1. Alexandra's going away party. A bunch of us got together and had dinner at Cucina Toscana (my favorite Italian restauraunt!) to mourn the passing of our dear friend Alexandra... actually... she is not actually dead, ha ha, but has moved away from Utah and her friends. It was a great time though. The staff at the restaurant always treats us like royalty and Walter totally made my night by kissing me on the cheek and claiming I was his relative. Alexandra/Christine, you will be missed!
2. After having stood in line for ages in the cold and catching hypothermia, I finally was able to go to Wicked, and it was totally WORTH IT! What a wonderful production. We had some of the best seats in the house sitting front and center in orchestra seating!
I was blown away at not only the spectacle of it, but the underlying themes and philosophical allusions. There were a few parts where I was deeply moved by the performances. I always wished that I could do something like that and be talented enough to get on stage and belt it out, but sadly, only the shampoo bottles in the shower witness my lack of vocal talent. Anyway, the stagesets were amazing and recalled styles from both the French Revolution and the surreal set from the 'Wizard of Oz.' The costumes were zany, yet also reflected revolutionary ideas. There was one scene where there was even a statue in the middle of the set that held its arm firmly above its head - a clear reference to revolution. The themes that emerged included revolution, but also a philosophical questioning of what it means to be good and evil, and how this is reflected in society. Ultimately, what is deemed good or evil is relative in relationship to society. For example, just as the French believed for so long in the bourgeouise monarchy as being the 'right' thing, the society of Oz believed through propaganda - word of mouth, press, etc. - that Elphaba was the one in the wrong. What was so wonderful about the musical was that the medium referenced the theme. There was singing and dancing and entertainment that masked the reality of the tyrranical leadership of the Wizard similar to the fancy newscasts, politicians, and celebrity spokesperson's that so easily sway the masses with smoke and mirrors. I realize I sound like a conspiricy theorist here, but I think that other than entertaining, Wicked aimed to show how difficult it is to find truth in the world. It also revealed the power of the masses when you can get them on your side. On a sidenote, Donna Vivino and Katie Rose Clarke were incredible performers. Vivino moved me to tears when she performed I believe the song was "No Good Deed." It was the best performance I have seen so far.
3. We went to dinner before Wicked with a bunch of good friends at Happy Sumo. It was great getting together with everyone. Here are a couple of pics of our good times.
Other than these things, I have been very busy. My finals will be in a week and I've been stressing and preparing for them. I hope that I can come out of my last semester of school with all A's. Wish me luck!
