Defying Gravity

Quick review of Wicked: IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!
It is so rare to anticipate something as much as I was anticipating seeing Wicked, and actually have it live up to, nay, surpass my expectations. The costumes, the music, the scenery, the dancing, the VOICES were all simply amazing.
We had kind of a scary trip downtown -- we left Mom & Dad's house at 5:45 for an 8:00 show, and the traffic report actually said that the traffic on the part of the Northwest Tollway that we'd be traveling was "horrible and awful" (or something like that, Jean what was the direct quote?). And, I mean, for those of you who know that Chicago traffic is generally horrible and usually awful... to actually hear the announcer describe it that way, well, we were getting VERY nervous about making it down there in time.
Jean set us a goal (apparently having goals is important to nurses these days) of hitting the River Rd. toll plaza by 6:40, which we (barely) made, and then we ended up being about 1/2 hour early for the show. We got our seats (7th row!!!!) and ran into Sarah (Radel) Rudeye (omigosh I have NO idea how to spell that) and her sisters. (Sarah went to WSU and dated Tom Hawbecker for a while, so while I'd never met her, I knew OF her. Joel's the one who recognized her.)
ANYWAY, like I said the show was fabulous. Ana Gasteyer played Elphaba, and who knew she could sing like that?? The rest of the cast was great, and the costumes were totally brilliant (Exhibit A: there was a scene-change where some ensemble members dance across the stage in these extravagant, huge ball gowns that you NEVER SEE AGAIN; Exhibit B: in the "Emerald City" scene there's one ensemble member doing the same choreography as everyone else, but wearing lime-green toe shoes).
The whole show was just gorgeous -- loved it, loved it. All righty, back to work.