The same exact story from two perspectives

It’s the final weekend for two of the biggest theatrical events of summer 2008. It is your last chance to see Shakespeare in Delaware Park founder Saul Elkin as King Lear, opposite his real-life daughter Rebecca as Cordelia; and it is the farewell weekend for Wicked, the Broadway mega-musical that recounts the tangled back story of The Wizard of Oz.

In Lear, the elderly king sows the seeds for his own undoing when he decides to retire and divide his kingdom between his three daughters, but foolishly requires them to tell him how much they love him before he assigns their shares—never considering that this might put dishonest daughters at an advantage. When his most loyal child, Cordelia, is unable to articulate her love, Lear disowns her, throwing his entire kingdom to evil Goneril and Regan, who betray him. It all ends very badly for Cordelia.

In Wicked, the story goes back to the days before Dorothy ever dropped in with her house from Kansas to the days when the Glinda and Elphaba—witches of the North and West—are unlikely roommates at school. While Elphaba is highly regarded by the faculty for her intellect and magical ability, Glinda is popular with the other students. It turns out that there is something rotten in the land of Oz, which Elphaba uncovers when the not-so-wonderful wizard tries to recruit her to be his assistant. The show is a spectacular musical extravaganza with soaring voices and stage effects, and can be seen through this weekend.

—anthony chase