In the midst of a very busy time, last night was a little oasis of green to look forward to.  I had gotten a special offer from Qantas box office for a Wicked backstage tour package, found some dear people who wanted to see it with me (George, Megan and mum) and even though I’d already seen Wicked in Melbourne (oh that wonderful trip), I couldn’t wait to see it again.  I know musicals are expensive, but I don’t go to them often anymore and if it’s one I really, really like, it’s pretty much a no-brainer.

The day ended up being really busy, helping out with carolling at Pacific Square, having lunch with the AFES mission team and then babysitting my pastor’s son while he and his wife were racing around trying to do everything in their unbelievably busy lives.  I dashed home, had a shower, got dolled up and put on my ridiculously high high heels (because I don’t seem to go out to places much anymore where I can wear them).  Then off to the city in our green, green car (named Elphaba after one of the main characters in Wicked).

We had Japanese for dinner at Musashi, then into the Capitol to pick up our special package gift bags (key ring, mug, and choice of program or soundtrack CD).  Going to the theatre and getting things like that still makes me feel that glimmer of excitement I felt as a young adolescent going to see shows like Les Mis or Phantom, clutching the huge glossy program and being oh-so-excited to be there.  While I waited in the foyer, I grinned at the countless little girls wearing their best dresses, clutching their huge glossy programs and hoped they were having a wonderful time.

The show was brilliant, of course.  Just as exciting and tight and beautiful as the first time, only this time we were sitting dead centre in the third row, so we could see all the costumes and sets up close, and every flicker of the actors’ expressions.  I’m glad we saw it the first time at a distance, because you could take it all in, the whole grand spectacle of it.  But up close you got to pay attention to different things, like the interactions between the company actors, the details on the costumes and the way all the details of the show fit together.

Afterwards we lined up at stage door with another 15 or so fans, handed in our tickets and got to tramp backstage (this is when the high heels were a very bad idea, but hey, I didn’t fall over).  It immediately woke in me a longing and a nostalgia for a time when I pretty much lived backstage in theatres, though not one like the Capitol, with its soaring high fly towers and massive set pieces.  The guy showing us around wasn’t hugely thrilled to be doing it, and I don’t blame him really because it would have made it a long night for him (it was 11pm by this stage).  But we got to touch and look at pretty much everything back there.  The costumes were so richly detailed, made in New York or London, and all custom tailored to fit each actor.  Even their shoes are individually crafted for each actor.  The monkey masks looked as eerie up close as they did onstage, and we passed a room full of wigs of all different shapes, sizes and styles. 

I was struck by what a small space it was back there for such a large company with so many props and set pieces.  A long line of chairs is set behind the long rail of costumes, and basically the company members just stay there for the entire show, doing their many quick changes.  The women playing Elphaba and Glinda don’t ever get to go back to their dressing rooms as one or the other or both are on in pretty much every scene, so they just get changed by the side of the stage (they each have a dedicated dresser to help them in and out of their costumes).  And although the safety curtain was down so we couldn’t look out into the auditorium, we got to walk onto the stage and see how all the sets came in and out on the tracks or the flys.  They test every single set piece, every aerial wire and every cue before the show each night (it takes 2 hours).  But many of these people have been working on the show for years now, first in Melbourne and now here, so really it’s as routine and organised as any other job.

But still exciting.

Edit to add: there’s a ‘behind the scenes’ video on Facebook - not so much behind the scenes as just promo stuff (but you get to see Elphaba getting greenified).

And here’s Lucy Durack (Glinda) showing off her costumes, so you can see them up close too (though the interviewer is quite annoying):