Sometimes in the theatre everything comes together and magic happens as it did with the opening of the touring company of “Wicked” at the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center in Miami. From the green neon lighting to the green costumes on the set of the Emerald city to a sound system that allowed you to hear every word spoken and said and, even more important, an ensemble that are all in synch. Conducted by P. Jason Yarcho the 16 piece orchestra soared, along with voices, of the music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
 

Along with what was going on stage was the feel from the audience as many are big fans of the show and as a person said in front of me, “I know all the lyrics of the songs,” and I might add they didn’t sing along once! You could feel them anticipate every song, every line, knowing when to applaud, when to listen and when to just get lost in the story.
 

“Wicked” is the story before, during and after of Dorothy’s arrival and departure from the land of Oz. It not only tells the story of the triangle between two witches who are best friends forever vying for the affections of a prince but also how they took their place in the events to follow after they meet at Shiz University. We see, and hear, the story from the recollections of Glinda the Good Witch, of how she got her title and how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West, not to forget the latter’s sister, Nessarose, who was the Wicked Witch of the East, you know, the one who winds up under the house!
 

Carrie St. Louis (Glinda) gets all the humor of the role and puts over “Popular” with every flip of her blond-tresses winning the audience from her first entrance on stage. Alyssa Fox (Elphaba) nails “Defying Gravity” and “No Good Deed” with adoring yells from the audience. Her duet with Ashley Parker Angel (Fiyero, the prince) on “As Long As You’re Mine” is equaled in feeling when she and St. Louis express their feelings for each other in the final number about how each has changed the other “For Good”.
 

With Liana Hunt as Nessarose, Lee Slobotkin as Bok, John Davidson as the Wizard of Oz, Jane Brockman as Madame Morrible, along with the rest of the ensemble, you feel they are having the time of their lives on stage.
 

Since opening on Broadway in 2003, and still playing there, “Wicked” has and continues breaking records including  with this 10th visit to South Florida feeling and looking fresh and up to date.