On October 27th, I was able to witness the must-see performance of the iconic musical “Wicked”, found at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, with it exceeding all expectations.
The production had started at 2pm, where the entire Donald Gordon theatre was filled with people waiting for the show to begin and lasted around 2 hours and 40 minutes.
The performance is in Cardiff for the time being as a part of the musicals tour, staying here from October 24th to November 23rd, 2024.
The moment the curtain rose, was the moment the whole audience was entranced in a spellbinding act.
With the lead actresses Casey Al-Shaqsy who played Elphaba and Sarah O’Connor as Glinda bringing the characters originally written by Gregory Maguire to life.
From start to finish, it was clear to see the passion that all the actors had.
A noticeable feature of the play was the beautifully hand-crafted costumes by Susan Hilferty which dazzled across the stage in great detail, complimenting the character’s personality perfectly.
Another two pieces of the musical to make notice to were the skilful music arrangements by Alex Lacamoire and Stephen Oremus, adding to the atmosphere of Oz.
While the set designs alone were eye-catching and extravagant every time the scenes changed.
One particular song, “defying gravity”, ended the first half of the show in the most memorable way, with Al-Shaqsy hitting the high note exceptionally near the end of the melody, evoking goosebumps and feelings of astonishment.
Once the performance came to a close, the audience erupted into applause, with a standing ovation for the main actresses.
While leaving the show, comments all around could be heard, exclaiming their happy thoughts and enthusiasm.
One audience member Stephanie Powell, remarks her amazement of the performance with “it was a breathtaking performance!”
To say the experience was captivating and beautiful would be an understatement, with nothing but positive views from everyone who went.
When the production has finished in Cardiff, it will move onto Manchester Palace Theatre from December 3rd to January 12th 2025.
It’s clear to see how this musical is such a classic that even people who don’t necessarily see theatre productions often should definitely see at least once.
