For Good

Many years ago, maybe around 2003 or so, I was in NYC visiting my best friend Sabrina, who I’ve written about a million times. We were in her tiny apartment listening to music and she played me “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. I loved it instantly, Sabrina played it for me over and over that weekend.

When I got home Sabrina mailed me a CD with her favorite songs from Wicked. And I listened over and over and over. I would go to the gym and walk on the treadmill and do my damndest to not sing as loud as humanly possible when that song came on. I’d try so hard not to dance and then not to cry in front of everyone at the 24 hour gym/tan.

But I had never seen the actual show.

So I listened and listened, I finally made John listen to it and got mad at him when he made fun of me, dancing around to showtunes for a show I’d never seen. My brother and I would sing “For Good” in my parents house, as loudly as possible, dancing about like a bunch of nerds.

A few months ago, when we all went to Sidetrack for showtunes night, “Defying Gravity” comes on and I turn around and my friend Lisa is sobbing and Sabrina and I are singing our hearts out, laughing and smiling at this thing we share together.

For Christmas one of my presents from John is tickets to Wicked, finally! I was going to see it! FINALLY! And John being the sweet boy he is, is going to take me, even though I know musicals aren’t his favorite thing.

So our tickets for Wicked were for last night, John and I had a delicious dinner at Italian Village, me and my man going for a nice dinner and the theater. So beautiful. On the way there John starts telling me he’s nervous, doesn’t know why, maybe just that its finally all coming together and he’s excited.

We get to the theater (we have the most beautiful seats in the front row of the balcony, best seats in the house, IMHO) and we see our seats and John mentions something about the family that’s sitting next to our seats. We get down there, move in to the aisle, I take off my coat, John’s helping me…and he says “is there anything that could make this night better?” and I think silently Yes, if Sabrina were here too, but I don’t say anything for fear of hurting his feelings. I sit, he looks at me and makes a motion with his head, I turn around to look and there is Sabrina, sitting right next to us!

Apparently I stared at her for quite a few moments, just not putting it together at all, what is she DOING here? She told me she had to go to Michigan tonight! WHY IS SHE HERE? And then of course the first of many tears start to fall.

The show was wonderful. It may not be Sondheim, but my god, what a production. “Defying Gravity” had me in my normal state of tears, and having the most excellent boyfriend on one side and my most excellent best friend on the other just made for one of the best, most enjoyable nights ever.

I am a lucky girl, a lucky lucky LUCKY girl.

Happy Friday everyone!