the at times Lady Ga Ga-esque costumes, Wicked is wonderfully weird in presenting pre-Dororthy Oz.
The Grand is the only Yorkshire theatre the show's first national UK tour is visiting - and, having seen the set at the show's West End home, the Apollo Victoria in London, it was great to see the touring show has retained as much of the elaborate staging as it physically can.
From the looming dragon above the stage to the castle backdrop, the audience is transported to the magical world of Oz with ease thanks to the intricately designed set.
But away from all the wizardry, pointy hats, munchkins and magic, Wicked is about good and evil, right and wrong - and how the two can be blurred and distorted.
As Glinda asks in the opening: "Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?"
For every comic moment the show offers (and there's plenty), there's also moments of heartbreak, pain, and adversity - Wicked is a truly moving musical.
So take a trip to Oz - you won't regret it.
Tickets are still available for its residency at the Grand - to book, click here, or call the box office on 0844 848 2700.
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