Wicked!

Growing up near the Stratford festival, I have had plenty of opportunities to attend many theatrical performances of all varieties during my childhood. Some I enjoyed, others I did not. Although, in my opinion, musicals rarely disappoint. The costumes, the singing, and the dancing just scream pure entertainment. In the fall of 2010, Steph and I had scheduled a trip to Stratford to watch a play. Because of the exceptional reviews, we went with my family to watch Peter Pan. This was not a musical performance, and it did not meet expectations. I can remember turning to Steph during the intermission and half-heartedly saying, "It's not bad, eh?" Although I couldn't even convince myself that I was enjoying it much and quickly broke into laughter.


Because of this previous experience, I had little faith that I could convince Steph to see another play with me. But I would try nonetheless. The musical Wicked had been playing at the Burswood theatre in Perth throughout the winter months. The advertisements and reviews seemed positive. Steph had heard plenty of good things from her students that had gone and seen the production. I figured it was unlikely that there'd be a better opportunity to get Steph back on the saddle, so we bought tickets for the final show in September.

The crowds making their way to the theatre.

In short, Wicked is a musical production about the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West from the story of the Wizard of Oz. The Burswood theatre is part of the Burswood Entertainment Complex which consists of a casino, bars and restaurants, a hotel, and an arena among other things. A little gambling and a cold beer definitely makes going to a play much more appealing.

Enjoying a beer with the Burswood casino and hotel
in the background.

While being ushered to our seats, we began to notice that other audience members were painted green and wearing green costumes, which all seemed eerily familiar to the Peter Pan performance. A quick glance at one another confirmed our uneasy feelings about what was to come. We put those feelings aside and made our way to our seats. Considering we had booked last minute for the final show, we had lucked out with great seats. Moments after making ourselves comfortable, a mechanical fire breathing dragon came to life above the stage signaling the start of the show. An impressive beginning to what proved to be an overwhelming successful show.

Moments before the show began.

Not only was it well done, but there was also an unusually intimate relationship between the performers and audience members. Many people had returned for the finale and would shout and cheer as characters made their first and last appearance on stage. The performers would often go off script to acknowledge the crowd's cheers and further encourage the boisterous crowd. During the intermission, confetti was handed out by the ushers for everyone to throw as the curtains closed. Afterwards, the emotional cast and crew addressed the crowd and thanked everyone for their support. It was a special night and one that we will remember for a long time. More importantly, Steph really enjoyed herself. It looks like I'll have someone to accompany me to future musicals!