Wicked!

I have been waiting years to sink my teeth into the smash-hit musical, "Wicked." Opportunities came and went for me to see the show, but every time the price of the tickets came up, I balked. When it comes to spending money on myself—for something non-essential—I'm pretty stingy. Gym membership—yes! Show tickets—no!

So when my birthday rolled around this year and David surprised me with Wicked tickets, I was thrilled! And the first person I thought to invite—after David said I should take someone who actually enjoyed theater—was my mom. If I had three tickets, I would have called up my Mom & Dad to both come down and share the fun.

You see, my parents have been taking me to shows since I was in Junior High. Their appreciation for music and theater wasn't lost on me when I was finding my way through adolescence. In fact, those two things led me to participate in every musical group my high school offered, from concert band to show choir to jazz band to concert choir. And later they led me to qualify for the All-Ohio State Fair Band and the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir (and Cardinal Chorale). Music was a gift they gave to me that I absolutely treasured.

So with a spring in my step I planned a rare girls night out to enjoy with mom: dinner at the High Street Grill & Wicked at the Ohio Theater. Dinner was delicious... and so was the show.

I knew all the songs; mom had long ago given me the soundtrack. But seeing them on stage, with the dialogue, costumes, and humor the cast injected into them was a whole different ballgame.

Those of you that are Glee fans recall when two of the stars covered "Defying Gravity," Wicked's signature song. And on TV, it was good. On the stage, it was amazing. That song just fills you up—from your toes to to your nose—with, I don't know what. Emotion, awe, soul, spirit...whatever. It's something to behold. See for yourself:

Now, Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel were not in the Columbus, Ohio, production of Wicked, of course, but the two stars in their place were fantastic. The old adage, "What you don't know can't hurt you," worked in my favor this time around.

That show... I could watch it again and again and again. In my opinion, it's a classic in the likes of Phantom, Les Miserables, and Chicago. Thanks, mom, for coming down to share it with me!