A Wicked Time

That sums up my night out earlier this week.

I had a wicked night at Wicked courtesy of the very lovely Olivia from Think Jam!!

After the experience of taking my boys to the annual Wicked day back in October I decided that I was not going to waste these tickets on the kids who had grumbled most of the day………..harsh, yes I know.

So I decided these would be perfect for a girlie night out- Oh Yes!! And a great girlie night was had by all.

I had taken my mum to this many moons ago for her 60th birthday and had a fantastic time. I absolutely love this show and was just so excited to be going again. However, when someone else arranges it for you I always worry that the tickets either wont be there or that the seats will be rubbish!! I was unbelievably surprised to be sitting literally 6 rows from the front!!! I could not believe my luck ( these sorts of things never normally happen to me).

Just to prove it- with the map of Emerald City behind and our drinks in hand!

Two of my friends had never seen the show before so it was a real delight to take them and introduce them to the phenomenon that is ‘Defying Gravity’ in it’s own right. I think I can safely say they are now complete fans of the show. One of my friends had me in stitches throughout the show with the changeovers in characters……………..to the Tinman and the Scarecrow. It was hilarious ”Oh look it’s the Tin man………….Oh look it’ the Scarecrow……….Oh how clever!!” ( LOL it is the prequel to the Wizard of OZ after all!!! )

Although I knew the show there were things in there that I hadn’t fully remembered which was a real treat too. I have to say that Matt Willis did a fantastic job as the male lead.( a conversation that went something like- isn’t he from Busted or one of those groups? With a reply that went………Oh who’s been busted?)  Garlinda was still as mental……….toss toss! Defying Gravity did just that and just blew us away.

Truly it still lives up to all the expectations of being one of the best (if not the best) show up in town. FANTASTIC

Have you seen it? What would your favourite show be?

Dolly Parton at the O2

Alright, I lack in that department, with the closest I’ve been to a big chest being 3 days after my 1st son was born. I pulled back the shower curtain and didn’t recognise the huge knockers that were staring back at me……..so much so that I had to call my OH in just to prove it!!!!

Anyway I digress, last night I went off to the O2 with a few girlie friends, donned our pink cowboy hats and our best ‘yeehaw’ voices and took our seats with the rest of the crowd.

Thats half of us with me tucked in the middle!

We weren’t that lucky with the seats and found ourselves in the upper tier with the ‘Gods’ so to speak, but it wasn’t going to dampen our spirits.  Although at one point I had to promise my friend that if the height was too much I was wearing a belt and that I could, if required in an emergency, take off and secure her to her seat!!! I kid you not LOL

I tried desperately to get a picture on my phone and my camera however Dolly herself is soooo small and dainty and very sparkly so it was hard to pick her up in the big shroud of light that the camera seemed to focus on………….damn the technology and the fact I can’t bloody work it properly!!

Evidence that we were up with the ‘Gods’ and that she is sooo tiny too

An early rendition of Jolene started the crowd going mad. However, the first half of her show apart from the ‘Blue grass’ stuff ,which was fab, seemed to be mostly new songs. Which to be fair to her were pretty ‘toe tappy’ in amongst all the chat that she does. Actually she really is a funny woman too. What amazed me the most is the amount of instruments that she can play!!! I really am not kidding, last night included………………….
Violin (fiddle in her speak)
Banjo ( including a great intro of ‘Duelling banjos’)
Guitar ( or Geetaar as she would say!!)
Piano
Penny whistle
Harmonica
Oh and 2 strange looking, sit on your knee plucky types of things!!

So not only can she sing ‘ country’ and other styles with ease she really is talented musically too!!!

After a quick break ( thank god as I had been bursting for a pee at that point) and a quick change for her, Dolly came back on with a vengeance! With covers of Dusty Springfield and Tina Turner the crowd got going and then right at the last knockings came all the old fav’s……
*Here we go again
*Islands in the Stream
*9 to 5
*And an encore of I will Always Love You!!!  Fantastic

At that point I think we ( and I’m sure I can speak for the whole audience) could have listened to her sing all the oldies all night!!

So, that’s something I can now strike off my ‘Things to do before I croak it’ list if I had one!!!

I can now say I have seen a true Legend perform in the flesh ( even though she really is tiny….apart from that fab chest!)

As for the car park and getting home? Don’t even ask……………and I was designated driver!!! How do these things happen LOL