Months ago, N and I put together a group to get tickets for Wicked at the Kennedy Center. Combine the group rate with membership at the KenCen and we were able to get pre-sale tickets that placed us in the Center Orchestra for the show. Great seats!
This musical, intended as the prequel to The Wizard of Oz, tells the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West came to be. To keep the story alive for those that haven't seen it, I won't share any more than that on the synopsis. But if you haven't had the chance to see this fantastic production do it before the opportunity is lost. Catchy songs like "Popular" and "Loathing" played well opposite some genuinely sweet and tender moments like "I'm Not That Girl" and "For Good" leave you riveted to the stage.
And if you're lucky enough to see Dee Roscioli play Elphaba, well, the experience will be complete. This actress/singer has played the role of Elphaba in more productions than any other, including Idina Menzel who originated the role. She is wonderful! Her rendition of "Defying Gravity" gave me real, honest to God, chills. The only tiny flaw in the whole production was the actor who played Fiero. While I'm sure he is quite talented, he just couldn't keep up with Elphaba and Glinda's soaring vocals making him the blur in what was otherwise a show cast with stunning clarity.
And for my parent friends out there - this is an AWESOME show to get a kids hooked on theater. I was surrounded by kids ages 5 and up. Any musical with upbeat music, a good moral and child-appropriate material (do NOT take your kids AVENUE Q, even though it has puppets) are great kid musicals. But by adding in the familiarity of the "Wizard of Oz", this show becomes even more accessible leaving a great opportunity to get your kids started on a love of the arts that will stay with them long into adulthood. I should know, I saw my first musical at age 4 and have never looked back (Thanks, Mom!).
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