Objectively, Wicked—the musical that tells the “Untold Story of the Witches of Oz”—has one of the best original scores in all musical theater. Composed by Stephen Schwartz, the Broadway soundtrack was popularized by the unparalleled Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda the Good Witch) and Idina Menzel (Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West) in the early ’00s. I’ve only ever known the story via what was included on my burned CD copy of Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast), but the Broadway in Portland series provides multiple chances for me to see the full story live, with a new cast slaying gorgeous harmonies on “For Good,” and “As Long As You’re Mine,” as well as Glinda’s iconic “Popular,” and Elphaba’s absurdly epic “Defying Gravity.”

by Jenni Moore