Wicked.

I saw the musical Wicked last night for the very first time, and I absolutely adored it. I'm a fan of the book by Gregory Maguire upon which it's based, and I think that's what made me hesitant for so long as far as seeing the musical -- I wasn't sure how it would measure up to the book. But my suspicions, happily, were unfounded.

If you're unfamiliar with "Wicked," it's a retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a twist -- the story is told from the Wicked Witch of the West's perspective, and in this version she's not the villain... the Wizard of Oz is. The musical takes the central premise and kicks it up a notch or five, adding infectious melodies and stunning set designs and costumes. But what stays with you long after you've seen "Wicked" isn't the music or the costumes, it's the story.

I read a review about the film that sums it up pretty nicely:

"Wicked works because it has something Broadway musicals, so addicted to facetiousness and camp, have largely given up on: a story that adults can take seriously ... If every musical had a brain, a heart, and the courage of Wicked, Broadway really would be a magical place."

- Richard Zoglin, Time magazine

I have not always been a fan of musicals because of their so-called "facetiousness and camp," but "Wicked" is the type of musical I really love. If the story's not there, then neither am I, and the story is definitely there in "Wicked." It has everything you want in a story -- comedy, suspense, love, and a satisfying resolution.

With all that being said, I'm still a fan of the music in "Wicked," especially the songs "Popular" and "Defying Gravity." In case you've never heard them before and would like a sneak peek of the musical, I'm including them below:

Popular

Defying Gravity

If you want to learn more about the musical, click on the picture above -- it will take you to its official site which is full of neat goodies like behind-the-scenes clips, pictures, timelines, and more.

Have you seen "Wicked" before? If so, what are your favorite songs? Let me know in the comments! 

P.S.) I decided to change my blog name from "I blog, therefore I am" to this new name, "my sweet old etcetera." Can you guess where I got it from?? ;)

Into the Woods!

Last night I went to see my friend Jeannette perform in a community theater play, "Into the Woods." I'd never seen her act before, but I knew she was a fantastic singer, so I was really looking forward to this.

Watching the play made me long for the days in high school when I was in the Drama Club and acted in school productions. I have been Juliet, Dracula's bride, and a pregnant woman coping with AIDS, just to name a few. When my school decided to do musicals my senior year, I dropped out. They were doing "Grease" and I don't sing (outside of the shower). But maybe I'll look into some community theaters in my area to see if they're auditioning. It couldn't hurt!

It's testament to how good last night's play (and Jeannette) were that the boyf had to be all but dragged to go see it, and he wound up having a huge grin on his face the entire time. If you've never heard of "Into the Woods," it's a musical that reinvents beloved fairy tales such as "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Rapunzel," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella," and more.

But perhaps "reinvents" is too soft a word.

Jeannette had a big role -- she played the Baker's wife who can't conceive a child due to a curse placed on her husband's family by (who else?) a fearsome witch. In order to remove the curse, they need to procure the following four items before the clock strikes midnight on the third day: a red silken cape, a golden slipper, a lock of hair yellow as corn, and a cow white as milk.

While everyone in the cast had decent pipes, each time Jeannette took the stage, she blew them out of the water. As of yet, Jeannette hasn't been discovered by Broadway, just Boca Raton. We're trying to find out how she can get an audition for Broadway, but apparently it's as hard to find as the Holy Grail. I have hope that some day she'll get lucky and a casting scout will be in the audience and get to see her perform.

Here is a picture of Jeannette as the Baker's wife standing next to Cinderella (sorry for the blurry quality, it was taken with a mobile phone) as well as a YouTube video of the play's prologue from the Broadway version.