What better time to see a Broadway show about witches than on opening night and Halloween night?

Don't be misled. The production is anything but scarey, creepy and freaky. Wicked is the story of two young girls born in the Land of Oz. Sound familiar...as in the Wizard of Oz?

One of the girls is born beautiful, with shimmering blond hair, big blue eys, a peaches-and-cream complexion. As she grows up, she is sweet, popular and very ambitious.

The other baby girl is born with shining emerald green skin, coal-black hair,and sharp features. As she grows up, she is fiesty, bright and often in trouble.

You've probably guessed by now. These two girls became Glinda, the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West...again as in the Wizard of Oz. The story line takes them through their years as tots, teens, and adults and chronicles their unlikely friendship.

Without giving away too much of the plot, suffice it to say that Wicked has all the elements of a winning Broadway show. The stage setting and costumes are colorful, splashy, and spectacular. The musical scores are memorable and magical. The performers were naturals for their roles...true professionals in every sense of the word.

Hint! Be sure to listen closely for the "zinger" lines. The humor is subtle, satirical, and sophisticated and will keep you laughing.

Overall, don't miss this Tony Award winner. It's "wonderfully wicked!"

On our final evening in New York, we went to see the Broadway play, Wicked. I had really been looking forward to attending this play based on its description and reviews. The play is a musical and it is based on a Gregory McGuire novel. The premise is the "true" story of The Wizard of Oz. The play is set before Dorthy makes her appearance and begins with the Wicked Witch's birth. It looks into the motivations behind both the Wicked Witch and Glenda the Good Witch and their relationship. I am happy to report that, as one of my 3 Broadway plays, this was my favorite.

The acting and singing were fantastic. The play was both funny and insightful. Its messages about diversity and friendship were really well presented. It was interesting to see how they incorporated each of the main characters into the script. This play is suitable for both adults and children.

When I saw the play it featured Ben Vereen and Rue McClanahan. The actress who played the part of the Wicked Witch was absolutely phenomenal. She had a terrific voice. The costuming and sets were really cool as well.

I would definitely recommend going to see this play. I also would suggest getting your tickets early. We booked our tickets about 2 months in advance in order to make sure we had the opportunity to see this. Tickets are available at http://www.broadway.com, and retailed for about $100 each for the orchestra section before taxes. You can also pick up discounted tickets at the booth in Time Square on the day of the show, but we didn't want to risk not having tickets to this show. We were seated towards the back of the orchestra section, but it was well worth the price of the seats. If you are looking for a large Broadway musical you should definitely consider Wicked.

Getting tickets to the Broadway show "Wicked" is like trying to find a needle in a haystack and then having to pay out the nose for it once you find it. I threw down $160 a piece (the show was "sold out" through Broadway.com and Gerswhin.com, where they were $75 to $100) at ticketsnow.com without any hesitations based on the reviews of a few friends and a couple of Tony Awards.

First, let me preface this review by saying I intensely dislike the Gershwin Theater. The elderly volunteer ticket checker (Betty) was the non-amusing pre-show entertainment, getting in fights with patrons over whether or not they’d showed her their tickets and how many and where their seats were, etc. (We tried to be a bit more patient than others, but it was hard.)

If there’s a good seat in the house, you’d have to walk me up to it and point it out, because I didn’t see any, and the seats we had (MMEZ, F13 and 14) were crap. The seating chart on the theater’s website is a bit misleading (the women sitting next to us also commented on how they were expecting different seats), and despite the fact that it LOOKS like it’s stadium seating, it’s not--I was looking around the gentleman’s head in front of me for the entire first act. The second act, thankfully, he changed seats with his daughter, so I could see the show without further neck injury.

But the resulting physical therapy would’ve been worth it, because this show is all it’s cracked up to be, and there is certainly no place like home. The women who played Glenda and the Wicked Witch had some of the best pipes I’ve ever heard, and Ben Vereen was endearing as the Wizard. My favorite part (if I could pick) was how the show let you in on background secrets of the Wizard of Oz (in case you didn’t know, it’s a prequel), like how the Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man came into being. The songs were also singable and memorable, and as soon as I write my reviews, I’m heading off to iTunes to download the soundtrack.

And what really sucks is I can’t discuss it with anyone, because the ending was truly surprising, and I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, because that was the most fun! Let me just say this--you’ll never watch the Wizard of Oz the same way again.

Get tickets to this show however you can--beg, steal, borrow--but bring a booster seat. Screw the person behind you; they can get their own booster seat. (Did I really say that?)

I went to see this show with my family. The show was very long and very enjoyable. The length of the musical was welcomed, because I want to get the most out of the ticket price, which didn't come cheap.

If you visit New York City, make sure to watch a Broadway show. I do not think it is cheaper if you order online, but I know that you are guaranteed a spot if you do. Try ordering 2 months in advance.

The music was great, and the cast was very talented.

I saw this musical for the first time in late July 2004. The entire original cast was still in the show, but we had understudies for Elphaba, the Wizard, and Nessarose, plus a 6-week replacement for Boq. This didn't reduce my enjoyment of the show any however.

Eden Espinosa was the Elphaba understudy, and she was FANTASTIC. She gave the best performance of Defying Gravity that I've ever seen or heard. Kristin Chenoweth was an awesome Galinda and gave a very hilarious version of Popular. The rest of the cast was very good, with Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero and Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible being standouts.

This musical is one of the best on Broadway right now. It has a solid and very funny script with a GREAT plot twist, colourful costumes and scenery, and the songs are catchy, well-written, and upbeat. If you've read the book of the same name, this is COMPLETELY different - and in many ways even better. A MUST-SEE!