Idina and the $100 ticket

Many years ago I read a great book called Wicked-The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Times-Witch-Harper-Fiction/dp/0061350966/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204853943&sr=1-2The story follows the friendship between Elphaba (the wicked witch of the west or the green one) and Glinda, the good witch, through college up until Dorothy appears. It's really a hoot of a read especially if you like a different take on a favorite childhood fairy tale. Sometime later, I found out that they were making a Broadway musical based on the book and I remember thinking how great it would be to see it.

My top priority the second time I visited NYC in 2003 was to see Wicked and I did! I went the night after opening night and it was the best $100 I spent in one pop (which I don't do very often). I was in the 4th/5th row right in the middle and there were no basketball players sitting in front of me!


I didn't know much about the cast going into the theater only that Kristin Chenowith was playing Glinda and some girl named Idina Menzel, from the original Broadway run of "Rent", was playing Elphaba. Well, Elphaba/Idina stole the show because she was the underdog. The audience was rooting for Elphaba because Glinda and all the Munchkins were so damn mean to her! I remember the end of Act I when Elphaba was singing Defying Gravity...

So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky
As someone told me lately -
Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me -

Tell them how I
Am defying gravity!
I'm flying high
Defying gravity!
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!



and right when she flew up to the top of the stage I knew then that she was singing specifically to me (and to the hundreds of others in the audience!). It was a great night and another example of how a little creativity-seeing something creative or doing something creative can never hurt. And I personally think it makes us better people. Yes, art is very very important to life!


I got a chance to see Idina a week ago at Borders Columbus Circle at the Time Warner Building where she was signing her new CD. She seemed very nice and much prettier in person.

Oh, she also has very good taste-she's married to Taye Diggs!