Wicked Manila 2014

The Wicked Season started last January 22 and I got our tickets for January 31. I got it 5 months ago, and thanks to VISA, I got 10% discounts. The tickets are a bit pricey, as expected, and I got front row seats on the top balcony, but after the show, I'm willing to spend that much just to see it again. :)

Just outside the CCP

It's all about Wicked in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. There's even the Oz Dust Boutique in the lobby. They have shirts, caps, key chains, magnets, the original Broadway cast soundtrack, a flying monkey stuffed toy, and of course, the programme which I got for P500. Worth it. I bought the CCP binoculars just before entering the theater for P75.

The Oz Dust Botique. A bit pricey, but you HAVE GOT to get some souvenirs.

The Time Dragon welcomed us on the show. The balcony is so high that my friend was terrified when we were asked to stand up for the National Anthem. Then the Oz map curtain rose, the Time Dragon came to life, and the epic intro of "No One Mourns the Wicked" begins.

Meet the Time Dragon.

Here are some of the things that I loved on the musical (Spoilers, of course):

- Glinda's entrance on a bubble
- Elphaba's flashback entrance
- The whole "What Is This Feeling?" performance
- Was that a guy in a skirt?
- Elphaba's dance - and everything that came afterwards
- Populer -lar. Toss, toss!
- I'm Not That Girl and One Short Day
- That one perfect Defying Gravity moment
- Glinda's heartbreak on Thank Goodness and I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)
- Nessa and Boq
- The set change to Dorothy's house. (What? I just blinked!)
- The witches' face-off and "Let the green girl go."
- Elphaba's wicked badassness on No Good Deed
- For Good
- Glinda's last line and every moment afterwards. "Who can say if I've been changed for the better?"

Musical theater is totally a different experience. The set itself, the orchestra, the cast, and everything in it makes everything alive; and they're doing it all real-time both backstage and right in front of your eyes. The quick costume and set changes are just amazing. We're so high up that but still we got to see it properly. I only used the binoculars for serious scenes where the play is focusing on just one character.

The lobby just after the show

Overall, it's a one of a kind experience - it's a first for me to see a blockbuster musical performed by an international cast, and it's so great, I'd have to find a better word for amazing.

Sa Wakas. Jukebox Musical ng Sugarfree.

I've seen a couple of musicals back in high school and college, but this is the first time I ever watched a musical just because I wanted to. And I really wanted to. Sugarfree ba naman ang mga ginamit na kanta e.

Having said that, hindi ako marunong mag-review ng musical. I'm just sharing my experience of watching one. :)

The show that I was able to see was the one with Fred Lo, Laura Cabochan, and Justine Peña as the main characters: Topper, Lexi, and Gabbi.

The Story

It's a love story. A couple of love stories, actually: how the beginning of one became the end of another. Topper's a photographer, Lexi's his neurosurgeon fiancée, and Gabbi's an editor that had an affair with Topper. I won't elaborate further. Alam na natin ang takbo ng kwento. Ika nga ni Gabbi: "Ano tayo? Nakiki-uso? Teleserye? Kabit movie!"

The cast in the middle along with the ensemble.

It's the way how the story was told that's truly amazing.

At first, akala ko: "Ahhh... flashback-flashback din. Parang How I Met Your Mother."
Then I went: "Nakakalito a. Baka ala-500 Days of Summer to."

Then my brother figured it out and told me: "Pabaliktad yung takbo ng kwento."

Each musical number was performed that way. Confusing, yes, pero amazing because when you get it, it works. At ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganun.

So depending on how you look at it, pwedeng happy ending, pwedeng hindi.

The Songs

The show opened with Kwarto. Lyrics pa lang alam mo na yung situation, kahit di pa nagsisimula yung kwento. You can feel the heartbreak the way it was sung. Pero lacking the background of the story, may kulang talaga. But on the VERY LAST moment of the show, knowing the whole story behind it, the song suddenly became so powerful. Ang galing. Hands down, this is my favorite song (in the sense of how it was used) in the musical.

Other highlights:

Burnout: Lexi and Topper
Hangover: Gabbi, Lexi, Topper
The lyrics of these songs just strike through the heart. How the characters used it in their situations made it even more so.

Ikaw Pala: Gabbi and Topper (one of my favorite Sugarfree songs)

Prom: Lexi and Topper

Every now and then, you'll hear these two mixed in with other songs or as background music. Then if haven't figured it out yet, you'll realize na theme songs nila yun when it's own number finally came.

Ang Pinakamagaling na Tao (sa Balat ng Lupa): Lexi and Topper

Hari ng Sablay: Gabbi and Topper

Super hilarious scenes, which is a breather from all the sad and heart-wrenching break up songs.

Telepono: Lexi and Gabbi

I always like these. When a duet is perfect for the situation of the two people who would never, ever, sing a duet with the other.

Bawat Daan: Gabbi, Lexi, Topper, Ensemble
The original song made just for the musical. Classic Ebe Dancel lyrics (Alam na yan ng fans). Tumigil puso ko nung kinanta bigla ni Gabbi yung "Ikaw Pala." Tapos sinama pa yung "Prom." This was the song that made the whole musical, for me at least.

The entire cast singing "Bawat Daan."
I love how they mixed in "Prom" at "Ikaw Pala"

Final thoughts:

All in all, this is one experience I will not forget. To be honest, if it weren't for the Sugarfree songs, I wouldn't be interested. Being a fan of the band, I was really expecting to see something good and I was curious on how they will incorporate all of the songs to create a story.

They did not disappoint. The whole thing was heartbreaking, comedic, exciting, and for a lack of a better word, nakakakilig, in all the right moments. At na-capture nila sobra yung meaning at feeling nung mga kanta. End pa lang ng Act 1, alam ko na na sulit na yung bayad ko. And that short scene at the very end, the one where Topper proposed then everything went back to the beginning (or the end), was nothing short of amazing. Nangilid ang luha ko at tumayo ang balahibo sa batok.

Bravo! Sobrang galing! 5 out of 5 stars! Kailangan ulitin!

P.S. Sana lang magka-soundtrack. Pleaspleaseplease.