Wicked leaves CHICAGO!!!! *cries* Review of my 12th and last trip to "WICKED"...
*
So all Theatre fans and "WICKED" fans. This is a post you'll enjoy. (I would hope anyway...)
Ok so I'm tired and since I have 4 episodes of "Stargate Atlantis" to watch (before I sleep so the DVD boxset can go back to the library tomorrow morning)- I'm going to do this quick review in list format. I may change it a bit later if I remember anything but who really knows...
He's distant, and moodified, and he's been thinking, which really worrries me.
Sooooooooooo--
1~~~Mom, Acathla and I took the 10:15am train into Chicago and had Subway for lunch with Mom's gift cards from Christmas. Free lunch!
2~~~After lunch we went straight to the Oriental Theatre a full hour and a half early for the 2pm curtain...
3~~~Waited between the double doors at the Oriental for that whole hour and a half. Tried to figure out how to sneak past all the employees in the lobby to go see the cast. Never left the ticket area til the doors opened for the show!
4~~~Came in so quickly to our seats that we had to wait at the door before the usher ladies let us in the theatre.. Those same ladies were going nuts over cameras and picture-taking in the theatre today.
5~~~By my memory of former trips to "WICKED" the theatre seemed to fill up quicker than usual and there was a more excited buzz in the crowd today. Guess a FINAL performance has that effect.
6~~~The crowd gave mega applause and cheering on all major cast entrances today. Starting with the conductor. Followed by mega cheering when the the curtain revealed the townspeople right before "No One Mourns The Wicked".
7~~~Don Richards got what seemed to me a bigger applause/cheering when he came out on stage. As did Annaleigh Ashford (Galinda) who got one of the longer entrance applause/cheering! To which instead of saying "It's good to see me isn't it." said "Well that was fun." The crowd went wild again.
8~~~Nearly every song got mega applause and cheering unless it went straight into a scene.
9~~~Dee Roscioli (Elphaba) and Heidi Kettenring (Nessarose) Both got huge applause/cheers too at their entrances in "Dear Old Shiz".
10~~~The fantastic Kristoffer Cusick (Fiyero) had a huge entrance applause and cheers as well. I might be wrong but it seemed to me he slapped "Avery?" on the back a bit too hard when he got out of the cart. I love the scenes between Kris and Dee but this this bit here at the beginning when they meet is one of my favorites!
11~~~"Dancing Through Life"! I love this song when Kris is Fiyero. you could tell the entire cast was giving it their all today! I love the little extra-y bits they sometimes throw in things that got added to nearly everything today!
12~~~The "lemons and melons and pears" line got a huge amount of laughter.
13~~~Ahhhhhhh "Popular"! *everyone make sure you don't laugh so much you forget to breath*
-The toss/toss. End statement. Okay you want more. The girls were incredibly silly here. Dee did one of her toss/toss' and then went "hey". Then her next one she toss/tossed and cackled then smacked her lips! I love the girls during "Popular"!!!
-Annaleigh! While we hope to see her shoe fly again or her wand bounce back from backstage at her, Annaleigh had other ideas... She did the splits and stretched her leg up behind her and like rolled over and got up all like hunchback-y and came back to her spot onstage and went "I'm okay!" The audience was dying of laughter!
14~~~Kris imitated Dee's toss/toss bit in the following classroom bit before the lion cub scene. This too got a huge crack up from the crowd.
15~~~ Glinda- He's distant, and moodified, and he's been thinking, which really worrries me.
... few lines later Fiyero tells Elphaba he's been "thinking" to which she replies "I've heard." Standard lines but again got huge cheers and laughter from the audience today being one of those big lines in the musical...
16~~~"One Short Day" I think both Acathla and I were singing along with this song... *laughs*
17~~~Gene Weygandt's entrance! The Wizard of Oz. Crowd went nuts yet again. During the scene when Glinda and Elphaba meet the wizard, Gene delivers his usual line of "...wait don't tell me. I know why you're here." to which parts of the audience (yours truly included) replied with the girls with the following line of "OOooooooo!" crowd had another round of laughter here.
18~~~"Defy Gravity"! *again everyone make sure you don't laugh so much you forget to breath*
-The crowd was buzzed again with excitement as it got closer to this song and when Glinda put the cape on Elphaba the crowd just went nuts tonight! Iconic image finally complete for the character in the musical. Hat-Broom-Cape!
-Again I think Acathla and I were singing along. Several it the crowd (I heard later) cried during this song. I held it mostly together but I really want to break.
-The song got a mega amount of applause and cheering as Dee hit those final notes!!
19~~~During intermission we went to the souvenir stand on on balcony level. The saleswoman was sucky and kept going all around Mom who had her credit card in hand and was ready to purchase. We ended up leaving and going back to our seats and decided we'd get stuff after the show from the souvenir stand downstairs.
20~~~Again mega cheers when the curtain went up for the second half and revealed the townsfolk.
21~~~Something else that seemed different to me in this whole performance today. It seemed like they had 'open mikes' on ensemble more than usual or the ensemble ad libbed a bit. It seemed like we heard them a bit more.
22~~~Right after "Wonderful" when the line "... a goat is on the lam..." happens both Mom and Acathla noticed that the big Wizard of Oz head thing seemed the move his eyebrows and made a sort of quizzical face. I missed it watching Kris like usual but Mom and Acathla don't seem to remember it usually happening.
23~~~My big favorite to see live. "As Long As Your Mine"! *sighs and swoons*
-Love this scene and Kris and Dee have amazing chemistry!
-One of those kisses towards the end last a bit longer than usual. But gods help me I love watching this scene!
-I need to find a video of any of the sets of Fiyero/Elphaba from the Chicago cast performing this one...
24~~~Just as they did for every big song. The audience spazzed and gave mega cheers and applause for "No Good Deed"!
25~~~"March of The Witch Hunters". Acathla and I were cracking up over Boq and the "lion" during Boq's big speech. It's a thing...
26~~~Chick fight after the 'twister of fate'. Gods hilarious! pretty much same as always but with the added effect of being the last show and the cast giving every bit there all, this was and awesome moment. Huge applause and cheers from the audience here too.
27~~~Kris' entrance via tarzan-like rope! Annaleigh made a sorta odd face and looked around to see where he'd come from. Standard bit of the scene but Annaleigh being Annaleigh went for the funny!
28~~~"For Good"! Gods I seemed to have been fighting not crying until we got here. But here I cried some. Gods it was almost over. Gone! With Annaleigh already cracking and trying not to cry at the beginning of the song I think a lots of us fans started to lose it if we hadn't already. Annaleigh composed herself and then both her and Dee were trying not to cried and singing all choked up! *cries and hugs my girls* This song got a huge mega monster amount of cheering and Annaleigh and Dee hugged for much longer than normal at the end of it.
29~~~"Finale"!!!!!!!! *controls breathing to finish typing-- forget that cries*
-Audience went wild when Scarecrow!Fiyero opens the trapdoor for Elphaba.
-I think everyone in the audience was having the best time ever! Lots of laughing and cheering like crazy insane people!
30~~~"Curtain Call".
-Instead of the usual standing ovation starting when the Glinda and Elphaba come out, tonight was different. Standing Ovation started when the curtain came up on the first group of ensemble characters and the applause and cheering and wild screaming kept up throughout the entire cast!
-David Stone one of the producers came out and made a speech I've got the video from CLTV linked and embeded below. It will have probably started when you open the page. Sorry I don't know how to tell it not to do that. Everyone was crying by here.
Last show. That's it. It's quitting time.... Last show of "WICKED" in Chicago is over!
I ran out to the alley while Mom and Acathla got our souvenirs at a stand downstairs. I ran down the street, weaving around people on the sidewalk, and stop short as I round the corner into the alley behind the Oriental Theatre. Biggest crowd I've seen in that alley plus a few small box-vans waiting to load various props and costumes. Weaved around folks and found a place near the rope by the back entrance with several other "WICKED" superfans. Several of whom I recognize as seeing at "WICKED" before.
Got autographs on my playbill. In no real order I got the following autographs.
-Don Richards
-Peter C. Ermides
-Jenny DeNoia
-Heidi Kettenring
-Kristoffer Cusick
-Barbara Robertson
-Gene Weygandt
-Gregory Haney
-Annaleigh Ashford
-Dee Roscioli
And a few other ensemble cast too. When I get the pics uploaded to photobucket I'll scan my playbill if you all like too. Mom and Acathla meet me in the alley but Acathla ended up waaaaay down the alley from me trying to get her autographs before people left.
Told Don that Acathla and I looooove him and that we love when he holds that long note at the beginning of the musical in "No One Mourns The Wicked"! He seemed very happy and surprised to get that compliment!
Told Heidi that she's my sisters favorite in the whole thing.
Told Kris the he was amazing and that we'll miss him!
Got a picture with Gene. Told him the same as Kris that he was awesome tonight and that we'll miss him.
Waited forever with the other "diehard" fans in the like 4 degree weather for Dee and Annaleigh to come out. Watched costumes get brought out to a van. Chatted with several fans around me while we all tried to keep warm as best we could.
Barbara got her coat stuck in a door down the alley somehow right before I came down to get Dee and Annaleigh's autographs and pictures with them and Acathla.
But the time we got out of the alley and went to Borders to use the restroom my hands were fucking freezing! When I took off my gloves my hands were tomato red and burning.... Damn my inability to have my hand get too cold..... For awhile in the alley and at Borders, it felt like I had no fingers. Then while at Borders chatting with other "WICKED" fans who were there getting warmed up all of a sudden I was like "I have fingers! I can feel my fingers!" Of course this was after the burning sensation and redness died down.
Bought the Feb/March '09 issue of "Supernatural" magazine while at Borders. I think I'm missing the one before that. Hrmmmmm I hope my comic guy got me one and put it my box at the comic book store.....
Went to the "Theatre District" McDonald's for dollar menu items (for dinner). Ran into more of the "WICKED" fans. This time two groups from where I'd been standing in the alley. Chatted with a few of the girls and looked at pictures on each others digital cameras. Exchanged emails to share photos....
Got Starbucks to warm us up at Millennium Station. Caught the 8pm train home. Spent the trip making notes about our day so I could give you guy a better review of today's show than "OMG sooooooo fucking awesome. I loooooooveeeed it sooooooo much!!!!!" Ran into more "WICKED" fans on the train and chatted with them a bit too.
Now for the few "WICKED" links I tracked down for you guys tonight...
Two reviews I saw posted already at www.witchesofoz.com
http://www.witchesofoz.com/wicked_boards/index.php?showtopic=32477
http://www.witchesofoz.com/wicked_boards/index.php?showtopic=32474
direct link to the video at CLTV's website of the Curtain Call and David Stone's speech.
http://cltv.trb.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3375822
All right folks I think that's enough for tonight don'tcha think?
Pajamas-food-TV-and Bed now.
Thanx. Bye....
*
So all Theatre fans and "WICKED" fans. This is a post you'll enjoy. (I would hope anyway...)
Ok so I'm tired and since I have 4 episodes of "Stargate Atlantis" to watch (before I sleep so the DVD boxset can go back to the library tomorrow morning)- I'm going to do this quick review in list format. I may change it a bit later if I remember anything but who really knows...
He's distant, and moodified, and he's been thinking, which really worrries me.
Sooooooooooo--
1~~~Mom, Acathla and I took the 10:15am train into Chicago and had Subway for lunch with Mom's gift cards from Christmas. Free lunch!
2~~~After lunch we went straight to the Oriental Theatre a full hour and a half early for the 2pm curtain...
3~~~Waited between the double doors at the Oriental for that whole hour and a half. Tried to figure out how to sneak past all the employees in the lobby to go see the cast. Never left the ticket area til the doors opened for the show!
4~~~Came in so quickly to our seats that we had to wait at the door before the usher ladies let us in the theatre.. Those same ladies were going nuts over cameras and picture-taking in the theatre today.
5~~~By my memory of former trips to "WICKED" the theatre seemed to fill up quicker than usual and there was a more excited buzz in the crowd today. Guess a FINAL performance has that effect.
6~~~The crowd gave mega applause and cheering on all major cast entrances today. Starting with the conductor. Followed by mega cheering when the the curtain revealed the townspeople right before "No One Mourns The Wicked".
7~~~Don Richards got what seemed to me a bigger applause/cheering when he came out on stage. As did Annaleigh Ashford (Galinda) who got one of the longer entrance applause/cheering! To which instead of saying "It's good to see me isn't it." said "Well that was fun." The crowd went wild again.
8~~~Nearly every song got mega applause and cheering unless it went straight into a scene.
9~~~Dee Roscioli (Elphaba) and Heidi Kettenring (Nessarose) Both got huge applause/cheers too at their entrances in "Dear Old Shiz".
10~~~The fantastic Kristoffer Cusick (Fiyero) had a huge entrance applause and cheers as well. I might be wrong but it seemed to me he slapped "Avery?" on the back a bit too hard when he got out of the cart. I love the scenes between Kris and Dee but this this bit here at the beginning when they meet is one of my favorites!
11~~~"Dancing Through Life"! I love this song when Kris is Fiyero. you could tell the entire cast was giving it their all today! I love the little extra-y bits they sometimes throw in things that got added to nearly everything today!
12~~~The "lemons and melons and pears" line got a huge amount of laughter.
13~~~Ahhhhhhh "Popular"! *everyone make sure you don't laugh so much you forget to breath*
-The toss/toss. End statement. Okay you want more. The girls were incredibly silly here. Dee did one of her toss/toss' and then went "hey". Then her next one she toss/tossed and cackled then smacked her lips! I love the girls during "Popular"!!!
-Annaleigh! While we hope to see her shoe fly again or her wand bounce back from backstage at her, Annaleigh had other ideas... She did the splits and stretched her leg up behind her and like rolled over and got up all like hunchback-y and came back to her spot onstage and went "I'm okay!" The audience was dying of laughter!
14~~~Kris imitated Dee's toss/toss bit in the following classroom bit before the lion cub scene. This too got a huge crack up from the crowd.
15~~~ Glinda- He's distant, and moodified, and he's been thinking, which really worrries me.
... few lines later Fiyero tells Elphaba he's been "thinking" to which she replies "I've heard." Standard lines but again got huge cheers and laughter from the audience today being one of those big lines in the musical...
16~~~"One Short Day" I think both Acathla and I were singing along with this song... *laughs*
17~~~Gene Weygandt's entrance! The Wizard of Oz. Crowd went nuts yet again. During the scene when Glinda and Elphaba meet the wizard, Gene delivers his usual line of "...wait don't tell me. I know why you're here." to which parts of the audience (yours truly included) replied with the girls with the following line of "OOooooooo!" crowd had another round of laughter here.
18~~~"Defy Gravity"! *again everyone make sure you don't laugh so much you forget to breath*
-The crowd was buzzed again with excitement as it got closer to this song and when Glinda put the cape on Elphaba the crowd just went nuts tonight! Iconic image finally complete for the character in the musical. Hat-Broom-Cape!
-Again I think Acathla and I were singing along. Several it the crowd (I heard later) cried during this song. I held it mostly together but I really want to break.
-The song got a mega amount of applause and cheering as Dee hit those final notes!!
19~~~During intermission we went to the souvenir stand on on balcony level. The saleswoman was sucky and kept going all around Mom who had her credit card in hand and was ready to purchase. We ended up leaving and going back to our seats and decided we'd get stuff after the show from the souvenir stand downstairs.
20~~~Again mega cheers when the curtain went up for the second half and revealed the townsfolk.
21~~~Something else that seemed different to me in this whole performance today. It seemed like they had 'open mikes' on ensemble more than usual or the ensemble ad libbed a bit. It seemed like we heard them a bit more.
22~~~Right after "Wonderful" when the line "... a goat is on the lam..." happens both Mom and Acathla noticed that the big Wizard of Oz head thing seemed the move his eyebrows and made a sort of quizzical face. I missed it watching Kris like usual but Mom and Acathla don't seem to remember it usually happening.
23~~~My big favorite to see live. "As Long As Your Mine"! *sighs and swoons*
-Love this scene and Kris and Dee have amazing chemistry!
-One of those kisses towards the end last a bit longer than usual. But gods help me I love watching this scene!
-I need to find a video of any of the sets of Fiyero/Elphaba from the Chicago cast performing this one...
24~~~Just as they did for every big song. The audience spazzed and gave mega cheers and applause for "No Good Deed"!
25~~~"March of The Witch Hunters". Acathla and I were cracking up over Boq and the "lion" during Boq's big speech. It's a thing...
26~~~Chick fight after the 'twister of fate'. Gods hilarious! pretty much same as always but with the added effect of being the last show and the cast giving every bit there all, this was and awesome moment. Huge applause and cheers from the audience here too.
27~~~Kris' entrance via tarzan-like rope! Annaleigh made a sorta odd face and looked around to see where he'd come from. Standard bit of the scene but Annaleigh being Annaleigh went for the funny!
28~~~"For Good"! Gods I seemed to have been fighting not crying until we got here. But here I cried some. Gods it was almost over. Gone! With Annaleigh already cracking and trying not to cry at the beginning of the song I think a lots of us fans started to lose it if we hadn't already. Annaleigh composed herself and then both her and Dee were trying not to cried and singing all choked up! *cries and hugs my girls* This song got a huge mega monster amount of cheering and Annaleigh and Dee hugged for much longer than normal at the end of it.
29~~~"Finale"!!!!!!!! *controls breathing to finish typing-- forget that cries*
-Audience went wild when Scarecrow!Fiyero opens the trapdoor for Elphaba.
-I think everyone in the audience was having the best time ever! Lots of laughing and cheering like crazy insane people!
30~~~"Curtain Call".
-Instead of the usual standing ovation starting when the Glinda and Elphaba come out, tonight was different. Standing Ovation started when the curtain came up on the first group of ensemble characters and the applause and cheering and wild screaming kept up throughout the entire cast!
-David Stone one of the producers came out and made a speech I've got the video from CLTV linked and embeded below. It will have probably started when you open the page. Sorry I don't know how to tell it not to do that. Everyone was crying by here.
Last show. That's it. It's quitting time.... Last show of "WICKED" in Chicago is over!
I ran out to the alley while Mom and Acathla got our souvenirs at a stand downstairs. I ran down the street, weaving around people on the sidewalk, and stop short as I round the corner into the alley behind the Oriental Theatre. Biggest crowd I've seen in that alley plus a few small box-vans waiting to load various props and costumes. Weaved around folks and found a place near the rope by the back entrance with several other "WICKED" superfans. Several of whom I recognize as seeing at "WICKED" before.
Got autographs on my playbill. In no real order I got the following autographs.
-Don Richards
-Peter C. Ermides
-Jenny DeNoia
-Heidi Kettenring
-Kristoffer Cusick
-Barbara Robertson
-Gene Weygandt
-Gregory Haney
-Annaleigh Ashford
-Dee Roscioli
And a few other ensemble cast too. When I get the pics uploaded to photobucket I'll scan my playbill if you all like too. Mom and Acathla meet me in the alley but Acathla ended up waaaaay down the alley from me trying to get her autographs before people left.
Told Don that Acathla and I looooove him and that we love when he holds that long note at the beginning of the musical in "No One Mourns The Wicked"! He seemed very happy and surprised to get that compliment!
Told Heidi that she's my sisters favorite in the whole thing.
Told Kris the he was amazing and that we'll miss him!
Got a picture with Gene. Told him the same as Kris that he was awesome tonight and that we'll miss him.
Waited forever with the other "diehard" fans in the like 4 degree weather for Dee and Annaleigh to come out. Watched costumes get brought out to a van. Chatted with several fans around me while we all tried to keep warm as best we could.
Barbara got her coat stuck in a door down the alley somehow right before I came down to get Dee and Annaleigh's autographs and pictures with them and Acathla.
But the time we got out of the alley and went to Borders to use the restroom my hands were fucking freezing! When I took off my gloves my hands were tomato red and burning.... Damn my inability to have my hand get too cold..... For awhile in the alley and at Borders, it felt like I had no fingers. Then while at Borders chatting with other "WICKED" fans who were there getting warmed up all of a sudden I was like "I have fingers! I can feel my fingers!" Of course this was after the burning sensation and redness died down.
Bought the Feb/March '09 issue of "Supernatural" magazine while at Borders. I think I'm missing the one before that. Hrmmmmm I hope my comic guy got me one and put it my box at the comic book store.....
Went to the "Theatre District" McDonald's for dollar menu items (for dinner). Ran into more of the "WICKED" fans. This time two groups from where I'd been standing in the alley. Chatted with a few of the girls and looked at pictures on each others digital cameras. Exchanged emails to share photos....
Got Starbucks to warm us up at Millennium Station. Caught the 8pm train home. Spent the trip making notes about our day so I could give you guy a better review of today's show than "OMG sooooooo fucking awesome. I loooooooveeeed it sooooooo much!!!!!" Ran into more "WICKED" fans on the train and chatted with them a bit too.
Now for the few "WICKED" links I tracked down for you guys tonight...
Two reviews I saw posted already at www.witchesofoz.com
http://www.witchesofoz.com/wicked_boards/index.php?showtopic=32477
http://www.witchesofoz.com/wicked_boards/index.php?showtopic=32474
direct link to the video at CLTV's website of the Curtain Call and David Stone's speech.
http://cltv.trb.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3375822
All right folks I think that's enough for tonight don'tcha think?
Pajamas-food-TV-and Bed now.
Thanx. Bye....
*