Defying Gravity

Every once in a while a great story comes along and has to be told. As you All know my favorite Movie is The Wizard of Oz, it has been since I was just a little bit older than Grace is now, no joke but in 2003 WiCKED was released on Broadway. Wicked is the story of what was going on in Oz BEFORE Dorothy was brought there. The story of Glinda "the good witch" and Elphaba "The Wicked Witch of the West". It was up for 10 Tony awards in 2004 and it was during that night when I first got my first taste of the Musical. I saw Idina Mendezel and Kristen Chenoweth playing Elphaba and Glinda respectively. Defying Gravity.

Which you can watch here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J72thWNW6PE

It only took half of that magnificent song and I was hooked. I bought the soundtrack that night and listend to Defying Gravity over and over again and this was without knowing ANY of the storyline. I later listened the the entire album and slowly began to piece together what the show actually was about. I fell even more in love and decided I must see it. I wanted more information about it so I decided to read the book it was based on... BAD idea. Its in the top ten of the worst books I have EVER read, and that's saying something! I still have no idea how Stephen Schwartz was able to take the novel that if it were to have a rating it would have been NC-17 to something that children of ALL ages could enjoy but he did and its awe inspiring.

So what has me on this Wicked kick tonight? Well I got to talking with my Grandma and Aunt Jenny and both of them admitted to not understanding how I could be so excited about a musical because when I did see it, it was all I could talk about for weeks, months okay years most likely but tonight my Grandma confessed that she too understood how the story could take such a hold on you. Its captivating. And what's so wonderful is we all took different things from it, themes of frienship, love, right and wrong, we all focused on something different.

Defying Gravity is about well watch it and let me know what you think, while my favorite song well they are all favorites but the love song As Long As Your Mine, has lyrics of "Kiss me too fiercly hold me too tight, I need help believing your with me tonight" and who of us out there can't say we have never felt that? And of course For Good, "Who can say that I have been changed for the better but because I knew you I have been changed, For Good." I have actually heard this line used in a talk in Sacrement meeting! As I said we all take something different from it.

Grandma and Jenny get to see it again this spring and I can't say I'm not insanely jealouse but I have seen it in the origional theater it was performed in on Broadway and I have seen it at Gamage in Tempe, AZ but I long to see it again, the music, the story, the feelings its all amazing and makes you feel as if you can.... Defy Gravity.