Wicked: The Untold Stories of the Witches of Oz

I have read the book [Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years)] (meh), listened to the Original Broadway Cast recording (OBC) [Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)] (AWESOME) and have wanted to see Wicked for a very long time, but had never been able to make it happen. 

When I was reading the book on a recommendation from my soon to be mother-in-law a few years ago, I thought that the look inside the story was interesting, but way too long and it seemed to go on FOREVER.  There were interesting nuggets and it had some great potential.  Intriguing parts of the story were there, but there were a lot of parts of the book that could have been made way more entertaining and others that should have been cut out all together.  I kept plowing through the book because I love the Wizard of Oz, and I wanted to love this.  But, even as I finished the book, I wasn't all that impressed - and a little disappointed in the story.

I don't know when I first heard the OBC, but I think it was on Pandora on a Broadway Channel I had created.  Then I was able to listen to the whole OBC eventually, and I wanted to see the musical live, because it sounded awesome from the music.  And if it sucked, at least I could look forward to the music that I had heard over and over and over.

The touring company of Wicked were going to be in Kalamazoo around our anniversary and we got tickets to go see it the day before our anniversary in Miller Auditorium 12/11/10 at 2pm.  I was stoked!

It lived up and surpassed my highest expectations!  I mean, WOW!  The songs that were amazing as stand alone pieces on a CD, were phenomenal in the context of the story.  The sets and costumes were spectacular, the performers were superb.  The woman who played Elphaba blew me away.  Before seeing the show, 'Defying Gravity' had meant a great deal to me and seeing her perform it in context of the story and how firmly she was in character was beautiful.  When I get home and look at my playbill I will edit this post to contain her name, but her performance of 'Defying Gravity' moved me to tears, it was marvelous.

I wouldn't exchange that experience for anything and we are definitely going to see the show again.  I want to live on the east coast, close enough to NYC so I can see Broadway shows whenever I want.

Amazing.  And if you are a part of the cast that performed for us that day - thank you.  You were unparalleled in anything I have ever seen in live theatre.

30 Days of Truth - Day 13: A Band or Artist That Has Gotten You Through Some Tough Days (write a letter.)

Dear Music,

This letter is supposed to be about a particular band or artist that helped me through a difficult time. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there are several songs either got me through a time or were just a soundtrack to a certain time in my life.

For example, in 2001-2002 I went on vacation with my family to Florida over Christmas Break and listened to Britney Spears' self-titled Album: Britney on repeat all the entire way down and back, in the van. I also read the very first Princess Diaries book by Meg Cabot over and over and over and over again. Not a hard time, but a good soundtrack at the time!

There was a mixed CD when I was in 8th grade I think, that I listened to during hockey tournaments for Matthew the whole year. I don't remember what was on it, other than a lot of rock music - there was one Rob Zombie song that I remember. Living Dead Girl, I believe it was. Excellent soundtrack!

When I dislocated my left knee cap the first time I watched Bring It On a lot of times, and Air Bud. And one time when I had strep throat I listened to Aaron Carter's CD on repeat for like four days.

Girl Scout Camp always had a lot of fun weird songs that we sang while we were there and those were fun too...

But the most recent time in my life that music has helped me was the big change I went through about a year ago, deciding to leave ATEP and athletic training and change my major to theatre. It will sound silly but Defying Gravity by Stephen Schwartz from Wicked helped me through a lot of what I was struggling with at that time. I heard the song before Glee did the song, but Glee helped me a lot in that it made me realize exactly how much I missed singing - and performing in general. It didn't make me decide to pursue theatre, there were other factors involved in that decision. I know that I always want to have theatre be a part of my life, whether I do community theatre or regional theatre forever - I don't care. Life sucks without the arts, I know that now.

[SIDE NOTE: Go vote for The Williamston Theatre at the Pepsi Refresh Project!!]

Defying Gravity's lyrics spoke to me and gave me courage to do what I should have done long ago. Realize exactly how unhappy I was in athletic training, and that I needed a change. I am so glad I made that change! I know I say that a lot, but it is still fresh for me and every day something reminds me about how awesome my life is now because I left ATEP and changed to theatre.

Music, you have been a wonderful companion to me, and I love you very much! Please continue to love me and support me all the time...


Love,
Jenny


P.S. I am sick, so if you could come up with a good get better song, I'd really appreciate it! kthxbai!

30 Days of Truth - Day 5: Something You Hope To Do In Your Life

Kids, Theatre, ASL interpreting and Travel.

That is not the order that those things will come in, but those are all things I'd like to do in my life. I also might try and write a book. I'm writing a play script now and that's rough going - but I think that's harder than writing a book. Unless you're adapting a book to a script, that might be easier - I don't know, I've never tried. But it must be fun to adapt a book, it's done all the time for musicals, other straight plays (Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo) and movies (Harry Potter anyone?)

What is with me? I cannot write without having at least one tangent that is mostly unrelated to what I set out to write!

Anyway, where was I? Oh, right, babies. Adam and I want kids. We are not going to have them now, no way! We aren't ready and we wouldn't be able to support them financially. Just our luck, with our first pregnancy we'd get twins. We'd like to have a boy and a girl, but we won't keep having kids if we don't get at least one of each, we'll adopt whatever gender we don't have.

Theatre is fun, I love it, I enjoy it and I have a passion for it. I will continue to be involved in it as long as I am breathing.

Right now, I am sure of one thing in my future (besides Adam). I will be pursuing ASL interpreting licensure. I love to communicate in sign and if it turns out one or more of my children are Deaf, fine. We are prepared.

Travel. This is one of the things that is making us hold back on babies for awhile. We both want to travel the world and that gets A LOT harder when you have children. And more expensive. And we'd rather just travel ourselves first. It is startling to think that at this time 23 years ago, my Mom was pregnant with me and was roughly the same age I am now. Yikes.

There are so many other little things I'd like to do in my life. Maybe I should start a Bucket List....

--

That's it for today peeps, I hope you enjoyed the blogging blitz. Have a safe and Happy Halloween and I'll see you on Monday!