Wicked

Wicked at KeyBank State Theatre

Some stories hit harder when you hear them live, and Wicked is one of them. On Sunday, December 13, KeyBank State Theatre becomes the Emerald City, with Wicked taking the stage in Cleveland.

A show like this plays differently when a crowd shares it. Laughs travel through the rows, and the big moments get applause before the music has even stopped. You do not need to know every detail of Oz to feel the pull of those moments when they arrive. The music does the heavy lifting, and a live audience leans into every joke and every reveal. The scale works in the show's favor. This is Broadway built for a Cleveland audience that wants more than a title it recognizes. It wants the sweep, the color and the live lift only a theater can deliver.

Elphaba and Glinda start as opposites, and that rivalry slowly turns into the friendship that gives the musical its real pull. The emotional turn is a big reason the show has stayed so durable with Broadway audiences. Playhouse Square's KeyBank State Theatre has the scale to make a major production feel even bigger. Sunday gives the outing an easy, unhurried feel. It falls early in the run. Two performances are scheduled for this date, so you can pick the one that suits your day. Make it a night out that actually feels like one. See the other Wicked performance on Sunday, December 13.