OK, before Victoria and I headed to the Paramount Theater last night, I had heard lots of good things about the musical “Wicked”. My sister Debbie loved it, several other people RAVED about it, but we had never seen it before.
I had heard all about the Tony Awards it won one year and since it was based on one of my favorite movies of all times, “The Wizard of Oz”, it already had an inside track.
But what happens when a show or movie gets THAT much hype, you can tend to go with high expectations and leave disappointed.
Disappointment was not even a consideration.
I told Victoria during intermission that I had a new favorite musical (sorry, “Phantom”).
“Wicked” was a treat for so many reasons: the first-class performers, the amazing sets and the things they did with that stage, and shedding all that light on the story of the Wizard of Oz.
See, this is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West–where she came from, how she got that way–and it’s explained that she really wasn’t that bad. She was just in need of some PR and a better agent.
It was funny, the songs were fun. If I were to knock one thing it’s that I would have loved to understand what some of the group songs were saying.
I now know where the tin woodsman came from, as well as the scarecrow, that the Wizard wasn’t as nice a guy as he appeared, what the deal was with the ruby slippers and that the Wicked Witch of the West’s name was Elphaba.
It was an educational and amazing night. “Wicked” is only in Seattle through Sunday. The one thing I know for sure is that I’ll be first in line when it returns.

Tim Hunter