Wicked-licious

I was so deliriously happy yesterday. Finally got to see Wicked live at the San Diego Civic Theatre. It was great, wonderful, spectacular, etc!!! BUT. I've listened to the soundtrack so many times and it was the original cast who sang the soundtrack. So I was kind of disappointed when the singing was not as rich & powerful. Both Glinda's and Elphaba's singing were on the nasal side. And at times when I was expecting them to be belting out their parts, their voices seem to lose power and I could barely hear them. Maybe I was sitting too far back and to the side (M56). But there were a few times in the performance when I felt I was left out in the cold. And Fiyero's dancing in "Dancing Through Life" seemed stiff, not carefree.

But, on the plus side, seeing the actors play out the story really helps fill in the blanks in the soundtrack which consists of music only & not dialogue. And the guy playing the Wizard sang & acted pretty decent. Overall, the acting was good, especially Glinda who was hilariously funny.

One thing that stood out for me in this performance was when Glinda sang "I'm Not That Girl" and she growls on that last low note. This little twist isn't in the soundtrack. That growly low note so represents the mood she's in after Fiyero leaves with Elphaba, and right before she betrays Elphaba to the Wizard & Madame Morrible.

Oh, and I shouldn't forget the costumes. My god, I wanted to take photos so badly, especially the outfits for the ball scene and the trip to the Emerald City.

I decided to check out if I was the only one who felt this way about the performance so I found Anne Marie Welsh's review on SignOnSanDiego. She pretty much said what I felt about the performance too. This is definitely a gotta-see show. In February 2007, there's going to be another Wicked production in Los Angeles but with a different cast, I think. Or, go to New York to see it.

::Sigh. I really wished I found out about this musical when it first came out. Judging from the soundtrack, the original cast would've been a great act to see and hear.

P.S. The guy who plays Fiyero (Sebastian Arcello) is cute! =P