Wicked

I have a new favorite Broadway show! It's called Wicked! :) So move over Lea Salonga and Miss Saigon...

I was planning to watch maybe 2 shows during my trip. I wasn't too sure what to watch plus I didn't really keep up with what's on Broadway ever since I moved out to SF several years ago. I watch shows once in a while here in SF but the experience is just different. I get a different feeling when I'm watching it on Broadway compared to when it's on tour. I never regretted moving west but if there is one thing I miss by moving out to SF, it's Broadway!

My short list consisted of the following: The Light in the Piazza, Avenue Q, and Mamma Mia. Wicked was not even on my list. Thanks to my fellow Dreadnaughts on the Judith McNaught Bulletin Board, they recommended that I watch Wicked. A lot of them chimed in that they love it so much and tickets are hard to come by, blah blah blah... Well, I was easily convinced and I decided to get a ticket for Wicked based on their recommendation and someone mentioned that there will be a new actress taking over the role of Elphaba and that she is fantastic. I had no idea who she was. Nor did I care much about it. All I really wanted was to watch a show. This was about 2 weeks before my trip.

Fast forward to 1/17/2005 (or is it rewind from this day?). OMG! OMG! The show was amazing. Eden Espinosa who is playing Elphaba is SENSATIONAL! She's pretty darn good. Eden IS Elphaba for me. She had my attention from the moment that she walked on stage. Even when the spotlight was not on her and she was on stage, you could feel her presence. Very good actress. Very powerful voice. She gave me the chills when she sang Defying Gravity. It felt like she was trying to blow the top off the Gershwin Theatre. After listening to her sing that song, I knew I just had to watch it again. I went back to the hotel and looked on Ticketmaster to see if I could get tickets before Saturday. I also bought the Wicked Original Soundtrack off iTunes and just kept listening to it. Up to this day, it's still playing in a loop on my iPod. I also found the libretto for Wicked online and read it.

Now for Thursday (1/19/05) night's performance. I had a great seat! 4th row center orchestra, towards the righthand side of the stage. I was so happy about the seat. Elphaba stays at the right side of the stage most of the time. It was great that I was able to see the facial expressions. Eden's facial expressions where amazing. She brings out so much emotion to the role and makes Elphaba seem so real -- so HUMAN. She's so convincing in that role that she made me believe that she (Eden) IS Elphaba. She just blew me away. Her voice is so powerful and it was such a joy listening to her sing. I really enjoyed watching her a lot. It was worth every penny getting the tickets for the second time just to hear sing and watch her act. Megan Hilty (Glinda) played her role to perfection as well. She has the best lines in the show! Such a versatile actress with a lot of personality. She just cracked me up. I love both of them! I never knew who they were until I watched the show but they sure have made a fan out of me. I will definitely watch both Eden and Megan on any show!

I did the stagedoor after the show. Eden and Megan signed my stuff. They were both very nice. Eden is such a sweatheart. She seems very down to earth. Megan was, well, Glinda personified. It felt like you were still talking to Glinda. Well of course my camera decided not to work. I would've had a picture with both of them. Oh well... maybe next time. I guess I will just have to watch it again! :)

I wish I can go back to NYC in the next few months. I definitely will watch it again if Eden and Megan are still on the show.