Oh. My. Word. Guess who we just met! Cliffton Hall, Deedee Magno Hall, Donna Vivino and Myra Lucretia Taylor. Not impressed? You should be because that’s Fiyero, Nessarose, Elphaba and Madame Morrible! Woo Hoo!Let me start from the beginning of our wonderful Wicked evening: Amy and I met our friend Cindy for dinner then the three of us drove over to the Wharton Center to meet my friend Marty and her three nieces, Emily, Julia and Megan, friends of Amy’s. We got there in plenty of time, found our seats (Row U, center – we had a great view of everything and thankfully no tall people sat in front of us) and enjoyed a fabulous evening of Wicked. I didn’t think it could get any better. I was wrong!
I parked near the stage door again, and this time I figured out how to walk around the parking deck to the stage door. Just as we were scooting around the corner we spotted the Halls talking with a family and signing autographs. Amy and Emily went nuts. I tried to calm them down (which was a switch for me because I have been known to be quite the groupie) and they got their acts together enough to ask for an autograph and pose for a picture.
The Halls were gracious and seemed completely unfazed by the two girls swooning at them. All I could think was, “This must be how my mother felt at all those Amy Grant concerts…”
We then got to meet Vivino, the standby for Elphaba. I couldn’t believe she was the standby – she was phenomenal. Crazy good. She still had a bit of her green face paint smeared at her hairline. The girls thought that was great.
Then came Taylor. She looked nothing like Madame Morrible – I know she wears a wig and outrageous costumes but I thought I’d recognize her a little. No way. She was so short! She seemed pleased that such young girls were interested in the theater, and signed their Playbills willingly.
I’m not sure (and Amy will never tell me), but I think I may have earned some cool Mom points by finding the way to the stage door. I will take those points any time I can get them, even if I’m not supposed to know I have them.
As I tucked Amy in a few minutes ago she was still floating. It was a wonderful night for her and a wonderful night for us. I could us a few more nights like that. But for now, I am content to thank God for graciously giving us a completely conflict-free, fun time together.
How cool that you got to meet the cast!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to ask: how does the musical compare to the book? I read the book years ago and absolutely loved it, and just saw that the show's coming back to Atlanta. Does it go into the political climate in Oz -- and all the unrest over building the Yellow Brick Road?
Curious in Duluth
It really was cool to meet the actors - for a moment I felt 13 again.
ReplyDeleteThe musical is based on the book; I haven't read the book but from what I've gathered it is quite dark and, as you mentioned, political. It is alluded to, but not directly. Here’s a quote from an interview with one of the musical’s co-writers, Winnie Holzman:
Although Gregory Maguire's best seller is "the inspiration" for the musical, its plot and tone, observes Holzman, "go far afield" from the novel. "It was [Maguire's] brilliant idea to take this hated figure and tell things from her point of view, and to have the two witches be roommates in college, but the way in which their friendship develops — and really the whole plot — is different [onstage]."
http://www.playbill.com/features/article/86583.html
I, of course, give it two thumbs up and highly recommend you get your tickets for the Atlanta show right now – they go on sale in 2 minutes!