This fourth of July found us in Grand Tier seats at ASU Gammage for the Broadway musical, Wicked. Having waited over a year for the touring company to come through Phoenix, it was difficult to contain my excitement. I had it marked on my calendar in big black Sharpie letters and eyeballed it every so often wishing I could port myself to July 4th.

We arrived around 7pm for the 7:30pm curtain. Normally, arriving at the door a half-hour before curtain gives us plenty of time to get to our seats, relax, and read the Playbill. Not so this time. Wicked’s immense popularity had us parking at the far garage complex rather than the main parking lot. For both Annie and Lion King, arriving 30-40 minutes ahead of curtain was no problem to park in the main lot. Note taken — when we go to see “Phantom”, I think we’ll try to arrive even earlier than usual. :)

We still made it to our seats about 20 minutes before curtain, even though I was walking in heels. (This girl is much more at-home in hiking boots than pumps.) Here’s a pic of the stage with the large dragon at the top that flapped its wings and had red glowing eyes…

Wicked is essentially a tale about the witches of Oz — the “Wicked Witch of the West” named Elphaba, her sister, Nessarose, and of course Glinda “The Good Witch”. It’s based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, to which I admit trying desperately to like but ended up losing interest halfway through. The musical was so much better than the novel. Also having had the soundtrack to Wicked for about six months, I was familiar with much of the story and knew the music almost by heart.

The musical had something for everyone, with humor, a brilliant orchestra, and wonderful vocal talent. It was great to see families bringing their children to the theater. I would have liked to see people wearing slightly more formal attire — there were a lot of people in shorts and t-shirts! I believe in bringing theater to the masses, but shorts and t-shirts? Surely some could have dressed it up a little after paying nearly $100 a ticket to see the show. But I digress. :)

The cast was magnificent. Elphaba’s “bite” and attitude was crisp and likeable, and Glinda’s “Miss Popular” demeanor kept the audience in stitches and really stole the show. Timing on unexpected quips like, “There’s no place like home”, really lent a comedic “inside joke” vibe to the performance. Wicked was a treat for both eyes and ears, as the entire stage was used — flying monkeys, Glinda’s floating bubble, the Great Oz speaking through his Rube Goldberg-like contraption.

Wonderful evening, brilliant cast and orchestra, fantastic musical. Absolutely a must-see if it ever comes through your town or if you’re visiting The Great White Way in New York City!