Wicked

When Ken and I were newlyweds living in New York, we had the privilege of seeing several Broadway productions. I especially remember Grease (and the shock of hearing a curse word from the stage!) and the beautiful, lush Shenandoah.

Fifteen years later, the year I was pregnant with our youngest daughter, Tavia, I won a pair of season tickets to Wichita Music Theater, and while Ken wasn’t quite as thrilled with the prize as I was, he was quickly won over and we enjoyed almost an entire season of wonderful musicals. Alas, we had to miss the final production of the season because we had a tiny new baby girl! (She was worth it!)

I was reminded of those early exposures to live theater yesterday afternoon when I got to see a production of Wicked at the Fox Theater in St. Louis.

My oldest daughter, Tobi, and her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, her sister-in-law’s mother-in-law (are you following all the fun in-law connections?) along with several other friends and I had tickets for the 1 p.m. show, the next to last showing of Wicked at the Fox this year.

It’s been quite a while since I saw a live musical and this one was just so incredible—the costumes, the stage sets, the orchestra, and the amazing actors and actresses with their phenomenal voices! Photos were strictly prohibited after the opening curtain, but here are a couple of stills from the Fox’s website:

It was such a treat to be in the city, spend time with my oldest daughter and her extended family and friends, and eat out together after the show.

Tobi was in several musical productions during her high school years and it was always a treat to see her perform. And now our 11-year-old granddaughter in Texas has caught the theater bug and we’ve loved watching her perform the lead in Willy Wonka, and recently she played the Cat in the Hat in Suessical.

According to the “Fabulous Fox” website, the theater’s history began when it opened on January 31, 1929 as one of the “crown jewels in William Fox’s motion picture empire. Billed as ‘St. Louis’s largest and most magnificent temple of amusement,’ the theatre anchored St. Louis’s entertainment area along North Grand Boulevard. For 50 cents, a person could experience splendor and enchantment of a regal edifice, complete with live entertainment, music from two organs, Fox Movietone News, and of course, the ‘talkie’.”

The theater is just as regal today, as attested by these photos I took inside before the show began.

The mirrored ceilings made for some cool photos.

We all enjoyed a delicious dinner at Lucha II, an Oaxacan-style restaurant, near the theater. (You can see The Fox marquee through the windows of the restaurant.) A perfect ending to a fun-filled day!

Do you enjoy live theater? What is the last show or musical you’ve seen onstage? Or what is a production that’s on your bucket list to see?