Absolutly Wicked

So, I do realize I may be a little late to jump on this bandwagon, though I feel that I can just pull the Literary Snob card and say that I read the book five or so years ago (more like 8, damn I'm old), but Wicked, is AMAZING.

Last night a friend called me up and said she had an extra ticket to the San Francisco production of Wicked and wondered, if by any chance, I would like to come. I always thought seeing a Broadway musical would just be a dream of mine. One of those, someday when I win the lottery/marry a millionaire, and take off to NYC on the spur of the moment I'll spend my time there watching plays and eating cheesecake kind of dreams. Then all of a sudden a friend, a new friend at that, offers me a Shiny Golden Ticket to Wicked... a Fifth Row Shiny Golden Ticket to Wicked, none the less. So I say, oh so nonchalantly,

"Maybe, I get off work at 5, I'll text you later."

For the record, I am just that cool.

The rest of the day I spent kind of floating around in my own little bubble of excitement. Outwardly I held in depth conversations with customers and barked orders at my staff, while on the inside I was planning out which outfit I would wear, how I would do my hair and wondering if I had time to paint my nails before my ride arrived. I ran three stoplights and cut off a cop on the way home, not to mention that I probably caused, and escaped, three traffic accidents.

Whatever, I got home in plenty of time to get ready for my big night out. I decided to try on a dress that I had banished to the back of my closet because it didn't fit me very well, but thanks to my new gym membership, it fit just right (actually it may have been a bit big... =]), opted out of painting my nails, re-did my make-up and added some night time drama to my face.

My ride was a little later than expected, which made me a bit nervous. Maybe I had been too aloof on the phone and she thought I didn't really want to go. I was about to call her begging for the ticket when she knocked on my door and I put my "too cool for Broadway" face back on. On the way to my car I got a toothless smile from a bum, and my gardener/neighbor whistled at me. So, I suppose my gym membership and low cut black dress was working for me.

When we arrived we saw that we were the BEST dressed people in the audience, at least, in our section, which hello, was made up of prime ass seats. Some of the people around us were wearing gross pants and windbreakers, like they just ran there from the gym. "Oh, that was a good workout, now lets run to the ORPHEUM and sit our sweaty asses in some $200 seats." Eventually the lights dimmed and I no longer had to gawk at their grotesqueness.

The show, as many of you may already know, was, AMAZING. From the opening scene, when the dragon clock starts spouting and waving about, until the very last where Glinda, with her GAH now silent, clutches to the Grimmerie and the memory of her dead best friend, I was hooked. I cried one tear in the first half, and then a bucketful in the last.

The stand by for Elphaba actually performed instead of the primary actress, but she was amazing and her voice was superb. I can't imagine how much better the primary actress could be, because the stand by just blew my mind.

I can now add to G*a*linda to my list of personal idols, so now the list is as follows

1. Karen from Will and Grace
2. Chelsea Handler
3. G*a*linda from Wicked

The list is short, but come these are some fierce ass role models, don't cha' think?