wicked

this word wicked has many meanings. it usually takes the form of an adjective or an adverb. it can even be used as slang (which, yes, i have adopted. i mean, come on, i’ve been in massachusetts for 7.5 years now. it was inevitable.)

but last night, it took the form of a proper noun, as in this:

gosh golly gee wiz bumble mumble HOLY COW it is so amazing. it makes me cry and laugh and cheer and sing along and swoon and tear up and applaud and grin and smile and squeeeeee. it’s so amazing. and it’s the second time i’ve seen it. the first time, i was in NYC at THE show with idina menzel and kristin chenoweth. ms. chenoweth was out sick that day, but idina graced the stage and oh my ever did she.

but last night, jackie burns was playing the title role and she’s no second fiddle. her green skin and her voice were truly stunning. and chandra lee schwartz as glinda? as my roommate would say, it blew my mind grapes. there were so many little bits (and big bits) i had forgotten about. it’s funny! and the music is gorgeous. and this second round of actors really made it their own. i know it was the same play as the first time, but this felt unique and wonderful. i was surprised by how different the same play could be with a fresh new set of actors. it’s snarky and charming and powerful, oh my! i can’t believe i waited this long to see it again. it was totally worth the wait. however, i also feel it would have been worth it not to wait, which means i would have seen it 5 or 6 times by now. my wallet would be a lot lighter, sure, but so would my soul. you could even say it would be defying gravity. oh, did you see what i did there? little inside information. if you’ve seen the show, you know what i’m talking about. if you haven’t seen the show. what the frick are you waiting for??? go see it!

after that first viewing, because i adored it so much, i decided to read gregory mcguire’s book of the same name. (well, wait, it’s not WICKED, the musical. it’s actually WICKED: LIFE AND TIMES OF THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST.) it’s a rare event that can get me to say this, but i actually liked the musical better than the book. i know. can you believe i just said i liked something more than a book? (sorry, Book. this time, it’s true.) it’s probably because i pretty much adore the disneyification of anything and that book? it’s heavy on the politics and light on the fluffy, singing animals. and that’s not to say the musical is full of furry talking mammals. i mean, it is, but it’s so much more. the spirit of the book matches the spirit of the musical, but they get to the end results in different ways. and that’s fine. i just choose to watch the musical (twice) rather than read the book (once). which, GAH, i still can’t believe i’m saying. i always like the book better [than the movie/musical/tv show]. i guess there has to be a rule breaking situation. this is mine.

speaking of disneyifications, our BOOK HUNGRY selection for october is BEAUTY by robin mckinley. if you want to join in, feel free to pick up a copy at your local library or indie book store. our reviews will go up on 10/21, so there’s your deadline. start reading!