Kimmel Center Blog

Wicked & Musical Theatre

What is it about Musicals that makes them so appealing? Or even straight theatre, for that matter.

'The Man in the Chair' from The Drowsy Chaperone tell us, "Everything always works out in musicals. In the real world nothing ever works out and the only people who burst into song are the hopelessly deranged."

My first show that I saw was Annie *International Touring Company* when I was 8, and I was hooked. I had the cast recording on cassette and belted 'Tomorrow' at the top of my lungs to the consternation of my parents.
Out of all the shows we saw, my favorite musical was Les Miserables. My mom bought 2nd row seats! I was only ten, but I fell in love with the show. It still is my favorite. I can't wait to see the Revival on Broadway! I love the show, but can't really say that I'm obsessed with it.

My first BIG obsession was Wicked. When it first came out, my mom asked me if I wanted to go and see it, but I said "It's about the Wizard of Oz... That sounds dumb...". Well, I learned my lesson... I heard a few songs from the cast recording on a Broadway Radio station in November, 2004 and couldn't get enough of it! I got the full cast recording and listened to it often. In December of 2004, my mom finally agreed to drive my sister and I to NY to see it.

We had planned to go a few weeks before. However, my mom called to cancel the hotel the day before because I hadn't finished my physics homework. I bawled in my room for at least an hour. She came back and said that if I brought my textbook, we would still go. *I brought my homework, but never did it...*. On December 28th, 2004, I finally got to see Wicked!
My mom dropped my sister off at the Gershwin Theater and the lottery line was already backed around the block… There were at least 300-400 people there. They announced the first 7 people and my named still hadn’t been called. And then they selected 5 more cards and read them off. When I heard my named called, I was SO happy! My mom bought the Vocal Selections book *which I got the cast to sign*, a T-shirt *for my sister*, and a long sleeve shirt *I am actually wearing it right now...*!
We got front row seats for $25! I got to see Idina Menzel and Megan Hilty as the leads.
In February 2005, I went back with my best friend and paid $100 to see the show again. Orch row Y. That night, I got my first backstage tour on Broadway. I would go in depth, but it would take way too long.

When Wicked came to Philadelphia, I went to lotto anytime I was available. I brought all of my friends so that they could increase my chances of winning. I went to lotto 12 times and finally had my name drawn for the final performance!

Wicked will be coming back to the Academy of Music next summer! I would love to get involved with the Philadelphia engagement. We'll see.

My current obsession is The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. But that's another story for another blog.

This is a great story! Thanks for sharing your love of music theater. It's an inspiration.

I LOVE WICKED MORE THAN MY MOTHER & MY BOYFRIEND COMBINED!

I love musicals-does anyone know of the new Kander and Ebb show All About Us? A friend told me about it-what is it:?

i love wicked more then anybody in the world all i do is sit at home and watch wicked all i talk about is wicked i thought this obsession was healthy but i guess i was wrong. im in love with idina menzel im gonna to die when she quits TOMORROW it will be the worst day of my life no JOKE

I loved wicked because everything looked so real and totally the chaacters. My favourite person in the play is Elphaba because she has the best voice well at least i think so. Anyway i want everyone in the whole world to see this play again and again and again! i know i have. see it you will totally love it and i mean it people out there reading this! And the cool thing was when my mom friends and family saw it after it we just wanted to wait until they do the play again those actors are amazing see it!!

We are looking to exchange 3 tickets with someone for Wicked on Sunday, August 5 at 1:00 pm. PLEASE help! Great seats... DD102, DD101 and EE103

I LOVE THIS MUSICAL. It was SUCH an amazing musical. Absolutely incredible. I'm listening to the soundtrack right now. X3

i love WICKED more than life itself but want to audition for elphaba when i am older!!! How do i audition??? I can sing dance and act what more do you want, oh yeah and i blonde! LOL! I listen to Wicked everyday and one time i went on a hunger strike because i was not allowed to listen to the cd one night! I make things and email the cast in my spare time and i made a bebo page for them and my own piczo site i am obsessed!

I love listening to the wicked cd every night.I havn't seen the play but i would luv to.Our school is doing the wiz,the wizard of oz,and wicked all together.We call it postcards from the emerald city.I'm Dorothy!

I have two best friends Ellie and Oli and we all love this musical and i want to tell them both that i am very sorry that i have been so mean to them!

Omg I love Wicked! Me and my friends got to meet the broadway cast last week with Kendra, Julia, Sebastion and some others. Which ones signed your book?

I'm so glad I'm not the only one obsessed with Wicked. Yeah, I'm thinking maybe it isn't completely normal either...I love musical theater, too, but this is also my first real obsession with a musical...although my sister and I knew all the lyrics to Annie, Sound of Music and Les Mis by heart when we were kids. Sounds like you're a bit younger than me...it is much less appropriate to be in love with a musical when you're nearly 30. Oh well, what can you do? At least it's something positive and good! Wicked forever! :)

OMG! I'm not alone! My friends and I are the ONLY people in our school WHO'S EVEN HEARD OF WICKED! We call it a " Healthy Obession, 'cause it's GREEN"! LOL! I saw it once and now i'm gonna see it again with my friends. We got the tickets in March and it's in October becuase WERE WILLING TO WAIT THAT LONG!

i am the #1 fan of wicked. no one else loves more than i do. so dont even try to like it more than me

i L-O-V-E wicked, when it i first heard i, i was on a bus on the way back from my summer camp, my friend said that one of her friends had written a review on it, and told me what is was about, i was hooked when she said The Wizard of Oz, which has been my favourite movie for ever.. i waited and waited, and finaly my grandma said i was going to see wicked, Decemeber 9th, i counted the days, it was all i could think about, i memorized 90% of the cd in less then a month and a half, i couldnt get it off of my mind, FINALY the day had arrived! Dec. 9th was here! i wore my fav. GREEN tshirt, got all dressed up and went down town, on the way walking to the theatre i was estatic! my mom didnt tell me what row we were on, she wanted to keep it a suprise. Finaly when we got in the theatre and the person showed us our seats, we kept on going down and down all the way to the orcistra pit, i was FRONT ROW CENTER! i actualy started to tear i was sooo happy! i got the I Heart Oz tshirt, where theres elphie and glinda in the heart, the whole time i couldnt think about anything else, i was soo focused, i mouthed the words to every song, and when "Defying Gravity" came on, and elphaba was right up there i KNEW i wanted to be on broadway. the following year, for my birthday i got to go to new york! ive always wanted to go there, and i saw Chicago, which was also amazing! I know the lyrics to; Wicked, Hairspray, Chicago and much more, so far ive seen; The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Nutcracker(isnt really a musical, but still a show) WICKED OF COURSEE, Chicago, and ive seen hairspray and annie the musical, and of course i own The Wizard of Oz. Much wicked love to all the wicked wicked fans out there!

oh, and Mama Mia!

Wicked isthe best thing to every happen!!!!!!!

I am completely in spired by Wicked! I've been in high school plays but it wasn't until after i saw this musical in Chicago that i realized i wanted to be part of it some day! I was confused about what i wanted to do after high school but now i am almost 100 percent sure i want to go into performing arts and maybe be a director of a production of wicked some day!

I have tickets to see it in April! Totally EXCITED!!!

Okay... Well I saw wicked two days ago on Broadway.... And I actually didnt think it was that good... IT WAS AMAZING!! Then we did the emerald curtain the morning after. It was the most incredeble show of all! We went to New York last week with my Drama Troupe of 54 and it was crazy! We met the girl who played Nessarose travleing back to our hotel on the Subway and leaving the Gershwin theatre we passed by one of the ensemble members called Noah. He was cute.. And the girls who played Nessarose was pretty too! Well I had an amazing expiriance. I also saw hairspray and we knew someone from the cast (One of the dynamites) Her name was Judine. The whole expiriance was amazing and this entire show blew me away! I am listening to the c.d. right now actually lol... Well I hope you enjoy the show who ever goes. ITS AND AUSOME SHOW!!
-Wicked Fan