We saw WICKED at the Pantages Theater on Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday and it was wickedly wonderful! For those who may not know, it’s the smash Broadway musical, now playing in L.A. I think it will be here quite a while – I could tell that many in the sold out audience had seen it several times before. It’s based on the book by Gregory Maguire which takes THE WIZARD OF OZ and provides it with a great backstory that shows the Wicked Witch of the West was terribly misunderstood! The two characters of the not-so-wicked Elphaba and the goody-goody Glinda who is not quite so perfect, make a perfect pair. Great music, great sets, flying monkeys, delicious dialogue, strong story line that has you pulling for both witches, a delightful Carol Kane as Madame Morrible – the time flew by. I was wishing I had a 9-15 year old with me. It’s not appropriate for younger children (could be scary and just a little long) but perfect for 8 on up. The young people in the audience were clearly delighted – as I was, too!

HOLLYWOOD BOWLING – Last night we were at the Hollywood Bowl with daughter and son-in-law. They had box tickets from a friend (you can’t buy them – the season tickets are passed on generation to generation) and it was a great box – dead center. A beautiful night. You don’t go to the Hollywood Bowl just to see and hear music performed. You also go to eat. If you have a box, as we did, you bring picnics (some quite elaborate), wine, cloth napkins, even flowers. There’s a whole summer business of upscale restaurants selling Bowl baskets. Daughter and son-in-law brought those. I was assigned to bring wine and fruit. I forgot the fruit – it’s still in the fridge – but had tucked in some chocolate. Not to worry, it was great. They have little tables they hang on the sides of the box while you eat. Then right before the concert, they remove the tables, you turn your chairs around and voila – a concert.

But even if you don’t have a box, it’s still great to go to the Bowl. Most everyone else brings a picnic and there are a number of picnic areas They also have concession stands that sell food from hot dogs to upscale gourmet food. The only hassle is getting there and maneuvering the crowds – almost 11,000 last night. We went to a parking lot near us and took the bus to the Bowl – a popular choice. That’s easy and you don’t have as far to walk when you get there. The problem is waiting for the busses going back – but it’s okay. Otherwise you’re sitting on the lot, waiting for the cars around you to move so you can get out. Luckily, everybody comes with that great relaxed L.A. attitude – and why not? The summer sky and cool breezes last night were intoxicating and this time, I really did need a sweater.

The program was all-American: Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story), Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, narrated by American man of letters Gore Vidal,and George Gershwin’s An American in Paris. I especially enjoyed seeing Michael Tilson Thomas, of the San Francisco Symphony, conduct. He has not been at the Bowl for 22 years and he’s great fun to watch.

Over the years I’ve seen numerous fireworks displays (1812 Overture, Evening in Italy, etc.), Luciano Pavarotti in his prime, Garrison Keillor, Cleo Laine, Carlos Santana and Andre Watts, to name a few. And that’s Bowling, Hollywood-style.

READING RECOMMENDATIONS: If you love The Wizard of Oz movie (and who doesn’t), but never read the book, try picking up the original WIZARD OF OZ by Frank L. Baum. It’s a bit rambling with a number of adventures not in the film. Despite a lot of problems in filming, they did a great job with the movie and the really wicked Margaret Hamilton still can’t be beat! “I’ll get you and your little dog, too!” When you read the book, you can see what a screenwriter adapting a book has to deal with to shape a two hour movie out of an episodic story. By the way, I haven’t read WICKED, sorry to say, but I think it’s a little more “adult” than the musical. I wonder what Frank L. Baum would think about the afterlife of his wonderful creation!