I went and saw “Wicked” last night at the Orpheum Theatre. I read the book a couple of years ago and found it intriuging, and being the musical nut I am, I HAD to check out the show when it came to town. BUT, also being the procrastinator I am (as you can see by my posting habits), I waited too long to get good seats. My roommate Lindsay and I ended up getting tickets seating us to the very left of the stage, but still far enough back in the orchestra section to miss only the FAR left entrances and blocking. So we felt pretty darn lucky.

The show was awesome. The two women who play Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Galinda (Glinda the Good) are very talented, comedic actresses. The story of their rivalry/friendship was played out very well and they both had amazing voices –I’m completely baffled at how they sing so crisp and beautifully for eight shows a week. Carol Kane (the witch in “The Princess Bride”!) as one of their professors was too funny. I wish I could go see it again! They have a lottery every night for first row seats – maybe I should try for that one night and take Karl. He’s pretty bummed that I got tickets for Lin and me and didn’t include him, but it was a semi birthday present for Lin so we could spend some time together.

The best part of musicals for me is always the curtain call. Every time, it just gets to me. I feel like I’m back in fifth grade when I saw my brother in “Oklahoma” in the Creative Arts Building in Pittsburg, CA. Small Community Theater, yes, but mediocre performances, NO. They were wonderful and the CAB is a large, beautiful theatre and has a stage that drawfs the Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatre stages. We’re even a little bit bigger than the War Memorial – It’s our little claim to fame.

Anyway, so every time I see a show, big or small, I’m always reminded of sitting in the front row, singing along with the cast of “Oklahoma” as they reprised the title song during their bows. I clapped harder that night than I ever remembered, harder than I knew I could. I simply fell in love with theatre in that moment, applauding my little heart out, clapping so hard my hands turned red and my arm muscles burned. I longed to be up there with them. They looked like they were having so much fun. I knew then that I wanted to be in musicals, perform for people, and most of all, SING!

I guess I still do all that on a smaller level, although not as much as I wish I could.