Tell Them How I'm Defying Gravity!!

I saw Wicked today at the Orpheum in Memphis with my mother. It was momentous for two reasons:
1) Wicked is a visual and auditory orgasm for anyone living ever, and
2) my mother and I got along THE ENTIRE TIME.

I'll post pictures later, I'm too tired to upload/edit/post pics right now.

I just...there are no words. Ugh, it was beautiful. We had astoundingly good seats--close enough to see details and be blown away by the singing and the orchestra, but not right down front where you can't take in the entire stage in one glance.

I dunno about anyone else in that theatre, but we had great seats. I mean, I thought we were gonna be back under the mezzanine, but NO NO NO. I came hard when I realized where we were sitting.

I thought that, y'know, having owned and loved the soundtrack for several years now would prepare me for what I was about to experience, but no. I teared up when the lights went down, and the first chord of the overture made me cry.

The playbill mentioned there were ten local Memphis musicians in the orchestra, playing all the performances in Memphis--I have to wonder if one of them was on the lead/rhythm guitar, cuz man that shit was FUNKY IN THE BEST WAY. On the soundtrack, I didn't particularly notice any funk guitar in the "One Short Day In The Emerald City" track--but live, it was ROCKIN!! Goin' wild and OUT!!

The choreography was especially pleasing. There was a mix consisting of: a little bit of interpretive flailing, a good bit of somewhat swing-style dancing, and a dash of courtly-style dance...hard to describe, really, but it pleased me. Also, wheel-chair dancing. What.

¯\(°_o)/¯

I flat-out sobbed during "Defying Gravity". Ugh, favorite song ever. The staging, lighting, everything was amazing. Getting chills just thinking about it.

I see lots of Elphaba in myself. I think this is why it was such an emotionally big deal for me. I couldn't stop thanking my mother, but I'm pretty sure she already knew.

Ugh, wonderful. I was also ESPECIALLY pleased by Dr. Dillamond--not sure why. I think it was the masterful makeup--as a theatrical makeup hack, I approve of Dillamond's billy-goat face.