Five Reasons to See the Musical “Wicked” (No spoilers)

I have seen so many plays in my life and recommend this one more than any other one I have seen.

There are 5 reasons why it is important to drop everything and see this musical when it comes to your town.

1) The plot is fantastic. There are many twists and turns that will keep you off-balance. I adore clever plots. Did you know that Glenda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West were roommates in college? Then, they fell for the same guy, and the story goes on from there. You will also learn where the Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow came from. Haven’t you always wanted to know? (Let me explain that this musical, “Wicked,” is nothing at all like the book. The musical was written by a woman who writes for television and so it is upbeat and fun, where the book was dark and gloomy. If you have not yet read the book, I strongly recommend that you see the musical instead.)

2) The music is fantastic. I do not typically purchase Broadway soundtracks, but when I saw this musical in Chicago two years ago, I had to buy the soundtrack so I could listen to my favorite songs over and over. The music is written by the talented Steven Sondheim. Some of it is dark, and yet there are beautiful songs including one love song, “As Long As You're Mine.” Yes, it is a love story, too, and I’m not even going to tell you which witch sings it!

3) The play shows that there is more than one side to every story. Although we all know the green witch in the Wizard of Oz as the epitome of the Wicked Witch, this musical explains that she wasn’t an evil person. She had good intentions; she was just misunderstood. This musical totally helps us to see her side of the story, which helps us to remember to have more compassion for other people because everyone has their own side of the story.

4) The musical helps us to modify our concept and connotation of the word “Witch.” We identify with this green woman and understand her humanity because it reminds us of our own feelings when we felt like an outsider. Her story of fighting injustice will resonate with us when we understand her cause and what she is fighting for.

5) The special effects are fun and worth the price of admission itself. OK, I haven’t seen the touring production, but I assume they will have the flying monkeys and other fantastic special effects that were in place in the Chicago production.

So for these five reasons and more, I urge you to purchase tickets for Wicked when it comes through your town. (It will be in Austin at Bass Concert Hall August, 2009.) It is appropriate for children, and your young girls will love it!