Arts & Entertainment
Sharing The Magic: A 'Wicked' Family Trip
Five families describe their unforgettable day In Oz.
With the school year heading into full swing and the holiday season just around the corner, family time is harder than ever to find. But, really, is there anything better than making memories together? WICKED knows that these precious family moments could all use a little magic—so they invited five area families to experience the Broadway smash in NYC for a truly thrilling day out.
From first time Broadway visitors to three generations of women attending together, each group had a uniquely different experience, but everyone agreed that this was something they would remember forever. What made the trip even more special was that WICKED just celebrated its 15th Anniversary on Broadway.
Read on to explore how it felt to defy gravity as a family!
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Beth wanted to find a show that she could bring her two teenage sons and her husband to where everyone would enjoy it, which she admits can sometimes be difficult! WICKED, she says, “Knocks that out of the ball park, it’s so appealing to families!” Beth loved watching the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda grow, while her sons enjoyed how comedy was laced throughout the whole show.
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But what was the best part? “My 13-year-old leaning over and wrapping his arm around me and just being close watching the show together — that was really my favorite part,” says Beth. During the busy school year, those kinds of moments are hard to come by. Beth explained that time away without phones or other distractions was so special for them. “We really value our family time together,” she says.
Ellastina’s 10-year-old daughter has a dream to be on Broadway—so she knew this was the perfect show to inspire that dream. “For my ten year old this was the best thing since sliced bread,” she said. Her husband and 20-year-old daughter joined in the fun as well. Ellastina said, "It was our very first time seeing WICKED and everybody was absolutely in love with it! Both of my daughters said to me ‘Mom, we have to see more. We have to see more Broadway.’” While the songs gave them all chills, Ellastina felt it was message that left such a lasting impact, “This was such a good way for us to get out as a family, because this show is so much about being a good person. As a family, this message was so important for us to hear together. I think it’s so important for every family to see this show and learn these lessons together."
Kathy and her two teenage children attended WICKED for the first time on her son’s visit home from college. The three of them had always talked about seeing the show and it didn’t disappoint, “It exceeded my expectations, it was a beautiful story, a wonderful set…I can’t say enough superlatives about the experience.” It was the same for her 16-year-old daughter, who was so moved by some of the songs she started to cry. Kathy says they shared a moment during “Defying Gravity.” “I looked over at her and we both kinda had some tears in our eyes.”
Her 19-year-old son couldn’t stop talking about it (and his love for the song “Popular!”) as she drove him back to college the following day. Kathy knows that for their family, this will be very special memory long after the kids move out and grow up, “To me, theater is one of those things that stays with you forever.”
Meghan and her husband brought their four children ranging from 8 to 14 years old to the show —their first Broadway show ever! The perfect choice for their large family, WICKED “really drew everybody in. It can entertain any age.” There was something for everyone in there — Meghan found herself relating to Elphaba, while her youngest daughter really connected with Glinda. Meghan’s favorite part? “The laughs I heard from the kids. Those belly laughs you don’t hear too often.”
These first time Broadway goers seem to have caught the musical bug, Meghan says that this WICKED trip has the kids asking to go see more shows. They are excited by theater in a way they never had been before. Meghan, for one, is thrilled for this special family memory and recommends it to anyone, “You listen to a great show, with a great message, and enjoy that time together.”
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After Anne and her mother had seen WICKED years ago, they knew it would be perfect to share it with Anne’s 8-year-old daughter. While Anne and her mom rediscovered the magic of WICKED, her daughter was seeing it for the first time. “If she had the choice not to blink she probably wouldn’t have,” Anne said. All three of them were mesmerized by how much action happened all throughout the theater—thrilled by the flying monkeys and Elphaba soaring into the air. But she had to admit the best part of the show was “seeing it all through my daughter’s eyes—she was so excited from the moment it started.”
Anne, who was involved in theater in high school, was so happy to take her daughter because she thinks that a love of theater should start young. She says, “I think that’s just so important to instill that in young kids…it’s just an amazing experience to go and watch.” And since her daughter can’t stop singing the songs, it seems like that love has already started!
Want to give your family the chance to fly on over to Oz and make memories that last a lifetime?
Visit https://wickedthemusical.com/ for your tickets today!
Photos courtesy of Chad David Kraus.