100th Post

Aww, look at me - 100 posts on this blogg-er-ing thing. In eight months that's...12 a month, 3 a week on average. Not too shabby. I think I might be ready for NaBloPoMo when it comes around again! (Kidding, kidding, that's sooo not enough.) But happy blogging to me today! Yay!

First, the recap of our Wicked experience. I don't think I will ever see the show, anywhere, any theater, with any actor/actress and not think it's fantastic. It is just that good. I WOULD like to see the same cast twice though, to get a feel for a "normal" show. I thought that Tuesday would be the day. The Jungle has a sit-down (permanent) production. Seeing two performances, only a couple months apart I naively thought I'd be able to see the same faces as in February. Alas, it was just not to be. There were a few substitutions in the program. Les sighs. Still, it wasn't all bad, in fact I think some of the understudies (stand-by, excuse me) were really great.

Eden Espinosa - always a solid performer. And an exceptional voice. I wonder if they get bored singing and saying the same lines eight times in a week? I consider this because there was a distinct difference in some songs; notes added or changed, or left out. (Still bitter that the waltz from 'Wonderful' is out.) And I think Eden tends to play Elphaba just a bit too angry from the start. I feel Elphaba should start out frustrated, exasperated, resigned and then develop the anger as the slander goes on and gets worse. At the beginning she's just green.

Emily Rozek was in for Glinda (instead of Megan Hilty who I wanted to see a second time...) and she was pretty darn good. I liked her delivery of the lines, she seemed to let Glinda grow up as the character is supposed to. She also didn't play it for the jokes alone, or make it too slapstick-y. I hate that.

Kristoffer Cusick seemed to have improved a lot since the last time we saw him and he wasn't bad then. He had more depth, a bigger range maybe? Or he was just 'on' that night and not the night in February.

Natalie Daradich was in for Nessarose (rather than Jenna Leigh Green, who I adore) and again, she was really very good. Nessa's character is relatively minor so her solo in the second act is really important and Natalie did a great job. Those are the most important characters to note. I did notice specifically this performance how the lighting designer did an exceptional job. Dramatic when necessary, but not overly complicated. It's amazing. [Insert twenty lines of my usual gushing over this play - it's fantastic, it really is!!]

Here are some gooey shots of us before we left. (Special thanks to Tarzan taking them all while we mugged for the camera. Love you honey!)

All dressed up to go:

Yes, we DO wear green and black to all performances. Yes, we ARE obsessed. Any other questions?
Trying to imitate the poster...times two...all in green:

Some cheesecake for the mens:

And if this week hadn't been cool enough - what's this; a present for me? Yay! When I went out to my car this morning there was a bag on the seat - and guess what was inside? The Pirate Queen soundtrack!!

Looky looky:

OMG! I am so excited right now, I don't know what to do with myself. Patience is SO not my thing, but no one appreciates my obsessive nature like my sister who is home visiting the family this week...sooooo do I wait for her to listen to the CD or do I rip it open and just blast it right now? Some of the immersion possibilities will be lost if I do it here and now, but it's in my hand right this second! How can I NOT open it?! What to do, what to do?

This is me contemplating.