Wicked Recap: Back in the Emerald City

On Wednesday night, September 24, I saw Wicked.

Now, this isn't so much a review, because this was my 18th time seeing the show and I'm admittedly biased, but I did want to write about this.

Wicked has just returned to the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, and even though I saw the show 8 times in the return Melbourne season this year; Wednesday saw a level of Wicked-high I haven't experienced in a while.

This is namely for 2 reasons.

1. I first saw the show in Sydney, June 2nd 2010 at the Capitol Theatre. And even though I've seen the show 15 times in other theatres, there's something about seeing the show in the same theatre, the same stage where it all started for me.
2. Every show I've got booked for the Sydney season thus far, I'm seeing the show with a Wicked virgin- someone who hasn't seen the show before. There is nothing I love more than seeing the show with someone who is seeing it for the first time.

My favourite view

Seeing my favourite musical at my favourite theatre in my favourite city... it doesn't really get better than that, does it?

I'm not going to lie- I got teary when we saw the Capitol Theatre and the lights were green again (they change colour for whatever show is playing there at the time). It'd been a long 4 years since I'd seen green lights on the Capitol.

I was lucky enough to win tickets for this show, thanks to a competition through the Liverpool Leader. A friend who lives in Liverpool had seen it and sent me the link. I entered on a whim and didn't think anything of it, and then... won. I don't really win anything (ever), so it was a major surprise.

I saw the show on Wednesday night, the last preview before opening night, with a colleague (she's kind of my boss... she's the Head of the English faculty, and I live in the English staffroom, even though I'm more technically a part of the HSIE faculty. It's complicated, haha). She knew nothing of the show, but she is a musical theatre fan.

View of the stage.

We were in the stalls, row U (centre), which is pretty good seats for winning free tickets! (View of the stage is closer than appears in the photo to your left). 

Anyway, she loved it. She cried in Defying Gravity and in For Good and she was raving about how talented the cast are. We blasted the Wicked soundtrack all the way home (we drove up from Queanbeyan to Sydney for the show).

For my part, the show was as perfect as ever. Lucy sounded amazing considering she'd just come back from having the flu (it takes me weeks after being sick before I can talk properly, let alone sing!); and Jemma was as perfect as ever. Her I'm not that girl was especially heart-wrenching tonight.

I was also extremely happy to see Glen Hogstrom is back as Dr Dillamond, because he's so good at it, and I missed him during the Melbourne season!

The experience was dampened a little by a super annoying person sitting nearby, who I'm honestly not sure if they were drunk or not. (She cheered when Dr Dillamond was taken away. Like... who does that? Does she have something against Goats?) She also cheered when Boq ran off on Nessa at the train station and pretty much any time the Wizard spoke.

We did stage door after the show, which was cool, because my boss hadn't ever done that before! So, we had a quick chat to Steve Danielsen (Fiyero), who is lovely as ever; and I got a quick hug from Ed (Boq) before he had to run for a train. Lucy got swarmed, and accidentally drew on my arm with her marker; and Jemma got swarmed too, but we still got to have a quick chat.

 2 weeks until my next trip to Oz. Can't wait!

Album review: Gretel Scarlett "Hopelessly Devoted"

It's always exciting when one of your favourite musical theatre stars get their own album... or a cast recording... basically anything where you can hear them singing in your living room. 

Gretel and I at stage door after Grease.

So I was supremely thrilled when Gretel Scarlett announced her debut album. I love Gretel, she's so talented and one of my favourite people to talk to at stage door because she's so lovely and warm (and she's a Delta Goodrem fan, so she gets points for that!). 

And it's been so cool to watch her go from Melena (Witch's Mother) in Wicked, where even though she only has a few lines, she has totally defined the character for me in my head (maybe that sounds weird, but it's true. I really miss her as Melena!); to her first lead role as Sandy in Grease, which is the most fun show I've ever been to. 

So anyway, Gretel's album, Hopelessly Devoted came out on Monday, September 15 2014; which I immediately bought once I woke up and remained the highlight of my day (long story). And it's just beautiful, it's majority piano, vocal and strings, which is pretty much my favourite thing (although I am a sucker for a complete orchestra, which I think is because my dad's a brass band musician). 

When a musical theatre person releases an album, my friend and I put it through a simple test- if we had no idea who that person was and had just stumbled across it on iTunes (which I do quite a bit, namely when I find a song I love and go looking for other versions of it), would I buy it?

The answer is usually "Yes", "a few songs from it" or "probably not".

And the answer for Hopelessly Devoted is YES. 

It's taken me a day of listening to decide on a favourite track, and even then I've ended up with three:

1. Hopelessly Devoted to You- Gretel does an amazing job of this in Grease (as can be heard either by going to see the show- its back in Melbourne in December- or on the cast soundtrack via iTunes. Or in the video below); but with pretty much just piano and vocals it's even more hauntingly beautiful. 

2. Let it Go- It's been 9 months since Frozen came out in Australia, and I'm still not over this song (although since the If/Then OBC was released, that is getting more play on my iPod I think. Just). I knew Gretel would do an amazing job of this song since she first hinted it would be on the album (she was understudy Elphaba in Wicked, so she can do an Idina song justice); but I still wasn't mentally prepared for just how amazing it is.

Album hint. Sandy meets Elsa.

3. No One but You (Only the Good Die Young)- I wasn't really familiar with this song until now, (confession) I'm not a huge Queen fan. I know, it's sacrilege. I like some of their songs, I just don't really... I don't know. But I usually have loved any song of theirs that is covered by someone I do like, and this is no exception. Gretel's rendition gave me chills when I first heard it, and it's been the song on the album I've played most in the last day since I bought it.

The album also features a duet of Katy Perry's Firework with Gretel's BFF and my #2 Glinda (after Megan Hilty) Suzie Mathers; and a duet of Say Something with Rob Mills (Danny in Grease and former Fiyero). There's also a beautifully slow rendition of We Found Love, which just missed out on making my top 3 tracks.

I definitely recommend this album!