Wicked Divas Review

By Sydney Williams

I got the chance to see Wicked Divas at The Avenel Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 25!  The venue is only a few months old in the area of Avenel, New Jersey, so I was very excited to see the performance space. This musical showcase featured Ai Mauzey and Dee Roscioli who previously played Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked The Musical. 

The show began with the band playing the iconic overture of Chicago The Musical and the two women singing a stunning rendition of “All That Jazz” which immediately delighted the audience. Mauzey and Roscioli even had some subtle choreography that added to the sweetness of the performance. The two women have different vocal styles which granted them different solos throughout the show, Mauzey having a more operatic soprano voice and Roscioli being a powerful belter. Mauzey’s first solo of the night was the classic, “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady where she displayed her unbelievable operatic range and charming tone. Roscioli performed Broadway hits such as “Don’t Rain On My Parade” from Funny Girl and “Let It Go’ from Frozen, singing with what seemed like such effortless power! It was such a joy to hear the two of them sing duets like “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” as well, delivering cute, comedic banter throughout. 

There were moments of the show when Dee Roscioli’s beautiful belts reminded me of another Elphaba’s voice, the one and only Montclair State alum, Jessica Vosk! They closed the show with some Wicked classics that the audience could not wait to hear! It was so sweet to hear these women reprise their roles while singing “Popular”, “Defying Gravity”, and a bewitching rendition of their anthem of friendship, “For Good”. After a standing ovation, Roscioli and Mauzey sang “I Will Never Leave You” from Side Show with such emotion, not to mention their killer harmonies! I am so thankful that I got to see these incredibly talented women sing Broadway classics and treat the audience with my favorite Wicked songs! Wicked means so much to me, and seeing this performance only added to my obsession with the show and its impact. I give it a confident 10 out of 10!