Habitually, I tend to reflect on shows after I see them. Yet, I will make an exception today and reflect on a show I have not yet seen, and will not see any time soon. The one show I was most eager to see is sold out for all performances before it is even on stage! The show in question is the famous musical Wicked, which will perform at the Kennedy Center starting on December 21. As I was typing these lines, just our of curiosity I searched Wicked on google, and I learned that 2 Wicked tickets were sold for $521 at e-Bay! How wicked, indeed.

A brief review of the musical describes it as "A bona-fide crowd pleaser!" and mentions how "decorated" the musical is in terms of awards: When it appeared on Broadway in 2003, Wicked worked its magic on critics and audiences alike, winning 15 major awards including a Grammy(r) and three Tony Awards(r). Featuring music and lyrics by Grammy(r) and Academy Award(r) winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin), Wicked is directed by Tony(r) winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out) and is "the most complete--and completely satisfying--new musical in a long time" (USA Today).

What is it about? Basically, it deconstructs the Wicked Witch of Oz.
"So much happened before Dorothy dropped in! Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One--born with emerald green skin--is smart, fiery, and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious, and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding musical in years. "An irresistible extravaganza of music, magic, artistry, and enchantment" (The New York Observer), Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz"!

To compensate for this disappointment, I am planning to actively engage in other intellectual pursuits, starting possibly with the "Film Series: Cine Chileno -- Forty Years of Film from Chile" at the National Gallery of Art. The program features a lenghty series of movies. I will be able to see the two last movies in the events calendar:

The Sentimental Teaser (El Chacotero Sentimental)
The most successful domestic film in Chile's history was inspired by a well-liked Santiago talk-radio host known as "The Sentimental Teaser," famous for candid advice to callers on matters of love and sex.

Machuca
A metaphorical coming-of-age story set in the chaotic moments of the 1973 coup d'etat.

Washington DC is rich in cultural events. Other immediate alternatives include the Comedy of Erros at the Shakespeare Theatre; the Les Miserables Musical at the National Theatre; and Latin Jazz Night, featuring Afro Bop Alliance at the Kennedy Center Jazz Cafe. Well, maybe I should stop complaining and just go ahead and purchase to miserable tickets, i.e. two tickets for "Les Miserables" before they are sold out too!

Next, my New Year plans.