Theatre: The Band’s Visit at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (December 2018)

The Band’s Visit is based on the 2007 Israeli film of the same name. The musical opened on Broadway in November 2017. It was nominated for 11 awards and won 10, including Best Musical. The Band's Visit is one of four musicals in Broadway history to win the unofficial "Big Six" Tony Awards, which include Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical.

Synopsis

In 1996, the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra, just arrived in Israel, are waiting in Tel Aviv's central bus station. The group's leader, the quiet Colonel Tewfiq Zakaria, instructs the younger, adventurous officer, Haled, to purchase the group's bus tickets. At the ticket office, Haled asks the clerk for a ticket to the city of Petah Tikvah, but due to her Hebrew accent and his Egyptian accent, he ends up with tickets to the isolated desert town of Bet Hatikva.

The scene shifts to Bet Hatikva, where the residents bemoan the boring and monotonous lives they lead in the desert ("Waiting"). When the band arrives in Bet Hatikva, they approach two cafe workers - Papi and Itzik, trying to find the location of the Arab cultural center for their performance the next day. Unsure who these men are and what they're asking about, they get the café's owner, a charismatic woman named Dina. Tewfiq again asks for directions to the cultural center before Dina realizes they think this is Petah Tikvah, and explains that this is the wrong place, and they must have taken the wrong bus ("Welcome to Nowhere"). Dina tells the group that the next bus does not arrive until the next day. One of the band members looks for a phone to contact the Egyptian embassy, but Dina tells him that the only pay phone in town is guarded over, every night, by a man who obsessively waits for his girlfriend to call him, even though it has been months. Dina offers the band a meal and a place to stay for the night, and Tewfiq reluctantly agrees. In her kitchen, Tewfiq asks her about her background, and she tells how she was once married, and nothing in real life went as she had idealistically and naively thought ("It Is What It Is"). She asks Tewfiq the same, and he tells of a wife and son in Egypt.

Meanwhile, Itzik allows the band member Simon to stay with him, his wife, their baby, and his father-in-law, Avrum. During dinner, Simon asks what happened to Avrum's wife, and Avrum says she passed away. When Simon asks when she passed, he is silenced; Avrum says it is healthy for him to talk about it. He tells the story of how he met his wife many years ago at a club and remembers how music had been the foundation for their entire relationship. Itzik and Simon are touched by the story, but Itzik's wife continues to eat silently, avoiding all interaction during the meal ("The Beat of Your Heart").

That night, everyone makes plans to go out. Papi is invited on a double date with his crush but suffers from anxiety about going out with her. Haled tags along. Dina offers to show Tewfiq around Bet Hatikva, which he again is reluctant to accept. At dinner, Dina asks Tewfiq about what style of music his band plays. After he claims they stick to traditional Arab music, she mentions how as a child she would listen to music on Egyptian radio stations, from the likes of Umm Kulthum, and movies starring Omar Sharif. Tewfiq quotes one of the movies in question and they bond over the shared memories ("Omar Sharif").

At the roller skating rink, Haled watches from afar as Papi continues to ignore his crush and clumsily skate. After Papi defuses a brief altercation between Haled and one of the guards at the rink, Papi explains his romantic anxieties to Haled ("Papi Hears the Ocean"). After accidentally causing his crush to slip on her skates and fall down, Papi is petrified yet again. Haled helps to boost Papi's confidence, which leads to Papi and his crush finally embracing each other ("Haled's Song About Love").

After their dinner, Dina takes Tewfiq to "The Park", which is just a bench in the middle of Bet Hatikva. She asks him what it is like to have an orchestra and play music for people. He initially stutters, but after she asks him to sing, he begins to show her what it's like to be a conductor by allowing her to mimic his arm motions as he sings (“Itgara’a”). Despite not being able to understand his Arabic lyrics, she remains mesmerized by him and wonders if his visit to Bet Hatikva was meant for her by fate ("Something Different").

Itzik sings his son to sleep ("Itzik's Lullaby"), but in frustration with his lack of ambition in life, his wife leaves. Simon is initially concerned, but Itzik tells him that this happens often and she always returns. Soon, she does, and their son begins to cry. Simon is able to soothe the infant by playing his original concerto on his clarinet. Itzik and his wife reconcile, and Simon says goodbye to Avrum before going to bed.

Dina finally asks more about Tewfiq's life. When she approaches the topic of his son, he reveals that he and his son never quite got along, which has bothered Tewfiq to this day and was the likely reason of his son's suicide. He also tells how his wife ended her life, as well, due to the heartbreak. Now visibly distraught, Tewfiq resists Dina's romantic advances as Haled arrives with news that the bus will be there in the morning to take them to Petah Tikvah. Tewfiq starts to leave the room, upset, while Dina solemnly recalls the meaning of their relationship ("Something Different (Reprise)"). Once Tewfiq is gone, Haled jokingly compliments her eyes, and she kisses him forcefully.

Distraught, the “telephone guy” questions his devotion to his loved one as he continues to wait by the pay phone. He and the citizens of Bet Hatikva long for the presence of a meaning to their lives as they anticipate the return to normalcy ("Answer Me"). Suddenly, just as “telephone guy” gives up hope, the phone rings and he speaks to his girlfriend for the first time in months.

The following morning, the band gathers by Dina's cafe before they prepare to board the next bus. As they begin to board, Dina hands Tewfiq a piece of paper with "Petah Tikvah" on it to ensure he doesn't forget.

Later that day, the band makes it to the Petah Tikvah's Arab cultural center. After they are in their places, Tewfiq begins to conduct, and the stage cuts to black.

Ethel Barrymore Theatre

The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is the only surviving theatre of the many theatres that Lee and JJ Shubert built for their performers. Ethel Barrymore was part of the renowned Barrymore acting dynasty, and her tremendous popularity in New York and London society established her as a household name in the US and England. She achieved stardom in 1901, and in 1928, the Shuberts offered to build her a theatre and commission a play for her to premiere in her namesake house. The exterior of the theatre was modeled on the design of public baths in Rome, with a two-story terra-cotta grillwork screen. The interior decor combines Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adamesque (18^th century neoclassical) styles. The most elaborate interior element is the boxes, which feature a sunburst pattern over a columned portico. Previously, we saw Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie (with Jessica Lange, Christian Slater, Sarah Paulson, and Josh Lucas) at the Barrymore back in 2005.

Theatre: School of Rock (October 2018)

School of Rock is based on the 2003 film of the same name. The musical features twelve original songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with three taken from the original film. The Broadway production is expected to close in mid-January 2019, after 31 previews and 1,307 regular performances. (It opened December 2015.)

The musical follows Dewey Finn, an out-of-work rock singer and guitarist who pretends to be a substitute teacher who is kicked out of his band, No Vacancy, and instead tries to make money at a prestigious prep school called Horace Green. After identifying the musical talent in his students, Dewey forms a band of fifth-graders, in an attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands contest.

Act One

The musical begins with a performance by the band No Vacancy. The band's guitarist, Dewey Finn, repeatedly attempts to upstage the lead singer ("I'm Too Hot for You”) which leads to the band agreeing to kick him out for his antics after Dewey leaves the stage. The next morning, Dewey is awoken in his bedroom by his longtime friend, Ned Schneebly, and Ned's domineering girlfriend, Patty Di Marco. Patty demands rent from Dewey while Ned cowers behind her. After they leave, Dewey goes about his day, getting kicked out of his band and fired from his job at a record store, all while dreaming about getting his break and becoming a superstar ("When I Climb to the Top of Mount Rock.") Afterwards, Dewey receives a call from Rosalie Mullins, principal of the prestigious Horace Green School. She asks to speak to Ned, saying that the school has an open substitute teacher position that will pay over nine hundred dollars a week—enough to meet the rent. Dewey, pretending to be Ned, accepts.

At Horace Green, Rosalie does her best to keep everything running smoothly while greeting parents who come to drop off their children ("Horace Green Alma Mater.") Dewey arrives late both hung over and unprepared for the day, and the principal warns that "Ned" will be expected to meet the school's high standards. ("Here at Horace Green.") Dewey enters his classroom and introduces himself as Mr. Schneebly. His thirteen students are immediately wary of him, and one of them, uptight Summer Hathaway, attempts to explain to him how the classes run, and Dewey is disgusted by the rigid system. With no food to treat his hangover, Dewey spends most of the day sleeping, leaving the students to run wild.

At the apartment, Patty asks Ned to go on a jog with her, but he declines, claiming he has a lot of papers to grade. Understanding, Patty goes. When she is gone, however, Ned pulls out his Guitar Hero console and begins playing. When Dewey comes home, he joins Ned and they discuss various topics such as teaching and their old band ("Variation 7”). After their game, Dewey attempts to convince Ned to rejoin him in their music career, by reminding him of all the perks of being a rockstar ("Children of Rock”). However, Patty arrives and breaks the men's reminiscing session up. Angry at Dewey, Patty reminds him that he's nothing more than a dreamer who will never succeed in the rock business, and gives him an ultimatum: pay the rent in thirty days, or they’ll kick him out ("When I Climb to the Top of Mount Rock (Reprise)").

The next day at school, Dewey argues with another teacher and hears music coming from one of the classrooms. Upon learning that his students are in music class with Rosalie ("Queen of the Night"), he inquires in amazement about what instruments they play. Dewey then tells his students that they're now a part of his new band set to compete in the Battle of the Bands. First, he puts together the instrumentals of his band: Zack on electric guitar, Katie on bass, Lawrence on keyboard, and Freddy on drums. He also makes two of the girls—Shonelle and Marcy—backup singers, and two other girls—Madison and Sophie—roadies. Then he moves onto technical jobs. Mason is put in charge of lights, James is made the security officer, and an ecstatic Billy is made the band's stylist. Summer is angry that she hasn't been given a job and says "groupies are sluts" in response to Dewey's first suggestion. Dewey then makes her the band's manager. The only student left without a job is Tomika, the shy new girl ("You're in the Band"). Confident about their prospects, Dewey hands out famous CDs to the students to listen to as homework ("You're in the Band (Reprise)”).

The children go home, and a glimpse is seen into some of their home lives. Freddy tells his father about the music he was assigned to listen to, but his father belittles him, saying that he's not smart like the other children at Horace Green. In another part of town, Billy is reading a Vogue magazine disguised as Sports Illustrated due to pressure from his father to take up football. Elsewhere, Tomika tells her fathers that she's not making friends or doing well in her new school, but her parents dismiss her since they love Horace Green. Finally, Zack attempts to talk to his father about his day, but his father is on a business call and shouts at Zack for trying to speak to him, telling him to go away. Frustrated, Zack, Tomika, Billy, Freddy, and the other students lament that they have so much to tell and offer their parents and the world, but they just won't listen to them yet ("If Only You Would Listen.") Later, Shonelle and Marcy say that they should call the band School of Rock. Dewey loves it, and makes up a song to create the impression that he is prepared ("In the End of Time (A Cappella Version.)")

In the Faculty Lounge, the other teachers complain that the children have become undisciplined under Dewey even though some of this methods are effective ("Faculty Quadrille.") In the classroom, the band continues practicing Dewey's new song ("In the End of Time (Practice Version.)") After playing, Dewey tells everyone they're doing great. However, Zack is playing in an uptight and rigid manner, and Dewey says that Zack needs to get angry at "the man" in order to really rock. He explains that the man is responsible for everything wrong with the world, and Dewey and the kids get angry and shout about how they're going to stick it to the man ("Stick it to the Man.") Due to being stuck in school, Dewey and the kids end up sneaking out of the building in order to make it to the Battle Of The Bands auditions on time. The children and Dewey sadly arrive late at the auditions, With the manager about to leave, Summer convinces him to stay with a lie about a terminal illness and the class is able to compete ("In the End of Time (The Audition.)") They qualify and celebrate their success ("Stick it to the Man (Reprise.)")

Act Two

Thirty-six hours before the Battle of the Bands, the students are hard at work preparing for the event while Dewey attends a faculty conference. The students conclude that the one outstanding issue is the costumes, which Billy has yet to show anybody. He argues that they aren't finished yet, but Summer makes him show them anyway. Billy, using Lawrence as an unwilling model, shows everyone, and they hate them. Billy, annoyed but not disheartened, goes back to the drawing board ("Time to Play.") At the faculty meeting which Rosalie uses to stress the importance of parents' night, Dewey discovers that she is secretly a rocker, and loves Stevie Nicks. Dewey panics when he gets back to the classroom and begins to think of a cover. Tomika summons the courage to speak to him saying that she wants to sing. When Dewey asks why she didn't respond to the call for backup singers, she states that she's a lead singer. Although initially too nervous, Tomika begins to sing when others are not looking and captivates her audience ("Amazing Grace.")

Upon hearing that Rosalie is coming, students quickly cover their instruments with Thanksgiving themed items and Dewey breaks into a fake lesson. When she challenges this, Dewey accuses other teachers of being on crack before admitting that he uses music to teach "boring" subjects. After arguing that there are no boring subjects, Rosalie announces that she'll be sitting in for the rest of Dewey's lesson. Nervous, Dewey pulls out his guitar and improvises a song about math ("Math Is a Wonderful Thing.") Rosalie is unimpressed, but Dewey decides to ask her out to a bar regardless. Later that night, Rosalie and Dewey meet at the bar, and, after having a few drinks, Dewey plays a Stevie Nicks' song on the jukebox, causing Rosalie to let loose and laments about how she feels she's lost her inner music. Stating that Dewey has reminded her about it, she promises that if the parents' meeting goes well the next day, she'll help Dewey and School of Rock go to The Battle of the Bands ("Where Did the Rock Go?") Dewey impulsively kisses Rosalie, and they part ways.

Dewey arrives home just as Patty and Ned are going through the mail. Prompted by the discovery of Dewey's paycheck made out to Ned, Dewey explains his impersonation idea. Ned goes into a panic attack, but Dewey manages to calm him down and make him promise not to tell Patty. The next day, the students go to rehearse their song, but then Zack reveals that he wrote his own song for the band in his free time. Dewey is floored by Zack's talent, and has Zack teach the song to the rest of the band ("School of Rock (Band Practice.)") However, in the middle of the practice, Rosalie unwittingly brings the students' parents into the classroom, and they are appalled by what is going on. Focusing on the talent of each child, Dewey slowly convinces the parents to see the band in a positive light until Patty and Ned burst in. Having extracted the information from Ned, Patty reveals that Dewey is not Ned Schneebly and sends the parents into a rage. In the commotion, Dewey and the children escape to go to The Battle ("Dewey's Confession.")

As Rosalie paces nervously in the halls, she finds Mason and reminds him that Dewey isn't who the students think he is. Mason counters that he is a role-model regardless of his name. Touched by this, Rosalie misleads the parents to buy the children more time. The children use this time to reinvigorate Dewey who has given up on his dream and returned to his room. Led by Tomika, they all explain how much they need him ("If Only You Would Listen (Reprise.)") Patty makes one last attempt to stop them but Ned finally stands up to her and accompanies them to the battle. The band arrives just as No Vacancy is finishing up their performance ("I'm Too Hot For You (Reprise.)") Dewey decides that they should play Zack's song and accepts new costumes from Billy. The parents arrive, but are not allowed backstage by the security guards. As the students go to perform, Zack's father begins shouting at his son, telling him that School of Rock is ridiculous and stupid. Zack, finally having enough, stands up to his father and tells him that the band means more to him than he does, and then Zack goes to play.

They perform Zack's song and the crowd goes wild. Their parents watch on from an empty box seat, and each of them slowly fall in love with the band and how amazing their children are. Each of the instrumental students get a solo, and Tomika sings lead with Dewey as well. By the end, Zack's father is frozen with pride, and has to be pulled away by Summer's mother ("School of Rock (Teacher's Pet.)") After the performance, Rosalie and the band's parents congratulate the group, as well as Ned who has decked out in full heavy metal gear for The Battle. Dewey watches the parents and their kids, and finally feels as though he has accomplished something worthwhile. The winner of the competition is announced as No Vacancy, but Dewey assures everyone that winning didn't really matter, because they did something even more special. Patty then enters with a police officer and tries to get Dewey arrested for fraud, but Rosalie convinces the officer that Mr. Finn is Horace Green's official Band Coach. To please an enthralled crowd, the band plays an encore ("Stick It to the Man (Encore.)") After their song, Dewey and Rosalie kiss again, and Rosalie mixes her classical singing with the heavy rock music of School of Rock, implying that a change is coming to Horace Green and its curriculum because of the band and Dewey ("Finale”).

Winter Garden Theatre

The Winter Garden Theatre was built in 1896 to be the American Horse Exchange. In 1911, the Shuberts leased the building and an architect redesigned it as a theatre. It opened in March 1911, with the musical La Belle Paree starring Al Jolson, and later hosted the famous Ziegfeld Follies featuring performers such as Fanny Brice, Bob Hope, Josephine Baker, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Buddy Ebsen. The Winter Garden was completely remodeled in 1922, creating a stage that is wider than those in most Broadway houses, yet with a relatively low proscenium arch. The theatre served as a Warner Bros. movie house from 1928 to 1933 and a United Artists cinema in 1945, but aside from those interruptions, it has operated as a legitimate theatre. In 2002, under an agreement between the Shubert Organization, which owns the theatre, and General Motors, it was renamed the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre; however, in 2007, the corporation's sponsorship ended and the venue returned to its original name.

The building is situated unusually on its lot, with the main entrance and marquee, located on Broadway, connected to the 1526-seat Seventh Avenue auditorium via a long hallway, and the rear wall of the stage abutting 50th Street. When Al Jolson performed there, the Winter Garden had a runway built, going out into the audience, and Jolson would run out and slide on his knees while singing, and the audience, not used to such dynamic and close-up showmanship from a performer, would go wild. The theatre's longest tenant was Cats, which opened in October 1982 and ran 7,485 performances spanning nearly 18 years. Because of the size of its auditorium, stage, and backstage facilities, it is a house favored for large musical productions.

Theatre: Wicked (October 2018)

Wicked is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, an alternative telling of the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The musical is told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz; its plot begins before and continues after Dorothy Gale's arrival in Oz from Kansas, and it includes several references to the 1939 film and Baum's novel. Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (whose name later changes to Glinda the Good Witch), who struggle through opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's public fall from grace. The novel, described as a political, social, and ethical commentary on the nature of good and evil, takes place in the Land of Oz, in the years leading to Dorothy's arrival. The story centers on Elphaba, the misunderstood, smart, and fiery girl of emerald-green skin who grows up to become the notorious Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda, the beautiful, blonde, popular girl who grows up to become Glinda the Good Witch of the South. The story is divided into five different sections based on the plot location, and presents events, characters, and situations from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and its 1939 film adaptation in new ways. It is designed to set the reader thinking about what it really is to be "Wicked", and whether good intentions with bad results are the same as bad intentions with bad results.

The original production of Wicked premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003; its original stars included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, and Joel Grey as the Wizard. The original Broadway production won three Tony Awards and six Drama Desk Awards, while its original cast album received a Grammy Award. In July 2017, Wicked surpassed The Phantom of the Opera as Broadway's second-highest grossing show, trailing only The Lion King. In July 2018, Wicked surpassed A Chorus Line to become Broadway's sixth-longest running show.

While the draft followed Maguire's idea of retelling the story of the 1939 film from the perspective of its main villain, the storyline of the stage adaptation "goes far afield" from the novel. It was [Maguire's] brilliant idea to take this hated figure and tell things from her point of view, and to have the two witches be roommates in college, but the way in which their friendship develops– and really the whole plot– is different onstage. Primarily we were interested in the relationship between Galinda– who becomes Glinda– and Elphaba ... the friendship of these two women and how their characters lead them to completely different destinies. In addition to this change in focus, other major plot modifications include Fiyero's appearance as the scarecrow, Elphaba's survival at the end, Nessarose using a wheelchair instead of being born without arms, Boq having a continuing love interest for Glinda - and eventually becoming the Tin Woodman instead of Nick Chopper, the complete cutting of Elphaba's years in the Vinkus, the deletion of Liir's birth, Fiyero not having a wife and children, and Doctor Dillamond not being murdered. Elements of the book were rewritten, while several songs underwent minor transformations.

Act I

In the Land of Oz, a lot of celebrating is going on; the Ozians are rejoicing over the demise of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good Witch talks about Elphaba’s past and you see Elphaba’s mother have an affair after Elphaba’s father goes out of town. As her mother has this affair she drinks green elixir. She then gets pregnant and when she gives birth her baby has green skin ("No One Mourns the Wicked"). Glinda arrives to congratulate Dorothy Gale (unseen though frequently mentioned) for restoring peace to the land until an Ozian asks her if Elphaba and she were friends. She reluctantly admits that they were, leading Glinda to tell them the story of how they became best friends. A flashback starts with a scene at school, Shiz University, when Elphaba arrives ("Dear Old Shiz"). Elphaba was believed to be the daughter of the governor of Munchkinland, although we know her real father is the man her mother had an affair with. Her father resented her and showered his affection on her younger sister, Nessarose, who is physically disabled and uses a wheelchair. The two sisters both go to Shiz University, where the beautiful and popular Glinda, formerly known as Galinda, is also in their class. As their father says goodbye, he gives Nessarose a pair of silver slippers. The headmistress, Madame Morrible, decides to take Nessarose under her protection, leaving Elphaba and Galinda as roommates to their chagrin. Elphaba attempts to take back her sister, and her anger manifests physically in an explosion. Madame Morrible recognizes that Elphaba has special powers and decides to teach her sorcery. She tells Elphaba her powers might allow her to one day work with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, something Elphaba has dreamed of her whole life ("The Wizard and I"). All of this does little to endear Elphaba to Galinda, and the feeling is mutual ("What is this Feeling?"). They fight constantly, even in their classes, such as their history class with Dr. Dillamond, the only Animal (a sentient goat) professor at the university, who is beginning to suffer from discrimination. He tells Elphaba a conspiracy is afoot to stop Animals from speaking, and she wants to let the Wizard know, for he would surely stop it ("Something Bad").

Later, Fiyero Tigelaar, an Arjiki prince from the Vinkus, has arrived at Shiz and shares his life philosophy. They all decide to have an orientation party at the Ozdust Ball that evening. Boq, a Munchkin who has developed a crush on Galinda, tries to invite her to the party, but she convinces him to ask Nessarose out of pity, leaving Galinda free to go with Fiyero. Nessarose, who has a crush on Boq, is delighted and tells her sister how Galinda made it happen. When Galinda gives an ugly hat to Elphaba to wear at the party, Elphaba takes it as an act of kindness. At the party that evening, Boq tries to tell Nessarose the real reason he invited her, but is too nice to hurt her feelings ("Dancing Through Life"). She continues to fall for him. Madame Morrible arrives to tell Galinda she can join her sorcery class, at Elphaba's obliging request. Elphaba arrives wearing the witch's hat, only to find the other students laughing and staring while she awkwardly dances alone. Galinda feels regretful and goes to dance with Elphaba. Everyone joins them, and the two girls look at each other in a new light.

Back in their room, they continue to bond. Galinda decides to give Elphaba a makeover ("Popular"). When Elphaba arrives at class the next day, Fiyero sees Galinda's influence and tells Elphaba that she does not need to change. Dr. Dillamond enters to tell the class that he has been excommunicated. Elphaba wants to help, but no one will stand up with her. Afterward, the students are introduced to the cage, which will keep animals controlled, so they never learn to speak. Elphaba's fury cannot be contained, and in the ensuing chaos, Fiyero and she steal the lion cub in the cage and escape.

Fiyero is disillusioned about what transpired, but is taken by Elphaba's passion. She begins to fall in love with him and they share a tender moment before he leaves to free the lion cub. Elphaba reminds herself that it is pointless to wish for something to happen between them ("I'm Not that Girl"). Madame Morrible comes to tell her that the Wizard has decided to meet her. Nessarose and Galinda come to see her off, and Fiyero meets her, too. Galinda tries to win Fiyero's respect by changing her name to "Glinda", in solidarity with Dr. Dillamond, who always mispronounced her name, but Fiyero is not impressed, saying goodbye to Elphaba, instead. Elphaba invites Glinda to the Emerald City with her ("One Short Day").

The girls meet the Wizard of Oz, who turns out to be not quite as intimidating as they thought ("A Sentimental Man"). He promises Elphaba that he will grant her request if she proves herself. Madame Morrible appears; she is the Wizard's new "press secretary". She gives Elphaba an ancient book of spells, called the Grimmerie, which only the magically gifted can read. Elphaba is asked to try a levitation spell on the Wizard's monkey servant, Chistery. However, the spell does not go the way Elphaba plans when Chistery sprouts wings, and she realizes that the Wizard is the one behind the suppression of the Animals. Elphaba realizes the Wizard has no powers; he is merely a fraud. He offers Glinda and her everything they have ever wanted if they will help him, but Elphaba is unwilling to comply. She runs away, and to prevent the truth from getting out, Madame Morrible spreads reports that Elphaba is a "wicked witch". This only reaffirms Elphaba's belief that she must not let anyone hold her down. She performs a spell on a broom and flies away from the Emerald City, never to return ("Defying Gravity").

Act II

Some time later, Elphaba's opposition of the Wizard's regime has earned her the title "the Wicked Witch of the West". Glinda has become the positive public front of the Wizard's regime, given the title "Glinda the Good" and positioned by Morrible as the nation's defender against the Witch ("No One Mourns The Wicked (Reprise)"). A press conference to celebrate Fiyero's appointment as captain of the guard (a position he has accepted to find Elphaba) is hijacked by the crowd's panicked rumors about the Witch, including a story that she will be melted by water. Fiyero is incredulous and not convinced by Glinda's insistence that Elphaba does not want to be found. He is further angered when Morrible announces his engagement to Glinda and runs off. Glinda attempts to keep a cheerful front for the press, but clearly, she realizes her dream life has come at a great price ("Thank Goodness").

Elphaba pays a visit to Nessarose, who is now the governor of Munchkinland following the death of their father, whom Nessarose says "died of shame" when he heard what Elphaba did. Nessarose has taken away the rights of the Munchkins in a desperate attempt to keep Boq at her side. Elphaba tries to convince her sister to side with her against the Wizard, but Nessarose is more concerned with her own problems. Elphaba tries to help by giving Nessarose the power to walk by turning the silver slippers into the "ruby slippers". Convinced that Boq must love her now, Nessarose calls for him, but he only sees this as proof that she does not need him anymore. Hurt, Nessarose takes Elphaba's spell book and tries to cast a spell to make Boq fall in love with her. However, the spell backfires, making her the "Wicked Witch of the East", shrinking Boq's heart ("The Wicked Witch Of The East"). Elphaba must work another spell to save his life, if in a slightly different condition than he was before. When Boq awakens, he is disgusted at his new state as a man made of tin, and Nessarose tells him that it was Elphaba who did this to him.

Elphaba returns to the Wizard's palace to free the monkey servants, and comes across the Wizard himself. He tries once again to convince her to work with him, telling her that he is not evil - just an average man who came into his position by chance, led to stay by the reverence of the Ozians, and he offers to redeem Elphaba's reputation ("Wonderful"). She is almost won over until she sees Dr. Dillamond, who has lost the power of speech. Angered by this, Elphaba accuses the Wizard, but he calls the guards to arrest Elphaba for fraud. In response, Fiyero and the guards enter, followed by Glinda. However, Fiyero instead helps Elphaba escape and decides to leave with her. Although broken hearted of Fiyero switching sides with Elphaba ("I'm Not that Girl (Reprise)"), Glinda suggests to the Wizard and Madame Morrible that the way to apprehend Elphaba is to use her sister as bait, allowing the officials to recapture Elphaba once and for all.

Elphaba and Fiyero are both taken by surprise by the strength of their feelings for each other, and promise to be together always ("As Long As You're Mine"). Their happiness is interrupted when Elphaba suddenly has a vision of a house flying through the sky and Nessarose being in danger. Before Elphaba leaves to investigate, Fiyero tells her about a castle that his family owns in which she can stay.

Glinda and Elphaba meet again at the site where Nessarose has been crushed by a house with a girl named Dorothy Gale inside. Fueled by the rivalry over Fiyero, the two have a heated argument. The guards arrive and tackle Elphaba, who guesses that Glinda arranged for all of this as a trap. Fiyero arrives, as well, and holds Glinda hostage until Elphaba is allowed to go free. Glinda pleads for the guards not to harm him, but they do not listen, as they escort Fiyero to the field where they can interrogate and torture him (by crucifixion) into revealing Elphaba's whereabouts. Elphaba tries to cast a spell to protect him, but is crestfallen by the limitations of her power. She decides that from this point on, she will live up to her reputation as the Wicked Witch of the West ("No Good Deed").

Later, back at Oz's capital, all of Oz's citizens unite, declaring war on Elphaba due to Madame Morrible and Boq's testimony against her. Meanwhile, Glinda has realized Morrible, who can control the weather, is responsible for Nessarose's death, but when she is about to accuse her, Morrible simply reminds her that blood is on her hands, as well. Feeling guilty for her association, Glinda flees in horror to warn Elphaba, as the angry mob sets out to take Kiamo Ko by force ("March of the Witch Hunters").

Back at Kiamo Ko, Elphaba has already captured Dorothy, refusing to release her until she relinquishes Nessarose's slippers – the only things left of her dead sister. Glinda travels to Elphaba's castle to warn her of the danger and persuade her to let Dorothy go. Elphaba refuses until she receives a letter saying that Fiyero has died. The two women forgive each other, acknowledging they have both made mistakes. To help her in her future, Elphaba gives the Grimmerie to Glinda. The two friends embrace for the last time before saying goodbye ("For Good"). As the mob arrives, Elphaba tells Glinda to hide, and she watches helplessly from the shadows as Dorothy throws a bucket of water on Elphaba, who appears to disintegrate. Shaken, Glinda sees that all that remains of her friend is her black hat and the small bottle of green elixir.

In the Emerald City, Glinda confronts the Wizard with Elphaba's bottle, which he recognizes as identical to his own. He was Elphaba's biological father and the cause of her green skin. He breaks down in sorrow, and Madame Morrible surmises that Elphaba's powers were so strong because she was a child of two worlds. Glinda banishes the Wizard from Oz and sends Madame Morrible to prison for murder.

Meanwhile, back at the castle, Fiyero (now a scarecrow) comes to the spot where Elphaba was melted. Making sure that no one is watching, he knocks on the floor and out from a trap door steps Elphaba, very much alive; the entire thing was a ruse to convince her enemies of her death and to ensure her future with Fiyero, who was transformed into the scarecrow by her spell unintentionally. Before leaving, Elphaba regrets that she will never see Glinda again and tell her that they are alive. Simultaneously, returning to the musical's starting point, Glinda promises the people of Oz to properly earn her title as Glinda the Good. As the people celebrate and Glinda mourns, Elphaba and Fiyero leave Oz together forever ("Finale").

Gershwin Theatre

The Gershwin Theatre is located on the lower levels of the Paramount Plaza building, a towering office complex. It is named after brothers George Gershwin, a composer, and Ira Gershwin, a lyricist. It has the largest seating capacity of any Broadway theatre with 1,933 seats. Designed in an Art Nouveau style, it opened as the Uris Theatre in 1972, with a disastrous first show that lost a million dollars and closed after only seven performances (Via Galactica starring Raul Julia). From 1974 to 1976, it served as a concert hall. The American Theatre Hall of Fame, which has names of actors, playwrights, songwriters, designers, directors, and producers who have had notable careers in American theater embossed in bronze lettering on the entrance walls flanking the theatre’s grand staircase and escalator. In 1983, the theatre was renamed to honor the Gershwins. It has been home to the blockbuster musical Wicked since 2003.

Theatre: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (July 2018)

My spouse and I attended Summer: The Donna Summer Musical on a Sunday afternoon in late July 2018. We won tickets to the performance in the Broadway lottery, which allows you to purchase last-minute unsold seats (this time in the orchestra left section) for only a fraction of the cost of a regular seat ($40 versus $200).

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical is a musical based on her life, featuring music and lyrics written and sung by her and others. The musical opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in April 2018. She is often called the “Queen of Disco”. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Summer was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the United States Billboard 200 chart and charted four number-one singles in the US within a 12-month period. Summer has reportedly sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. She also charted two number-one singles on the R+B charts in the US and a number-one in the UK. Summer earned a total of 32 hit singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in her lifetime, with 14 of those reaching the top ten. She claimed a top 40 hit every year between 1975 and 1984.

Songs from the musical include I Feel Love, Love to Love You Baby, I Remember Yesterday, MacArthur Park, Heaven Knows, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), On the Radio, I Love You, Bad Girls, She Works Hard for the Money, Dim All the Lights, Unconditional Love, Stamp Your Feet, Hot Stuff, Last Dance

LaDonna Adrian Gaines was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot through the stars from gospel choir to dance floor diva. But what the world didn’t know was how Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed. While influenced by the counterculture of the 1960s, Summer became the lead singer of a psychedelic rock band named Black Crow and moved to New York City. Joining a touring version of the musical Hair, she left New York and spent several years living, acting, and singing in Europe, where she met her first music producers.

Three actresses (including two Tony Award winners) play Donna Summer, taking us through her tumultuous life, tempestuous loves, and mega-watt musical hits. Spend the day in her electrifying universe!

Summer died on May 17, 2012, from lung cancer (attributed to 9-11 dust because she never smoked), at her home in Naples, Florida. In 2013, Summer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In December 2016, Billboard ranked her as the 6th most successful dance artist of all-time.

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was originally named The Globe, after Shakespeare’s theatre in England. It had a retractable roof to enable the theatre to stay cool and remain open during the summer. For nearly two decades, the theatre housed a variety of plays and musicals, until 1932 when it was turned into a movie house.

In 1958, the theatre was gutted and rebuilt in its present configuration as a legitimate theatre. It was renamed in honor of America’s foremost husband-wife acting couple, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, who starred in its first production “The Visit”. Theatregoers can enjoy a selection of photographs from their private collection on display throughout the lobby areas.

The Lunt-Fontanne currently has 1,505 seats and is one of The Nederlander Organization‘s nine Broadway theatres.

Theatre: An American in Paris (September 2016)

My spouse and I saw the Broadway show “An American in Paris” on a Saturday afternoon in late September 2016. We won tickets to the show in an online lottery, where we received front-row seats for $40 each. We liked the show, but we would prefer to sit farther back in the audience next time so that we could better enjoy the fancy footwork and set design. On the other hand, it was interesting to look into the orchestra pit to see the musicians and their instruments. (Some of the woodwind musicians played up to six different instruments during the course of the show.) It was also fascinating to glimpse to the wings of the stage to see the inner workings behind the show, and to see the costume area under the stage behind the musicians.

“An American in Paris” is a musical inspired by the 1951 Academy Award-winning film starring Gene Kelly (which was inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition “An American in Paris” by George Gershwin). The Tony award-winning show opened at the Palace Theatre in April 2015, and incorporates songs from George and Ira Gershwin including "I Got Rhythm", “Love Is Here to Stay”, "Liza", "'S Wonderful", "But Not For Me", "I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise", as well as orchestral music.

Struck by a mysterious girl and ready to rebuild his life at the end of World War II, American soldier Jerry decides to stay in Paris and paint. With a help from new friends Adam (a composer and fellow veteran) and Henri (the son of a wealthy French couple and wannabe song and dance man), they imagine a bright future. When Jerry reconnects with the mysterious girl—a stunning French ballerina named Lise—he is certain that he made the right decision. That is, until he discovers that she is the very same woman Adam and he have been encouraging Henri to propose to. Meanwhile, Jerry meets American philanthropist Milo, who is enthralled with Jerry’s talent and good looks, ushers him into the Paris art scene. Lise struggles to choose between her obligations to Henri and what she thinks might be her true love for Jerry. As each man comes to terms with his own fate, it is revealed that Lise is beholden to Henri because he and his family saved her life during the occupation. But both she and Henri realize that it is time to let go. When the curtain falls on the opening night performance of a ballet that will allow Lise to claim her place as an accomplished artist in France, she realizes that she and Jerry are meant to be together. They reunite at the River Seine and walk off into the Paris night.