March 21, 2009

"Wicked"

Today we enjoyed our Christmas present from Ken, Julie, Amanda, and Nicholas.

We drove to Pleasant Hill and took BART to San Francisco. Hadn't done that for a while. Wouldn't want to do it every day but fun every so often. About the same amount of time as driving all the way in. Very convienent this time. Steps to Civic Center BART station come up literally at the front door of the theater. We met the rest of the group at nearby Carl's Jr. for quick lunch and then to show.

Thoroughly enjoyed the next 3 hours. Amazing set, outstanding lighting and special effects without being overwhelming, and GREAT show. We were in the third balcony (cheap seats :) ) but for this show probably the best place to be to take it all in. When they gave us the tickets at Christmas I knew nothing about the show other than it was a take off of some sort from "The Wizard of Oz". I wanted to at least have some idea of the story line so I got the book from the library and read it. The book is not easy to read. Lots of intricate description and convoluted threads with occasional pearls of plot that might be missed if not paying attention. No skimming possible at all. It is also very dark. You keep hoping for things to get better and they never do. When I finished the book I was a bit apprehensive about the musical. I didn't see how it could be enjoyable to watch that story. I was happily surprised. The show is nothing like the story. The musical does draw on the story line of the book but very lightly and the end is nothing like the book. I would still recommend reading the book first to have a feel for the story line, the characters, and the relationships as they only briefly get referred to in the play if at all. After reading the book be prepared for a totally positive experience in the musical. Fun to watch, fun to listen to, and fun dialog (pay attention - you might miss a reference to something you heard in a different place or story). THANK YOU K, J, A, & N.