Wicked Continues to Delight

My fifth Wicked experience in Cleveland was just as entertaining as the last three. As a bonus, I got to attend with a "Wicked Virgin" who had never seen the show, so I got to co-opt her experience as well.

Hard as it is to believe, my friend Missie had never seen the Wicked Witch of the West musical, based loosely on Gregory Maguire's novel. She had never heard more than snippets of the score. So this was all new to her.

To me, I thought the actress who portrayed Galinda was just a bit over the top (which is saying something, considering the material.) Missie thought she was wonderful. I thought the sound mix turned the chorus into an almost unintelligible, though tuneful, burble. Missie thought the songs were delightful. I thought the trumpet player in the orchestra needed to bring his volume down a notch and blend better with the other musicians. Missie scarcely noticed. So, my reactions were instantly tempered by Missie's enthusiasm. And it was a better experience for me as a result.

We have yet to find a decent lunch solution on a Saturday afternoon in Cleveland, so we skipped lunch altogether this time around. During intermission, we skipped down to Parnell's Pub for shots and potty. After the show, I picked up some Wicked merch (including an awesome new musical snowglobe) and then we walked over to Becky's for cocktails.

Missie enthused about the show, we waited for the parking deck to clear out, drove back to Cuyahoga Falls, met Angie and went to River City Bar & Grille for dinner and more drinks.