A "Wicked" Awesome Show

The people who know me know my love for music, especially musical theatre. Seeing that my mom is a music teacher, she fueled my sister's and my love for music from the very beginning. Our family has a song for everything -- it's usually a show tune or a "golden oldie" and it drives my dad crazy. I think between my mom, my sister and I, we know every word to just about every song there has been written. Anyway, back to the point of this blog...I've been fortunate to see a few shows live, on Broadway, in NYC and London. My freshman year of high school I saw "Titanic: The Musical" in NYC and was able to go back my junior year and see the legendary "Phantom of the Opera". I was on the front row for "Titanic", and it was incredible. I was face to face with the actors the whole time. I could see in the wings on the stage the people getting ready to go on, and this was so cool to be, since my sister and I were aspiring musical thespians, she more so than I. She was the star -- the girl with the voice of the angel. At school, I was known as the girl who's sister could sing really well. I also saw "The Lion King" in London and I cried. I was on the second row for that, on the aisle, and if you know anything about this musical, it's great to be on the end because the opening number includes the animals coming down the aisle. It was incredible! I really think I cried through the whole thing. The music and the characters and especially the costumes are so moving!

Anyway, the Tony Awards have always been something to look forward to in my family, well at least to my mom, my sister and me -- along with the Miss Mississippi Pageant (which usually entails my mom and I bashing about 90% of the competition, wondering why the Top 10 made the Top 10 and then me proclaiming that we are going to hell for being so judgmental.) Ok, but anyway, I missed the Tonys this year because I was in Honduras, but I haven't missed one before and I fell in love with a new musical called, "Wicked" when I watched them a few years ago.

It's supposed to be the story of Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz before Dorothy ever came to the land of Oz. The two went to school together and were supposedly friends until Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, is melted.

This musical intrigued me because of my intense love for The Wizard of Oz in general. I am obsessed with the movie. I watched it at least three times a week when I was little. I wanted to play Dorothy all my life until I was able to do it my senior year of high school. I even did a speech my freshman year in college in speech class about the myths of The Wizard of Oz.

Although I've never seen the musical in it's entirety, I've seen several scenes from the play on many talk shows, on YouTube and on the Tonys.

I've wanted the soundtrack since the first time I heard about it and just this past week I broke down and bought it.

Ladies and gentleman...IT IS FANTASTIC!!! Probably THE best I've ever heard! Definitely rivaling Lion King and Aida (sorry, Laurette). The music is just so unique. It matches the tone of the musical perfectly. The harmonies are incredible, the lyrics are on point and the players/actors/actresses/singers are so incredibly good! Kristin Chenoweth (who was Marian in the TV version of "The Music Man" and Rooster's hooch of a girlfriend in the TV version of "Annie") is so fantastic as Glinda. She can't be more than five-foot-two, but she has a voice as big as the Empire State Building. She's amazing! Not only that, but Idina Menzel (who played Maureen in "Rent" and is also married to the talented-but-hunky Tay Diggs) plays Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the East. She is just as incredible. The passion that she puts into every bit of that character is unbelievable. Her facial expressions and the way that she portrays the character are incredible. And her voice is out of this world!

Anyway, I've listened to the soundtrack since I got it on Tuesday night. I almost know every word now and am waiting for the call to star in Birmingham's production of the show.

I've found a few clips from the show starring Chenoweth and Menzel -- some of my favorite songs from the play. Here they are...enjoy!

Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel performing "Defying Gravity"


Kristin Chenoweth singing "Popular"

My fav song "For Good"...this video is kind of the story behind the song but at least you get to hear Chenoweth and Menzel sing it


P.S. Today, or should I say yesterday, was my sister and her husband's 5th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that they have been married that long and even harder to believe that she's five months prego and we will have a new little boy in our family in November. I just wanted to wish them a Happy Anniversary and I hope they are having a great week in New Orleans visiting Ross's family and then on the beach relaxing. They both need it...big time! I hope that one day God will bring a man in my life that is even half the stud that Ross is. He's such a man of God and has been the best husband to Anna and will be the best father.

Happy Anniversary Anna and Ross!