chicago for christmas

So, another Christmas has come and gone. I can't even believe it!? Where does the time get to?? I keep finding myself wondering about that!

This Christmas, my family took a vacation to the city of Chicago. It sure is one of my favorite's and I think they added it to their favorite list as well.

The highlight of the trip, I dare say of my break, was that my parents bought our family tickets to see Wicked. It was just amazing. I know all of the songs, but as the man seated behind us commented, it makes such a difference watching the story unfold on the stage. The whole story changes. You see, if you just know the music, you get the story all wrong. You miss the lines and the movement of what the story is really trying to comment on. The story, for those who aren't familiar, is about the "wicked" witch of the west before Dorothy, and even before her "wicked" days. Of course, there is some theology buried deep beneath the fancy costumes and stage make up!

The big question of the show is, is wickedness thrust upon you, or are you born with it?

That is a pretty loaded question if you ask me.

Throughout the musical, it is all of Elphaba's (the wicked witch) seemingly good deeds that get her into trouble. So, is she really bad? Could she just be making bad decisions? Or is she just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

This never seems to be resolved, and of course we remember Elphaba now as the "Wicked Witch of the West," but it gets you thinking about intentions of a person's actions. Do we sometimes get the wrong impression? Is it our fault we choose not to give people chances?

It is hard to admit it might be our bad and to admit to not getting everything right 100% of the time, but what a change it might make in our hate filled world. How much more good might we be able to do?

I see Wicked as a beautiful caricature of our lives (if only every now and again we could really break out into song and dance.) :]