My 18th birthday was back in April, but I feel like it's still worth writing about.
Ever since 7th grade when we had to sing "Popular" in choir, I've been in love with the musical "Wicked." I'd never seen it or even learned the whole story line, but I knew a lot of the songs by heart and dreamed of seeing it live someday. I refused to watch whatever might have been illegally posted on YouTube because I wanted to see it all for the first time when the time came.
A month or so before my birthday, I was planning what I wanted to do for it. I didn't want a party, and I didn't want any really special presents, so I thought I'd have a little movie night and bonfire with my best friends. I told my mom about it and she seemed fine wih it. Either the next day or later that day, my parents came into my room and mom asked if I'd like to go see Wicked for my birthday. I immediately burst into tears of happiness. My mom had found out a few days before that the touring group would be performing in Nashville two days before my birthday- on Easter Sunday to be exact. I don't think any of us really cared that it was on Easter, because we were going to see WICKED!!!
I had my mini party with my friends the Saturday before my birthday, and then mom, dad, Tessa and I got in the car to drive to Nashville the next morning. We all wore a bit of green and black to discreetly fit with the theme. A lady was dressed up as a witch a couple rows in front of us...
The only things I really knew about the musical were the songs and the setting and the characters. I was able to avoid major spoilers all 5 years I was obsessed with it. As soon as I heard the music start, and saw the awesome monkeys open the curtains, I almost started to cry from happiness again. I was ACTUALLY there, watching the musical I've been dying to see since middle school. I never imagined I'd be seeing it so soon.
The set was awesome, the performers were amazing, and I really freaking loved the monkeys. They seriously knew how to get into character, it was almost hard to believe that they weren't actually big monkeys.
Every time I had listened to Defying Gravity between finding out I was going to see it, and the ride there, I couldn't help but tear up. When I heard the first few notes in the theatre, I had to try SO hard to hold back my tears, because I wanted to see it! And it was amazing and beautiful and spectacular, everything I thought it would be and more. I found this picture on the internet that captures the moment perfectly:
It was so so wonderful. And when all those blue lights went out at the end, you could still see Elphaba's face for a few seconds, which I thought was pretty cool.
Wow it was great. And I tried not to cry after that scene because it was intermission and the house lights came on and I didn't want people to see me cry, but I did anyway because WOW EMOTIONS! Even thinking about it right now makes me want to cry again. It's all so strong in my memory.
One of the things I was worried about was how the singing would sound. I was so used to listening to Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenowith on the original soundtrack, and I was scared that the singers wouldn't be as good. But oh my goodness they were. I had a bad experience once with Cats where my favorite song was butchered by one of the singers.... But it wasn't a professional cast, so what can you do... Wicked was amazing though, in absolutely every way possible.
Before the show, we stopped at a Subway behind the theatre for lunch. When we came out, we saw the set truck! It made me so so happy and even more excited.
And when we got into the theatre, we saw the dragon and the curtain and my dad and I wondered if the dragon would move or breathe fire.
So that's my story of seeing Wicked for my birthday. My parents are absolutely awesome for making that happen, and I hope I can go back and see it more times, and maybe someday tech it, which would be so great!!
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