Wicked--the musical
 

Has anybody seen this musical? I've heard some people praise it and we're considering taking some of the kids but I just found out that the tickets are WAY high.:eek: Is it worth it?

I have heard fantastic things. I've read the book but have yet to see the musical. I may go see it in Vegas this summer.

Kristin Chenoweth, the original Glinda on Broadway, is a Gamma Phi Beta!

Re: Wicked--the musical
 

I've seen it twice. First in NY with the original cast, and then a touring company here in Denver.

Both were excellent.

It used to be that you could see Broadway shows inexpensively when they went on tour -- but the talent of the touring companies sometimes wasn't all that good. These days, most of the companies on the road are really outstanding.

The bad news is that, in some places, it costs allmost as much to see as it did in New York.

Then again, you don't have to buy orchestra seats at top dollar. Many local venues have decent balcony seats for much less money.

LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED IT !!!! Saw one of the touring casts... and BLOWN away by Elphaba.

Was the book worth reading?

GOT TICKETS!
 

At the Fox Theatre in Atl on May 21st.
Saved $$ by going to the box office rather than online and havng to pay Ticketmaster.about $10 more a ticket.

It's our annivesary the next day. I'm also buying some tickets for my 2 brothers, 1 wife, 1 girlfriend and 1 niece. I told them it was their 2006 birthday present so I'm clear for another year!:)

I am so envious of all of you. It's touring in Boston, but it comes literally over my due date, and I don't want to take any chances. I was thinking about just going to NYC to see it, but I'm too tired to make the trip. And I'm have rush at two schools coming up, so I probably don't have a free weekend until March anyway. I have the music though, and I love it.

Honestly, I've been listening to the audio book in my car during long trips, and I hate it. I thought I'd love it after loving the music, but it's so boring. I know most everyone else thinks it's great, but I could care less about the whole thing. Maybe it's because I want it to be two hours long with lots of singing haha.

Funny this thread popped up just now....I am going to see it this Tuesday. It's an anniverary gift from my husband back from October. I did buy the book hoping to read it before I saw the musical, but alas that did not happen.

I heard that the book is ALOT darker then the musical and some people are even turned off to seeing the musical after they read the book. That was another reason I didn't read the book either. I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan, so this should be interesting. I will post on Wednesday after I see it!!

I saw it pre-Broadway in SF a few years ago (original cast). I LOVED IT! For anyone who is a Wizard of Oz fan they explain or hint at a lot of smaller points as well, which is really fun.

I got the soundtrack for Christmas, which is great too!

Yes, very good. Normally I'm not into fantasy-type books, but this only borders on fantasy, IMO. Very cool to see all the Oz characters in a different light.

I'm reading the sequel to it now. I've never seen the musical, but all my friends have. The book is a bit different (as you would expect.)

But when they come back to California in 2007, I'm SOOO there.

It's good. I hate musicals but I liked it.

There was a great article about how nobody was seeing Wicked and it was going to get shutdown until it was made to be a bit more commercial, ticket prices dropped, and tickets given out for free or cheap to a lot of teenaged girls who then ended up liking it so much they told their friends and it became big.

I think they consider it ones of the top Broadway marketing success stories if anyone actually wants to read up on the business aspect of it :)

-Rudey

My mom wants to see this SOOOOO bad! (I do too, but she has read the book a couple of times.) I looked in Washington DC and Atlanta for tickets and had NO luck....well, unless I wanted to pay an arm and a leg for a ticket.

I will be waiting in line if the touring company ever comes to Norfolk!

I saw the original cast in NY on Broadway, and also in Chicago, with Anya Gasteyer in the cast now. The original cast was much better in my opinion, but overall the story is very good and entertaining. The book is different from the musical, so don't expect an exact reproduction if you read the book before seeing the play.

The book is good, but pretty different from the show.

I want to see it REALLY REALLY REALLY badly. I bought myself the soundtrack a few weeks ago, and I got the sheet music for my birthday. Unfortunatly I don't think it's coming to Charlotte for at least 2 more years.:( :( :(

We were going to drive 5 hours this weekend to see the closest tour, but the tickets went so fast we couldn't get any.

I loved the book -- very thought provoking. one of those you want to be in a book club to discuss.

The musical is lighter -- Joel Gray described it as "Maguc Flute" to the book's "Don Giovanni." But I really liked how the book picked up on little things from Baum's book (which the Judy Garland movie, as much as I like it, really screwed up in some major ways).

when is it coming to Vegas?!

According to the tour website list of cities, it's not.

Yeah, someone told me it was going to be there, and now I'm boohooing because it's not. I would go see it in Fort Lauderdale next month, but tickets are at least $125. :(

OHH BOOOOOOOOOOOOO I WAS EXCITED!!! :rolleyes: ehh i guess ill just have to freakin go to NYC when i go back to NY this summer .. :mad: stooopid vegas

Yeah, you'd think Vegas would have it, at least for a little while! I mean, they picked up Avenue Q.

Vegas made a deal with Avenue Q's producers so that it will stay in Vegas and won't tour.

You I find it kinda funny that I got into Wicked via the soundtrack.....of course I got into just after it left LA earlier this year....

I have to wait until it comes to the OC :rolleyes: in order to see it or go to NYC

vegas is kind of behind like that :rolleyes: i shouldnt talk bad, we do have a lot of great shows here ... and most of the touring ones at least stop through.
RENT is on its way here ... april i believe?? :D

Yeah, that's what I meant. They picked it up.

Like I said, I saw it on Tuesday and it was unbelievable!! Ana Gasteyer (from SNL) was Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) here in Chicago. She was incredible and has an amazing voice. It was probably one of the best musicals I have ever seen. It was so funny and the songs are so catchy. I can tell you one thing, I will never watch The Wizard of Oz the same way again!! If you are remotely thinking about seeing it I say YES...you will be glad you did!!

It's amazing. Definitely go if you can. Absolutely worth it.

My girlfriend and I planned a shopping trip to Chicago in Nov. and saw it at the Oriental Theater. It was pretty good. We frequent the theater, and I must say that it runs close to Ms. Sigon(sp?) or something like Rent.

Avenue Q is a pretty "different" kind of show, and fits Vegas better than the standard musical.

It's more "adult."

I understand Spamalot will also have an ongoing presence in Vegas -- but will still tour the country with exception of Nevada and California.

Again, like Avenue Q, it is a more "adult" show.

It's good to see that Wicked will make a return engagement here in Denver in 2007. I'll be ready to see it for a third time by then.

I just bought tickets to see Wicked in Atlanta in May and I can't wait! The tickets were ridiculously expensive from a ticket broker but I think it will be worth it. Also excited to check out the new Georgia Aquarium. :)

My husband got a free tour, including a behind the scenes tour, of the aquarium--he worked with them last summer! He loved everything about it.

But dang, I just can't see paying over $100 per ticket when the family has so many people who want to see it. I guess we'll wait and hope it gets made into a movie.

I saw Wicked over Christmas in NY & I loved it.

After seeing the musical though, the book was a HUGE letdown...it was so different.

I think the book was probably really good....but having expected at least some resemblance of the same story between the book & the show I was surprised to find none.

I did really like the whole Nazi Germany motiff running throughout though...

The book left a lot open...

You get a better experience from the book if you read it before you see the musical. I think that you need to consider the book and the musical two different versions of the same story. Just like the book was a different version of the Wizard of Oz, which was a different version of the original L. Frank Baum books.

I happen to looooove both the book and the musical. I read the book in 2003 and then found the soundtrack to the muscial in 2004. I finally saw the musical in NY in the summer of 2005 and practically cried throughout the entire thing, I was so exc ited to see it. I just find the musical very powerful.

I am in the middle of Son of a Witch and can't wait to finish it.

I'm going to see it in July! I got in on a package deal that covers matinee tickets, the bus ride, and dinner for $150. I didn't think that was too bad considering what I COULD wind up paying.

Isn't it sad that Theatre, like sports and other entertainment has priced itself out of the range of many families?

It is a great show.

The lyrics are really really bad. otherwise, it's a fun musical where you don't expect anything but to get entertain. I'll stick with Sondheim's material.

Into the words
that trip your lip,
and fry your brain,
and sprain your tounge.

Into the words,
a cave so dark,
you better bring a torch in.

Into the words,
the what,
the why,
the where,
the how,
the plot began.

Into the words,
more letters then they sell on "Wheel Of Fortune".

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I love Into the Woods! In the words of my grandmother, "You know, Sondheim is very difficult to sing..." We have gone to a community theater with her 3-4 times a year for the last 15-20 years and she says that every time we see a Sondheim show. It has become a family joke.

And I think Wicked has great lyrics. But maybe women will connect with the material more than men....

Ding, Ding, Ding...I think this is it!! I LOVE the lyrics, but my husband thinks their stupid. (But he can't get the "No Good Deeds" melody out of his head sometimes!)