BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Maybe you've seen the movie, maybe you've seen it on stage, but you've never seen Wicked like this.
I spent one short day with crews as they unloaded 13 trucks and set up Shea's Buffalo Theatre for a three-week run of Wicked, the very popular blockbuster musical.
"I call it organized chaos, that's what it is," said Steve Quinn, Company Manager. "The scenery, the lights, then we'll put the deck in, the floor show, and then tomorrow, we add wardrobe, makeup, hair, cast."
Crew members are on the balcony, defying gravity, and they do it all in about 30 hours.
"When you come into this building and you see the dragon behind me and this Oz map, you know you're gonna go away for 2.5 hours, we're gonna transport you to Oz," said Quinn.
He says the cast is jam-packed with talented actors, eager to be here in Buffalo.
"You welcomed us with a snowstorm; how could we not be happy to be back in Buffalo?" asked Quinn.
WATCH: 'Come see us': A look at how crews set the stage for Wicked before showtime at Shea's
And the 24 performances here coincide with the release of Wicked: For Good in movie theatres.
"I think the movie has kind of opened it up for a newer audience," said Quinn. "We've had people for the last year come in to see how it ends, and other people have left at intermission saying they don't want to spoil the movie."
But seeing it at Shea's is a different feeling altogether, so pure, so strong.
"Unlike the movie, we do it right in front of your face, so we have all the stage magic," said Quinn. "And we get to do it in one night."
Shea's is teaming up with FeedMore WNY and collecting non-perishable items at the door throughout this run. And city landmarks will be lit green from November 12-14.
You can buy tickets online here.
