The Apollo Victoria
My daughters have been asking to see Wicked for some time, but to be honest, I wasn’t gung-ho about seeing it. I can’t explain why, but it just never piqued my interest. After listening to them talk about all of the musicals they want to see, I finally booked tickets to Wicked. The tickets weren’t terribly priced compared to some, which made my husband happy, and we decided to make a day of it. He took my son to the planetarium in Greenwich while we saw the play.
Wicked opened on Broadway in 2003 to great success with Idina Menzel as Elphaba, who we more commonly know as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz. Who knew she was actually a heroine? I sure didn’t until Wicked.
I won’t go into all of the little details or give spoilers, but the show was immensely enjoyable, and after listening to Idina Menzel singing Gravity on Youtube, I have to say I preferred the woman who played Elphaba in the production we saw. The most fascinating part was the backstory created for all of the characters I grew up watching in the Wizard of Oz. Yes, it’s a statement on race and inclusivity, but it’s wrapped in an entertaining package.
The stage before the play started
In London, Wicked plays at the Apollo Victoria, which is virtually across the street from Victoria station, so very easy by tube. It’s also a very large theatre so there were plenty of seating options when we booked our tickets. My only complaint was that we had to queue to enter the theatre, despite having tickets for the show, but luckily, we were ushered in quickly and the wait wasn’t long.
The balcony at the Apollo Victoria
If you have the chance to see Wicked, I definitely recommend it!
Next up…Paris!
L.L. Diamond 
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t been to the theatre or the cinema for years as I struggle to sit for that long without putting my feet up 😱.
The last time was when my daughter and I went to see Chicago in Manchester with Marti Pellow. My son booked the seats so booked me an aisle seat so I could at least stretch my legs out (lucky because their wasn’t as much leg room as you seem to have – apparently they had squeezed more seats in while showing Miss Saigon? 🤔)
Looking forward to Paris!
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I always book an aisle seat! I don’t like being squinched between people and it’s so much more comfortable! 🙂 Thanks, Glynis!
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I saw this play in NYC so long ago that it is very vague in my memory. I do remember that the woman sitting next to me wanted to sing along with all the music and I had to tell her that I came to hear the stars sing…not her. Glad you enjoyed it.
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Yikes! Not cool to have her sing in your ear. That would make me crazy. Thanks, Sheila!
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I didn’t see Wicked once, but saw it four times. My first time seeing Wicked was on Broadway- that was 14 years ago. My favorite storylines are the friendship and love triangle. I really don’t see at times how it can connect to Wizard of OZ- some scenes just don’t line up. So, it almost was like seeing a different OZ.
My favorite musical character is Elphaba.
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