The family went to see the musical Wicked this past Sunday, yes it was my asked-for-Father's-Day gift...NOT, but it was the only day we all could go.Before commenting on the actual performance, I must comment on a few other things to begin with.
First, the parking situation was somewhat atrocious. It's actually despicable that the DSM hasn't become a little more organized after so many years. We usually leave a little earlier than we did this day but we were still 30-45 minutes before the posted start time of 8 p.m. I don't know the exact street but we entered the gate that is down a ways to the right of Music Hall if you are looking at Music Hall from...
interruption...Shit!...hang on...let me look this shit up!...Okay, our path to Music Hall followed this route Parry Avenue merge to Robert B Cullum Blvd turn left on Grand Avenue then left on S. 2nd Ave. This map will help to visualize.
In the past, we would park in the DSM Guild Parking because the wife was a member but she no longer is. We could have still parked there if she would have remembered her mirror tag but she didn't so we had to park in General Parking. Once we were directed into general parking it was pretty much a free-for-all. Luckily we found a space just before they were all taken up but the rest of the poor suckers were driving around looking for spaces that were not there. The problem is that the parking "guide" just kept funneling the people in without even knowing the place was full. It didn't affect me directly (almost did) but I still felt like they needed a better system of knowing when their parking lot is full so as to not cause a giant cluster fuck of cars driving around for no solution other than to just exit and try the exterior parking areas around Fair Park.
Second, the lack of information and guidance once inside Music Hall and waiting to be able to get seated was unacceptable. I'm not sure if there was some technical issues or what but relaying information to your PAID customers would be a very good thing. It was about 15 minutes until the stated showtime of 8 p.m. when the doors to seating area were still locked. At 10 minutes, then five minutes 'til, the doors were still closed and locked. Right about 8 p.m. there was a somewhat inaudible announcement in regards to the starting of the show. I couldn't hear it on the stairs to the highest seating area, which are for exit only I found, but someone answered my inquiry. They said something about the doors will be opening shortly and to make haste to your seats so the show can [FINALLY] get started. After the mad rush to the seats, the show began without warning (no dimming and brightening of the house lights) at around 8:20 p.m.
Third, intermission. You can't fail at intermission unless you have something like four women's restrooms for something like 500-1000 women needing to use the can at the same time. The downstairs women's restroom had a line down a hall, up the stairs and one more level of stairs up. I'm not sure exactly how many restrooms they have in Musical Hall but I feel like it could do a better job, especially since I bet the Winspear doesn't have this problem (I'm just assuming so if I'm wrong, my apologies). The men's room isn't such an issue. Luckily, I didn't have to use it but it seems that the men that did were in and out in record time compared to their lady counterparts. Anyway, we headed back to our seats earlier than most during intermission because the lines (again not well thought out) for the snack bars were way too long. I was sitting in my seat for at least five minutes when the lights began to dim to dark and the music began to play with Oz characters dancing and singing on stage to start act two. The issue: there were no warnings that the act was about to start. No announcement over the PA and no dimming and brightening of the house lights. I found that kind of rude even though I was already seated. There were people who were still trying to find their seats as the place faded to black. Unacceptable!
Overall the show was pretty awesome. I didn't know the story of the musical. I knew it was loosely based on the Wizard of Oz but that it wasn't the Wizard of Oz the musical...not at all! The stage design, scene changes, costumes...well everything...was eye-catching and cool. I really dug the wizards prop. It was pretty cool to see. Also, the transformation of the monkey to a winged monkey was pretty interesting the way it was done and somewhat freaky.
The story line was very creative, in my virginal opinion. It was an interesting way to spin the stories of the lion, the tin man, the scarecrow, the tornado, the death of the "wicked which," and I guess just all of it. Very creative.
It seems the night we attended that the understudy was performing for the Elphaba lead. She was phenomenal. I don't know if it was just the music fell well within her vocal range or what but she hit the highs, the mids, and the lows without a hitch. Sometimes, her singing resonated in my ears and made me think, "Damn!" After the show, the wife said she heard from a friend that the understudy has apparently been outperforming AND getting better reviews than the lead. I don't know how the lead performs but that's got to not be good news.
Gah-lenda was very good too once I realized that her performance was supposed to be the way she was singing...like the ditzy blonde. I didn't get it at first but then it hit me and I understood. :-) I kept wanting to see that Chenoweth girl.
Fiyero was a pretty good performer. He had a voice, to me, more fitting to the liking of John Travolta's Danny Zuko in Grease. He just had that kind of sound to his singing. The thing that was missing was his chemistry with Elphaba. I didn't feel like he really was all into her as the story stated but that could just be me and not knowing if there is a difference between "movie connection" chemistry and "musical connection" chemistry. I just know that you could see/feel an attraction from the Phantom with Christine in the movie of Phantom of the Opera.
I would definitely recommend seeing this musical (in Dallas until June 27th if tickets are still available). I'm not a big musical person but the last really good one I saw was Miss Saigon at the Bass Hall in Fort Worth, Texas some 5-10 years ago. I still talk about it on occasion and I will do the same with Wicked.
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