October Music with Gil Harel: Unlimited, The Gravity-Defying Success of Wicked

Since it premiered in late 2003, Wicked has become nothing less than a Broadway juggernaut. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, the show has enchanted audiences all over the world, earning it a spot among the most beloved shows in the repertoire. The success of Wicked can be measured by any number of metrics, including the more than $5 billion earned in global sales (making it one of the most commercially prosperous shows in history). Yet another feather will be added to the cap in late 2024, when the first of two blockbuster films comes to movie theaters. 

During this program, Professor Gil Harel will take us inside the score of Wicked. From the piano, he will demonstrate how composer Stephen Schwartz's masterful use of leitmotif vibrantly conjures the wonderful world of Oz into existence, and encourages audience members to become deeply invested in the welfare of the characters on stage. With the film premier slated for November, he will also discuss the challenges and advantages of presenting the musical's Emerald City on the silver screen. 

About the Presenter

Gil Harel (PhD, Brandeis University) is a musicologist and music theorist whose interests include styles ranging from western classical repertoire to jazz and musical theater. Previously, he served on the faculty at CUNY Baruch College (where he was awarded the prestigious "Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching").

Currently, he is Professor of Music at Naugatuck Valley Community College, where he has been presented with the AFT "Merit Award for Exemplary Service to the College" for 4 consecutive years. In 2020, he was honored with the coveted Connecticut Board of Regents (BOR) Teaching Award. At NVCC, Dr. Harel conducts the college chorale, a cappella ensemble, teaches music history and theory, and serves as musical director of theater productions.