The next Broadway show on the agenda was Stephen Schwartz's Wicked; the prequel to L. Frank Baum's novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". The show opened in 2003 with Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda respectably, and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards. I saw the national tour two years ago in Birmingham from balcony row xxx, so center stage orchestra level seats were a whole different ballgame.

From the moment the orchestra began the overture a chill ran through me, I could really feel the power this show has. Soon Katie Rose Clark made her first appearance as Glinda, descending from the sky in a mechanical bubble, and hitting some of the highest notes outside of Phantom of the Opera.
As the show continued you could feel the crowd's delight and excitement, I wasn't even in the show and I felt a pride for the cast. Once Elphaba (Mandy Gonzales) made her first appearance, the show really started rolling,

At this point the show is flying by and I'm just trying to soak it all in, you could feel the tension building as Ephaba and Glinda debate their fates in "Defying Gravity"; and when Elphaba took flight the audience's cheers rattled the building. The show was incredibly incredible, and it was only intermission!

The second act was even more moving than the first, and my only complaint was that it ended, I could have lived in that world for a few more hours at least.

The cast knew exactly what to do, and every little thing they did impacted the story in the best way. The costumes, props and special effects are arguably the greatest in Broadway's history, everything added an extra few layers to this occasionally dark, insanely clever show.

I cannot recommend this show enough, you will be moved, and incredibly impressed with this (for lack of a better word) wickedly awesome production!!!!