Wicked Cheesecake

Sunday
A couple of months ago, it was suggested that a group of folks check out the musical "Wicked" in Chicago before it's gone early next year.

The weekend finally came. The combination of house sitting along with already living moment to moment over the weekend made morning preparations quite hectic. But, like any trip, once you're out the door it's all in the Lord's hands and you're just along for the ride, sharing it with friends. That's why road trips are fun to me.

Kari, Teresa, Storm, Katie, Josh and I went to church for the early service, and headed out immediately after. We were all under an agreement to get up from the pew and walk directly to the van with absolutely no stops. Camaaaaaan. You can't get through the crowded Bethany halls without getting stopped. Especially when the Burkes agree ahead of time to intercept and distract Kari. Tee Hee. We made excellent time though.

Scenic route
We parked in a deck just a few blocks from the theater. I have had very little experience with parking in Chicago. It was expensive but WAY better than paying half the price and walking two extra scenic blocks...





Wicked was wicked cool, but I'll save the musical rant for the bottom of the post. Deal?

Katie instilled quite the fear in me about taking photos at this theater due to her last experience. So the camera did not come out. Fortunately, I have my no fear Wicked experience in New York from last year to draw on. Below, pretend the picture of Ashley is either Kari, Teresa or Katie. And the one of Josh would be the other Josh or Storm. Pretend the picture of me is someone not ugly.


Ridiculous drive
Driving from downtown to Shaumburg was RIdiculous. A combination of evening-outing traffic and two major sporting events made the top highway choices quite slow. We attempted a detour which involved getting lost in a residential subdivision and asking a dude, out for a smoke in his driveway, for directions. It was actually fun (for me) and wasn't anyone's fault. Our navigator and pilot were two of the few women I know who are not directionally challenged. (I am now curled up in the "duck and cover" position under my desk awaiting my pummeling)

Splendid meal at the Cheesecake Factory when we finally arrived. Teresa's mom and AunT joined us as we gorged ourselves on enormous servings of whatever and cheesecake. Storm's whatever was a burrito as big as his head. Brilliant. I am quite ashamed that the only picture of food I have for you is the slice of cheesecake as big as my head.


With most of the van dead tired (probably the entire van) the most exciting thing after dinner was the praying mantis on my car in the church parking lot.


I saved my rant on musicals for the end to allow the lazy blog skimmers some post closure.

Musicals - not so much a fan of the modern art. The classics that I have seen have been great. "H.M.S. Pinafore" staring JFay Jr at Cornerstone University, and another classic about the roman military put on by Eureka college several years ago. I also enjoyed "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum", but that was written somewhat recently I suppose (1960's). Then, of course, there were a few plays in high school including "Pygmalion".

My issue with modern plays and musicals in general is that they used to have a point. And if they didn't (pure entertainment value such as "Funny...Forum"), it still required intelligent or discerning minds to fully appreciate. So seriously, I haven't seen that many plays/musicals. I can't possibly make an authoritative blanket statement about them all because they are written by SO many different people. But this is the impression I get so far. It doesn't take a genius to know what direction all forms of entertainment have headed for years - more liberal and less intellectual (a simple minded generalization by me for sure). If a bunch of people are going to work so hard and use so much talent pretending to be someone they are not, at least give it a point that benefits society (for Christians...glorifies God), like so many plays and musicals DO.

Wicked was extremely entertaining. Plus, it was a prequel. I love adding history and perspective to an already good story. My favorite movies and TV shows have always captivated me because of the room for, and use of their infinite growth and imagination forwards and backwards in the epoch of the story. However, Wicked is one of those forms of entertainment that so easily leaves it's entertainees dumber for watching it. I have known very few people that have seen this play and came away from it with anything more than simply one step closer to the air-headed shallowness of the 2nd main character, Galinda, "Toss toss". Myself most definitely included. I have worked very hard at trying to recreate Galinda's pronunciation of "PopuUlar" and Ashley, I TOTALLY had it this weekend!

Galinda was in fact the most entertaining part of the show. I found her hilarious. But as you hear the people in the audience, and experience the inevitable reviews of people after the show trying to recall the cutest or most obscure parts of this (or any) musical so that they can be sure to add them to their repetuar (sp) of interesting things to say in front of awkward clueless folks at the next party, it simply depresses me. As much as a sea shell hunter and their partner. Of course, you probably know the real reason I hate the mad following of these fake characters' humorous and shallow personalities. It works so well for them, but not me.