June Tide Table

Washington, DC, native Brittney Johnson, recently assumed the role of the sparkly Glinda, the first actress of color to do so. We were pleased to watch the first black Glinda perform.

For Christmas, Holly and I surprised Bella with a souvenir gift book, Wicked: The Grimmerie, A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical, and the NYC trip and show. She was beyond excited, having wanted to return to NYC to see a Broadway play after a trip to see the Rockettes in December 2019 (see the story in the November 2020 issue of Tidewater Times), prior to the Covid outbreak. The Grimmerie is the name of Elphaba’s book of spells. The gift book reveals how the musical evolved and includes character descriptions, photographs of characters and scenery, the words to the songs and the story on which Wicked is based.

The GSs were supposed to have interactive workshops with teaching artists to discuss the themes and issues in the musical and learn music and choreography with cast members before the performance. The workshop and performance would lead to earning a GS badge. Unfortunately, due to another Covid uptick, those experiences had to be cancelled. Instead, the GS leaders held workshops at troop meetings and discussed aspects of the musical and theater. They watched and discussed video clips of tragedies, comedies and dramas, including works of Shakespeare. A stage manager of a local theater shared her experiences and explained her role in productions. They also had an acting workshop and performed

in skits. Badges were earned in a creatively different way.

After our very quiet bus ride home that night, with exhausted GSs and adults alike, I asked Bella about the Broadway adventure. She was thrilled with the theater experience. She loved the songs, the costumes, the scenery and the dancing. She connected with the themes of good and evil and friendship. She especially liked “hanging” with the girls on the trip and staying up until midnight, something out of the ordinary for the 12-year-old.

Holly and I were impressed with the production for all the same reasons that Bella was. And we were very impressed with how well the GS leaders organized and managed the whole exciting journey: attending the production, the buses and drivers, the hotel, the restaurants and shopping. We were extremely impressed with the GSs, leaders and families ~ all pleasant, polite, friendly and inclusive, all a joy to be with.

If you can’t make the trip to Broadway but yearn to see the musical and get “wicked,” the movie version of Wicked is now being cast.

Bonna L. Nelson is a Bay-area writer, columnist, photographer and world traveler. She resides in Easton with her husband, John.