In September, I saw Wicked on Broadway! Here is my Aesthetic Experience essay, in which I go into detail about my love for the show.

Originally, I thought I would share my first ever Broadway show, Hairspray, from back in 2008.  But I’ve recently had an even more incredible experience that I realize was even more aesthetically impactful than my first show; just a few days ago, I was able to see one of my all-time favorite shows live.

I have been obsessed with Wicked for as long as I can remember but, until recently, had only seen “bootlegs” of it.  My first time seeing Wicked live gave me a deeper appreciation for live theater.  Set in the historic Gershwin theater, even before the show began I was enthralled by the scenery and artifacts from great actors from the Gershwin’s past.  So many pieces of Broadway history were on display, which made me deeply appreciate the theater even more.

Upon entering the auditorium itself, I was shocked by the amazing set and curtain.  Instead of a standard, dull stage, the map of Oz was sparkling under projected lights, surrounded by gears, platforms, and the infamous dragon.  The entire facade spread throughout the theater, with gears and maps of Oz scattered on the walls in the lobby; it was the most immersive experience I’ve had at a Broadway show.

To start, the cast was a complete dream come true.  Jessica Vosk, Amanda Jane Cooper, Kevin Chamberlin, and debuting that night, Ryan McCartan.  I’ve been a devoted fan of McCartan for many years and to finally see him on Broadway, playing his dream role, made the experience more impactful and special to me.  Not to mention Amanda Cooper is a perfect copy of Kristin Chenoweth (it was like I was at an OBC performance), and completely nailed her role as Galinda. And of course, Jessica, a queen, had me bawling my eyes out during Defying Gravity.

Everyone looks forward to that scene, but not as much as I did, I’m pretty sure.  What they say about bootlegs is true; they really don’t demonstrate the performance the way the director intended it.  What was a blob of light and a green dot on the 240p Youtube videos I’d seen, was an incredible display of fog effects, strobes, and of course, the iconic lift, combined with Jessica’s powerful vocals.  Honestly, I went into that show thinking, “Elphaba’s ascent is nothing but a hydraulic lift on a platform,” and left thinking, “Damn, Jessica really learned to fly just for this role.” Without any CGI or editing, the cast of Wicked pulled off incredible illusions and effects that I couldn’t even comprehend.  A true display of theater magic that I will always respect and be mesmerized by.

Vocally, I was astounded.  No hate intended at all, I love this woman with all my heart– but Idina Menzel’s voice was not fit for Defying Gravity in most of her live performances.  Jessica completely changed the way I view Elphaba, with her incredible voice. It was like I was listening to a studio recording every time she opened her mouth.  Sometimes I forget Broadway singers are different from pop singers; their vocals are always on point and they can’t hide behind auto-tune.  To be reminded that people exist who have that much pure talent, was an amazing experience.  Ryan McCartan, debuting that night, blew me away after his powerful and intimate portrayal of Fiyero.  (He’s my favorite actor, so I support everything he does fully, honestly.) Another voice that I couldn’t believe was live; hearing him hit every note perfectly blew me away.  

To top off an amazing night, I even met Ryan himself outside at the stage door.  Another great realization– Broadway actors are some of the kindest, most down to earth people you’ll ever encounter.  To find out firsthand that the people I idolize and admire are actually incredibly considerate to their fans, made this particular experience worth talking about.

Now, while this wasn’t my first Broadway experience, it was definitely my most intimate and significant Broadway experience!  After not seeing a show in ten years, it was great to be reminded of just how amazing live musical theater is, through one of the best (and longest running!) shows currently on Broadway.  This experience will definitely lead to me seeing plenty more shows live sometime soon.

Works Cited

______________________________________________________________________________

Hairspray. By Marc Shaiman, directed by Jack O’Brien, 2002, Neil Simon Theater, New York, New York. Performance.

Wicked. By Stephen Schwartz, directed by Joe Mantello, 2003, Gershwin Theater, New York, New York. Performance.

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.