Wicked

Wicked at KeyBank State Theatre

Defying gravity is better with a full house holding its breath. KeyBank State Theatre hosts Wicked on Thursday, December 24, a Broadway phenomenon that has earned its devoted following.

The scale works in the show's favor. This is Broadway built for a Cleveland audience that wants more than a title it recognizes. It wants the sweep, the color and the live lift only a theater can deliver. Elphaba and Glinda start as opposites, and that rivalry slowly turns into the friendship that gives the musical its real pull. The emotional turn is a big reason the show has stayed so durable with Broadway audiences. Gregory Maguire's novel, Stephen Schwartz's score and Winnie Holzman's book gave Wicked the ingredients for a lasting stage phenomenon. The live version turns those ingredients into a night that moves fast, sings big and lands with feeling.

When the story climbs toward "Defying Gravity" and later reaches "For Good," the room does not just hear famous numbers. It feels the arc that made them matter in the first place. Playhouse Square's KeyBank State Theatre has the scale to make a major production feel even bigger. Midweek theater is a smart way to break up the routine. It sits in the middle of the run. Take someone who has never seen it and watch their face when the first big number lands. Get Wicked tickets for Thursday, December 24.