I wanted to see this show after reading the book "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire. I was very curious to see how Broadway could adapt such a rich text into a musical format. I was intrigued by this story because it featured two strong lead female characters and builds upon material I was familiar with from my childhood (the Wizard of Oz).

Wicked is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the "Good Witch", from the Wizard of Oz. It covers their childhoods (including a mighty awesome cliffhanger in the book's first section) and also, how they met at school and what causes them to pursue evil and good, respectively.

I love the experience of theatre productions so seeing this show was a given considering how much I lovingly DEVOURED the book. I am usually one of the people who typically believe that the movie is never as good as the book but Wicked on broadway was just as enjoyable as the book even though they were varied in content.

The overall story between the book and the stage production is generally the same but the book features considerably more detail and added plot lines than a 2hour, 45min show can cover. In other words, if you like the show, read the book - you will get to spend even more time with the complex characters.

I was very impressed with the Gershwin Theatre. It has comfortable chairs which is very nice! Some theatres have you squeezed together like sardines in a can.

As soon as you sit down and see the set for the first time, you know it's going to be a magical night. Although the backdrops are very industrial in nature, the dazzling color of costumes, lighting and special effects serve as a constant feast for the eyes.

The music is catchy and emotional and the actors were microphoned perfectly, every syllable crystal clear. We had seats in the center orchestra section, row T. I don't recommend getting seats any farther back than row U or V or you might not see the entire top portion of the set (which does feature into the story in a few parts.) We could see and hear everything perfectly and I felt entranced in the story from the very first note.

There were a few children there but I don't think this show is geared toward children even though it is associated with the beloved childhood classic the Wizard of Oz.

Three new cast members had been added a couple of days before our show and I'm not sure if this added to the energy of the show but all of the cast members seemed super fresh and passionate about their roles.

Especially delightful was Megan Hilty in the role of Galinda/Glinda. She was hysterical and stole the show in my opinion.

There are many good broadway shows but I would definitely recommend Wicked even if you aren't familiar with the story or the book. I would also recommend getting tickets as early as possible - they tend to sell out every show (sometimes even months in advance).


Recommended: Yes