I had the whole day in London, and decided to go to the V&A as I haven't been since the Pink Floyd exhibition closed. I went upstairs to see the Theatre & Performance section and marveled at all of the Beatrix Potter illustrations I passed. And the theatre exhibition was fab and it's been so many years since I've seen it that it all felt new. And they had Elphaba's dress!! I knew that it was there but I'd completely forgotten so it was a really happy surprise turning the corner and stumbling across it. It's the original dress that Idina Menzel wore on Broadway which is pretty amazing, and seeing all of the details and rich colours up close was a joy. Even when I'm looking at it up on stage I've always been obsessed with just how colourful it is and how the stage lights play with the different fabrics. I would really love to make my own version of it someday for cosplay but I feel like I'd never be able to do it justice as it's just so intricate and carefully designed.
Seeing Wicked again affected me far more than I thought it would. I know I last saw it in November which isn't that long ago, but with everything that's happened it feels like an age. I got teary as soon as the music started, and it just made me feel like my old self again. I keep going on about wanting to reconnect with how I felt last year, and I realised that Wicked and the theatre is a huge part of that. It made me refocus and think about visiting Broadway and going to Japan and that I need to sort myself out instead of wasting opportunities. I need to think long term instead of instant gratification like I have been. I don't know what it is about this show that affects me like that, but it just makes me want to be a better person, achieve what I set out to do and go for my dreams. I just love this show so much, and I'm so glad I got to see it again and be reminded of all of this.
I like collecting magnets as a way of commemorating places I go and things I've seen. It's a cheap little memento, and I like to think that one day I'll have all of my memories covering my refrigerator so that I can always smile whenever I'm doing something as mundane as making a cup of tea. I didn't have the London specific one, and as I'll be seeing Wicked on Broadway in a few months (!!) I want to make sure that I have a specific magnet for each.
