I saw WICKED on Broadway when it began Previews. I entered the theater without having heard one note of the score. It was incredibly exciting to hear and see Idina and Kristen introduce those songs for the first time before they had been recorded forever to CD. I have always been fascinated by all things "OZ" and WICKED continued my obsession. So when I heard that an actress named Felicia Ricci had written a memoir of her time as the Elphaba standby in the San Francisco company of WICKED, I knew that I had to seek it out. I am so glad that I did. It is a delightful and dishy remembrance of a crazy period in her life where she stood by for Eden Espinosa as Elphaba. The book chronicles her arduous audition and callback process, her rehearsal period (brief as it was), and her first official day as a Standby when she got called on midway thru Act One due to an ailing Espinosa. It's written with great humor and with a great love for musical theatre, in particular WICKED! Above all else, it is a chronicle of what life is like backstage of one of the most beloved Musicals of all time. A fun and brisk read!
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