Tishie's Travels: Defying Gravity

Wonderful. I call it "wonderful."

And if you've seen Wicked, you'd probably sing the same!

I don't often find myself on Broadway or in the West End, so when I'm there, I make the most of it by going for the big, splashy shows. This time, I was dead set on seeing Wicked, a show my friends have been raving about for years. Wicked is based on a book by Gregory Maguire--something I had already read and which I totally did not enjoy! I felt it was a little too political and dark for my taste, not the light, entertaining story I expected from a retelling of the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I couldn't believe it had been turned into a musical.

But it was--and how! Funny, poignant, spectacular...to borrow a line from Barney Stinson, it was more than just awesome; it was awe-quite-a-bit, it was awe-a-whole-darn-lot! While it would have been quite an experience to see the original cast (I heart Kristin Chenoweth!), I was pretty happy with this batch. Katie Rose Clarke, who plays Glinda, was hilarious and endearing. I was prepared to be disappointed by Mandy Gonzalez, who plays Elphaba (the green-skinned witch) because she seemed to start off weak. But her vocals soared during "Defying Gravity" and I...well, I got all teary eyed and goose-bumpy! She. Was. Amazing. My theater companion Carl commented that she was even better than Idina Menzel and I have to agree.

Leaving Oz. I quite like how I'm the only one who's still in this picture.

I can't tell you just how much I enjoyed the show (especially since I got to see it for free! Wheee!). But if you ever find yourself in New York or London, please please please go see it!