"Witches' Night Off," A Cabaret by the Cast of Wicked

Last night I attended a concert called Witches' Night Off, a cabaret performance by the touring cast of Wicked to raise money for the Minnesota AIDS Project. As I mentioned in my Wicked review, this cast is hugely talented, so it was fun to see them all have their chance to shine. I recognized some people from the show, but they look quite different without their crazy fabulous Oz costumes and hair. About a dozen or so cast members took part in the show. None of the principals were there (I'm sure they use their day off to rest their voices), with the exception of Rachel Potter, Glinda's understudy who I saw perform on Sunday. Performances ranged from showtunes (including a duet of "Take Me or Leave Me" from RENT) to pop songs to dance numbers, and what beautiful dancers they are!

The concert was held at the Bolt Underground in Minneapolis - a bar is not my favorite type of venue. It was loud and crowded and seating was limited. In retrospect I wish I had sprung for the $50 VIP seats; it would have been well worth it and the money goes to a good cause. Instead I was standing in the back craning my neck and getting jostled by the crowd. But it thinned out as the show went on and I found a seat. They auctioned off several cool items from the show, including Glinda's purse! Another auction item was the opportunity to be painted green and sing "Defying Gravity" with the cast. If only I had known it included the singing part I might have gone for it! I would have made a prettier Elphaba than the man who won. ;) But I must admit he did a pretty good job with the song. Unfortunately the auction parts dragged on and only made me wish I could fast-forward to the performances!

All in all it was a fun night and a great opportunity to watch this cast strut their stuff in a way they can't as part of the ensemble. I'm tempted to go see Wicked one more time before it leaves town; who knows when it will be back again!

"Wicked" at the Orpheum Theatre

Wicked! It’s one of my all time favorites, even though this is only the third time I’ve seen it. I’ve loved the soundtrack since I saw the show for the first time on tour in 2006, and haven’t been able to stop listening to it (and singing along) since! For those of you who don’t know, Wicked is based on the book of the same name by Gregory Maguire, which is a retelling of the story of the witches in The Wizard of Oz. But that’s really only a starting point; it’s an entirely new creation. Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) and Winnie Holzman (book) took this dark and complicated story and made it lighter and simpler, without losing the weight of the story. Both are truly remarkable transformations, as Maguire’s book has little resemblance to L. Frank Baum’s world of Oz, and the musical took the book and went in an entirely new direction. It’s really one of the most perfect musicals, it has everything!

Seeing Wicked live is an entirely different experience than listening to the soundtrack. It’s a true spectacle (in a good way). The set is amazing, complete with a dragon hanging over the audience, a huge mechanical wizard head, flying monkeys, and lots of moving pieces and gears. The costumes are outrageously gorgeous. From the green and white striped school uniforms of Shiz, to the black and white dance clothes, and my favorite, the amazing green dresses of the Emerald City! And the hair is just crazy. But the reason this entire spectacle works is that there’s great substance behind it. As I mentioned, the music is rich and beautiful and fun. But it’s really the story that holds it all together. Wicked is not just about the good witch and the bad witch; it’s about friendship, finding where you fit in, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter what anyone tells you. And that’s something I think everyone can relate to. I certainly can; Elphaba is close to my heart – I consider “I’m Not That Girl” my theme song. ;)

This touring cast is extremely talented. Both Vicki Noon as Elphaba and Rachel Potter as Glinda (the understudy), have the vocal chops required for these two roles. Vicki stopped the show on several occasions: “The Wizard and I” and especially “Defying Gravity.” TV and movie vet Don Amendolia made for a charming wizard. Behind them was a talented ensemble of dancers and singers. Lucky for me I get to see this cast again tomorrow night! They’re performing in a cabaret called "Witches Night Off" to raise money for the Minnesota AIDS Project.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the show (did I mention the show also features some biting social commentary?):

“The truth has nothing to do with facts and reason. The truth is what people agree on. Where I’m from we believe all sorts of things that aren’t true. We call it history.”