Special Events 101

Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West

Whether you’ve seen a live performance of Wicked or not, you’ve probably enjoyed the soundtrack of some point. It’s dramatic Broadway flair and strong orchestral score make it quite the listening experience—the only thing better is pairing those songs with the visual experience of watching Wicked on Broadway. I’ve seen the show live twice, and each time the character I love more and more is Elphaba—who you might recognize as the “Green Witch” from the Wicked poster or the infamous “Wicked Witch of the West.”

Elphaba is a strong and complex character, both on paper and in performance—although she’s a very different character in those different mediums. We’ll talk more about that in a minute.

Perhaps the least known fact about Elphaba Thropp is that her first name is a play on the initials of Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum, or L.F.B., whose literature inspired the work of Gregory Maguire, who authored the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, now known best for its musical adaptation.

Those who have read the book will notice that Elphaba’s character is far more lovable in the musical adaptation of Wicked than in Maguire’s book, in which she is portrayed as far less human and is truly evil by the end of the story, rather than the softer and more relatable explanation of her character in the musical. The book also portrays Elphaba as having more complicated relationships than the musical does, but anyone who’s seen the musical knows that the plot is complex enough for one sitting as it is, so perhaps the omissions in the musical adaptation are for the best.

Why is Elphaba the most lovable character among the varied cast of Wicked? I think it’s because, at least in the musical, she finds herself in circumstances that dramatically shape not only who she is, but how she’s perceived—and the perception of others ends up being far stronger than any true trait she possesses. And haven’t we all felt the sting of perception at some point? We can relate. All of us.

The controversial musical The Book of Mormon by the creators of  South Park is one of the biggest hits Broadway has seen in years, winning over critics and audiences alike. The combination of edgy content and raw star power from the young cast has made this show a nine-time Tony award winner.

Vogue magazine called the show “the filthiest, most offensive, and – surprise – sweetest thing you’ll see on Broadway this year, and quite possible the funniest musical ever.” The New York Post reported that audience members were “sore from laughing”. It praised the score, calling it “tuneful and very funny,” and added that “the show has heart.”

You can get discount Book of Mormon tickets online at many ticket brokers.

The Book of Mormon is a religious satire musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone. Best known for creating the animated comedy South Park, Parker and Stone co-created the music with Lopez, who co-wrote and co-composed Avenue Q. The show lampoons organized religion and traditional musical theatre, reflecting the creators’ lifelong fascination with Mormonism and musicals.

The Book of Mormon tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries sent to a remote village in northern Uganda, where a brutal warlord is threatening the local population. Naive and optimistic, the two missionaries try to share their scriptures—which only one of them knows very well—but have trouble connecting with the locals, who are worried about famine, poverty, and AIDS.

The Musical has already received four awards winning Best Musical, and has been called the best musical of the century.

Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company that describes themselves as a dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment. Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and positioned in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Lalibert and Daniel Gauthier.

Get discount Cirque du Soleil tickets now!

Each show is a combination of circus styles from around the world, with its own central theme and storyline. The audience is drawn into the performance through continuous live music, with performers rather than stagehands changing the props. After financial successes and failures in the late 1980s, Nouvelle Experience was created with the direction of Franco Dragone which not only made Cirque profitable by 1990, but allowed it to create new shows.

An annual seasonal show called Zarkana will be performed at New York’s Radio City Music Hall during the summer months for five years starting June 2011. The show will be a reinvention of the variety show, with a story about a magician in an abandoned theatre who has lost his love and with her, his magic has disappeared. As he cries and begs the Gods for her return he is plunged into a world inhabited by surreal creatures. This $57 million show will start playing in New York, before going to Madrid and Moscow.

Iris, a movie-themed permanent show directed by Philippe Decoufl, will debut at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California in this summer. The show takes spectators on a fantastic trip through the history of cinema and its changing genres, taking them into the interworkings of the movie-making process and will run for 10 years, taking a six-week break during the city’s Academy Award season.

There are still cheap tickets available for this show.

Cirque is developing their third show based on the music of Michael Jackson, called Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour It is an arena show version scheduled to begin touring North America later this year and the residency show scheduled to begin in 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

War Horse is a play adapted for stage by Nick Stafford, and is based on the book of the same name by children’s writer Michael Morpurgo. War Horse tickets have been selling very well as Broadway lovers have lined up since the play arrived in April.

In Devon, UK, at the outbreak of World War I, “Joey,” a boy’s beloved horse has been sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. Caught up in enemy fire, the horse serves on both sides of the war, and survives an odyssey that leaves him alone in no-man’s land. The boy, now a young man, cannot forget his horse, and embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home.

War Horse obviously had some unique theatrical challenges, since the main character is a horse and many of the scenes involve battles between opposing sides all taking place on a stage in front of a live audience. The producers solved the complex battle scenes by utilizing old-fashioned theater tricks – sound effects like cannon explosions coupled with bright flashes of light, for example, were used to depict entire battle scenes.

Joey, the horse, is depicted onstage by a life-size puppet composed of cane trips, leather and a system of mechanics involving gears and joints. Manipulated by three puppeteers (who are visible during the show), Joey’s movements are realistic and detailed, including the ability to rear, snort, nuzzle and preen; his tail slaps at flies; his chest even heaves after a heavy workout. This life-size puppet is strong enough for a full adult actor to ride.

The vast stage at Lincoln Center Theater’s Vivian Beaumont Theater is virtually bare, but the cast of 35 is constantly on the move in scenes that jump from the Devon countryside to the battlefields and forests of World War I-era France.

Critics across the globe have raved about War Horse and the play has wowed London theatre-goers since 2007. Steven Spielberg is putting the finishing touches on a film adaptation, due out by the end of the year. And there are plenty of discount tickets still available online or at the box office.

War Horse is a play based on the book of the same name by acclaimed children’s writer Michael Morpurgo.

Attended by over 56 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages, “Les Miserables” may be the world’s most popular musical.   There have been 36 cast recordings of “Les Miserables”, including Grammy Award-winning Broadway cast, the multi-platinum London cast recording, and the live recording of the New 25th Anniversary production to be released soon.

As this timeless Broadway production celebrates its 25th anniversary however, there are many notable changes that will cause you to stand, clap, cry and cheer just as you did the first time you saw the show. Find “Les Miserables” cheap tickets online here for events worldwide.

“Les Miserables” hits the stage with the same beloved melodies, but with a whole new look featuring imaginative scenery and staging.

Based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo, “Les Miserables” chronicles the dark lives of crooks and revolutionaries as they search for redemption and independence in 19th century France.

Producer of the 25th Anniversary show, Cameron Mackintosh comments,“The new “Les Miserables” is a magnificent mix of dazzling images and epic staging, driving one of the greatest musical stories ever told.”  The inspiration for much of the set came from the original paintings by Victor Hugo.

The most surprising of the changes however, was the removal of the signature spinning stage.  The traditional touring production of “Les Miserables” had utilized a rotating stage to emphasize the evolution of characters, the circle of life.  Visual projections are utilized to tie in old concepts with the new staging and the effects are dramatic.   The scene most enhanced by the new projections is the famous sewer travel scene.

The idea brought about by Directors Laurence Connor and James Powell occasionally draws some unnecessary criticism however.  Many fans feel that the removal of the spinning stage decreases the symbolism of the lifecycle as it was originally portrayed on stage.  Some fans feel that the removal creates a more intimate atmosphere for the audience than the original.

In celebration of the quarter-century anniversary, “Les Miserables” made theatrical history by becoming the first musical to have three productions running simultaneously in the same city: the original show at the Queen’s Theatre, the anniversary tour at the Barbican Centre and a special concert version at the O2 Arena located in Westminster, England.

Twenty-fifth anniversary productions of musicals might be expected to be stuffy and tedious, but the touring production of “Les Miserables” is anything but. The new production is sure to please the traditional “Les Miserables” fan as well as produce many new fans for generations.

In 1939, for the first time in history, a Technicolor film hit the big screens, and the movie, The The Wizard of Oz, hasn’t left the hearts of movie-lovers since. Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, the movie’s quirky characters, catchy musical numbers, and wonderful story line has helped make the story timeless. In fact, it is the most watched movie of all time, according to the Library Of Congress. The story’s parallel is a play called Wicked, which is loosely based on Baum’s narrative, and is returning to the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, California from November 30, 2011 to January 29, 2012.

The play, a musical based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire, tells the story of the The Wizard of Oz from a unique perspective. The story centers on the witches of the Land of Oz as opposed to Lucy: Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The musical begins at the end of the story, with Glinda announcing Elphaba’s death. Elphaba, the illegitimate daughter of a traveling salesmen, is never truly popular or loved by her elders until her school teacher discovers her innate magical abilities.

Glinda and Elphaba both love Fiyero, a handsome prince. Although Glinda takes Fiyero to the ball, he truly loves Elphaba. When Elphaba goes to the Emerald City and is almost imprisoned, Fiyero rescues her, and they declare their love for each other. When Glinda finds out about Fiyero’s true intentions, she fights Elphaba, who is only to be saved by Fiyero again.

He is sentenced to death, unless he will reveal the source of Elphaba’s powers. Because of his love for her, he will not betray her. However, when her problems prove to be too much for her, Elphaba begs Glinda to take control. In the end, the musical comes full circle: Glinda announces Elphaba’s death.

The play has had unmatched success all over the world. As of early 2011, it is the 17^th longest-running Broadway show in theater history, dating back to 2003: It has been performed over 3,000 times. It is currently the all-time, highest-earning Broadway show and also holds the record for all time highest weekly gross. In 2009, it was performed in San Francisco, California, Fort Myers, Sydney, and the Osaka Shiki Theater in Japan. No other musical is comparable to this world-renowned triumph.

In late 2011 and early 2012, Wicked will be at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles. Get discount Wicked Los Angeles tickets online and enjoy this limited return engagement. From 2007-2009, Wicked was performed 791 times at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, making it the highest-grossing play in the history of the city. Located in the heart of Hollywood, the Pantages Theater was built in 1930, the beginnings of the Great Depression, and the building itself exudes vintage quality. Couple the authenticity of the Los Angeles theater with the charm of Wicked, viewers are sure to have an amazing time.

Filled with humor, amazing musical numbers and a clever re-adaptation of an American classic, Gregory Maguire’s Wicked at the Pantages Theater is sure to be an event that you do not want to miss. The play, which has had unequaled success throughout the world, has proven to be a fan favorite.

The Chicago Times apply summarized why Wicked is so successful: it “works the magica the old-fashioned way: not with reviews or awards or heavy marketing, but by connecting with audiences through its accessible music, story and characters.” Without a doubt, Wicked is the must-see event at the Pantages in the late 2011-2012 season.