Our daughter is our second child, and it’s not often where there are special days just for her as our family has a pretty active calendar of activities and events between her and her brother.
So, when I received an email talking about an opportunity to travel to New York City and see WICKED The Musical, I immediately jumped at the chance. Yes, it meant missing other things that were already on our calendar, but it also meant giving her an incredible experience I hoped she would always remember. And giving the two of us quality time together.
Our day began with an Amtrak train ride from Philadelphia to New York City. I can’t tell you how relaxing it was to enjoy each other on the train rather than worry about fighting traffic and following directions to drive there. If you’ve never taken Amtrak before, I can’t recommend it enough. The train was clean, it arrived on time, and just added a special element to our day.
Arriving at Penn Station in New York, we were less than a mile from Gershwin Theatre, home of WICKED, so we meandered along Broadway through all the sights and sounds of Times Square (did you know you can see the ball there year-round?). We walked hand-in-hand and I just thought to myself, how many more times will she do this as she’s growing up so fast.
Upon entering the theatre, we were immediately caught up in the décor and ambience in the lobby. That wow factor continues throughout the building, including props from previous performances, a very cool #WickedForGood Post-It wall, and the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
For the auditorium itself, it was a great setting that didn’t offer a bad seat. We were in the orchestra on the far end, but still didn’t miss a beat of anything happening on stage–which was important because WOW. The sets were amazing and my daughter and I both loved every last detail.
While the sets were impressive and the music was fabulous, it was the story of WICKED that made the greatest impact and opened up opportunities for discussion between the two of us. The themes of friendship, embracing others who are different than you, and standing up for what you believe in are all evident in this show. At a time when lessons like this are more important than ever, it was wonderful to have WICKED showcase them so well.
If you are not familiar with the plot of WICKED, it begins prior to the events from The Wizard of Oz and tells the story of Elphaba (later known as the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (later known as the Good Witch) as rivals who meet in school and become friends. The story progresses to include how Elphaba becomes labeled as Wicked and continues after the events involving Dorothy and her friends.
Learn more about WICKED The Musical, which will soon mark it's 6,000th performance on Broadway, by visiting the website at https://wickedthemusical.com/.
If You Go
Wicked The Musical is recommended for ages 8 and older. Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater. Similar to The Wizard of Oz movie, the Wizard and flying monkeys can be scary.
Arrive early so you can explore all of the great history on display in the theatre.
Just a block from Gershwin Theatre is the famous Ellen's Stardust Diner, which is worth the stop and the wait time if you have room in your day.
Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets to facilitate this review. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
