Ga reat!

Our tickets actually corresponded with the calendar date this go around, making our second trip to the Orpheum quite a bit more exciting than the first!  Wicked was amazifying in every way, and now that I know what I would have missed, I'm doubly glad our tickets were for tonight and not a previous date.

For those of you who haven't seen it, but hope to, I will warn you when you should read no longer.  I went in last night without a clue as to the plot, and I think that made it every bit more exciting.  I'm so glad we went in as blank slates, totally prepared to be blown away, but not at all sure in what way that would be. The only danger going into last night was high expectations.  Every single person I had talked to gave a fantastic review for the musical, raising my mental bar very, very high!  Fortunately I can say that whatever expectations I had were blown away.

It was funny, packed with talent, full of plot surprises, family friendly, and all around so much fun! I could tell when we walked in that the crowd was electric.  I have no idea how much of the audience had seen it before, but whether people had seen it or not, they were excited! Every seat was filled, and I was thrilled with our front row balcony seats that gave us an excellent view of the stage. 

Here we are in our seats, just a few minutes before the show began.

Okay, if you don't want to know any plot, stop now!  When I said I didn't know anything about the show, I mean I didn't know anything, including the fact that the Wicked Witch of the West was the hero!  I loved Elphaba.  I loved the dynamics between her and Galinda.  I loved how funny the first act was, especially since I wasn't expecting it to be funny at all.

Highlights: The highlight for me had to be the end of Act I.  I had chills up my arms by the time the curtain closed. I also enjoyed the theme: everyone was misunderstood, but the judgements made about each person were never accurate. I loved the resolution, I loved how everything tied in with the plot of The Wizard of Oz, and most of all, I loved the music.

The one thing I didn't understand was the dragon.  I really thought it was going to have its big moment somewhere along the way, but besides lighting up those red eyes here and there, it was mostly just a big decoration.  

I'm officially a fan, and I'm just about to turn on my iTunes and see about loading up some, if not all, of the music.  Wicked was wonderful.  If you haven't seen it yet, I hope you get a chance to!  Thank you Mom and Dad for such a fantastic Christmas present!