As of 4:35pm on Wednesday, January 28th, Wicked officially left the Oriental Theatre. The Von Trapp children, of The Sound of Music sang our sentiments well: “So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu…adieu to you (singing witches) and you (flying bubbles) and you (3 ½ years of wonderful Wicked!)” After only 3 8-hour days, the last remnants of Wicked had been packed up into road boxes and loaded onto the last of 14 trucks. The load-out went incredibly smoothly, and faster than expected. I credit our incredible crew at the Oriental Theatre, led by James McCammond, the head carpenter, and the direction of the Wicked production team and crew.
On Thursday, the stagehands returned to the now Wicked-less theatre to clear the rubble…and sort through: “A little bit of this, a little bit of that. A pot, a pan, a broom, a hat.” (Fiddler on the Roof). There is a sense of melancholy in the air, as the Oriental just doesn’t feel the same without green lights in the marquee or a dragon over the proscenium. But, as Roxie and Velma sing in Chicago: The Musical (which is appropriately imminent): “So fleet of foot, we can’t stay put, we just move on. Yes, we move on!”
And so began the week-long process to restore the Oriental Theatre to its “feels like new” state. Walls to be painted, carpet to be replaced, plaster to be repaired…and the last 3 ½ years will feel like a dream. “and you were there, and you were there… ”
-Stephanie, Production Associate
