Enchanted by London

Over Thanksgiving dinner, we got into telling tales of our travels. My husband and I had to recount experiences and share our thoughts on what we liked or disliked about the places we visited. The lady of the house then asked me which of the three destinations (Reykjavik, London, and Paris) I liked the most. This is not the first time I was asked this very question since getting back from the trip, but this time around, I am more aware of how conflicted I feel about each of these places. Conflicted in the sense that each city has its own charm, unique vibe, and history; therefore, I find myself hesitating in answering the question and picking one city over the others. I decided to change the question in my head. If I was given the opportunity to go back to one of these three cities tomorrow, which one would I find myself packing for in a heartbeat? Easy: London.

Then the follow-up question came: why London? Because it is simply a great city to be in.

Buildings along Bank Junction

London has amazing architecture. Old historical buildings are everywhere. The city itself is so old, so someone from the New World would find most of London’s buildings relatively old. I found myself walking around in awe. Buildings like St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Courts of Justice, the Royal Exchange remind me of man’s power to create and build something that can withstand time and nature. We always hear in the news of man’s knack for destruction, but walking along The Strand, I reveled in the reality that we are capable, and have always been capable, of building greatness.,

Among London’s great structures is its vast and fascinating history. Since I was twelve years old, I had been interested in British history. I learned on my own time about the many great people that hailed out of Britain. I became a fan of Shakespeare at an early age. I pretended to be Elizabeth I in many occasions. And yes, I confess, I had a giant crush on Prince William that I even kept the photos of him on People’s Magazine taken during Princess Di’s funeral. I learned about Henry VIII and his six wives. I moved backwards and learned about the Cousins War often sympathizing with the Yorks. I wrote a research paper in college on the two York princes who disappeared in the Tower of London. I have a buttload of books by Philippa Gregory, and you betcha, I watched all 4 seasons of the Tudors. Who cares if some things are historically inaccurate?

Westminster Abbey

With my interest in British history, you can only imagine how incredible it felt walking into Westminster Abbey. It was surreal. Apart from the nave where kings and queens had been crowned, the place is a labyrinth of burial chambers and dedicated chapels. Before leaving for the trip, I was reading a book on Margaret Beaufort (Henry Tudor’s mother), and I got to see her tomb. I found it a little bizarre that Mary I and Elizabeth I were buried pretty much on top of each other. Seriously? They had better times as sisters, but later on, they hated each others’ guts. It’s too bad you’re not allowed to take photos inside, but I can appreciate how it facilitates the flow of visitors especially in some of the smaller chambers with very, very narrow walkways.

The Tower of London was also another historic place I got to explore. It gave me goosebumps to be there. I mean, come on! It’s THE Tower of London! Whoever controlled the Tower controlled London back in the day. People of importance were held prisoners there. Some of them eventually got beheaded right on Tower Green. The Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula is where Anne Boleyn’s remains are buried. The Jewel House is where you find the royal sparklies AKA the Crown Jewels. Henry VIII lived in the White Tower at some point, and now it houses a grand exhibit of armors worn by kings, canons, and other weapons throughout Britain’s history of war and glory.

Standing in the midst of busy Piccadilly

If you’re not a history nut like myself, you can just walk around the city and appreciate it’s diversity. If you find yourself wandering about Piccadilly Circus or Trafalgar Square, you’re more than likely to find a group of street performers – from break dancing or straight up body contorting acts. As I had mentioned in a previous entry, it is very easy to get around the city with it’s awesome tube system and buses, so I only found myself to be limited by time and not so much by distance of the places to see. As foodies, we took advantage of the availability of various cuisines. I still dream about the lamb chops at Shah Tandoori. It was the best lamb I’ve ever had! We also had a great meal out of a hole-in-the-wall Turkish joint in Camden. And let’s not forget the shows! The West End is London’s answer to New York’s Broadway. From popular headliners like Mama Mia, Wicked, Lion King, there’s no reason why you can’t be out and have great night out at the theater. Again, these theaters too are housed in buildings older than New York City itself.

And of course, the people. I found the people to be warm and accommodating. Everyone I interacted with were very nice and polite. The guy who owns the flat we were renting was very helpful. Little shop owners, mobile phone sales people, restaurant servers, and even customs folks were pleasant. There was this guy, who was selling those nail buffing kits (like the ones you see at the mall trying to get your attention as you rush past them hoping they’d just ignore you), who struck up a conversation with me not to sell his wares, but because he thought I’d be an interesting person to talk to. He also knew from a distance that I am a Filipina, which I give him credit for because people often mistake me to be from another Asian country. I chatted with him for a bit and told him about my travels and my plans, and he was genuinely engrossed and curious. In hindsight, it probably doesn’t take much to entertain you if all you do is standing around and flagging people down in hopes that you catch their attention and agree to get their nails done. In any case, the guy was super nice, and I’m sure to have had conversations like it had I not been running around from place to place and took the time to talk to more people.

I could have spent my two weeks in London alone, and I probably would still feel like I needed more time. I suppose I can say that to a lot of the places I have been to, but London has a different hold on me. It just fascinates and excites me with the same wonderment as a kid going into a toy store with wide eyes and dropped jaw. By some twist of fate, if I am given the chance to go back to London, I would be there in a heartbeat.

A Wicked Experience in London

There are certain things that I hold off doing no matter how badly I want to get them done. For me, certain experiences have to happen at a certain place and/or at a certain point in time.  And one of those experiences is watching the musical, Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz. The show had been in Seattle a few times already and I kept denying myself the chance to go see it. I had read the book by Gregory Maguire. I had seen the Wizard of Oz a million times. But you ask, why hold off watching the musical?

Well, I told myself years ago that I will only watch Wicked for the very first time in London – even if it would take me another five years of waiting. Guess what? That wait was so worth it! I could have watched it when we were in New York back 2008, but I held true to my promise. Why London? This will probably sound so dumb, but I felt that if the characters spoke with a British accent, that will elevate the whole experience entirely. As it turns out, the show was nothing short of spectacular, and yes, the accents made the difference.

Wicked in London's West End

We got to the Apollo Victoria Theatre quite early, and there were already a few people waiting around. Some of them had their faces painted green. The theater itself is also very beautiful with dramatic lighting. There were ushers selling programs for £7; I passed.  Our seats were pretty good even if we were towards the edge but we were only seven rows away from the stage.

Though it has been at least a couple of years since I read the book, I recognized the map of Oz showing the Emerald City smack in the middle of it. There were the gears of the great tick-tock and the giant dragon suspended high above the stage, which were crucial to the beginning of the story.  As soon as the music started, I was transported to a world of magic, vibrant clothing, and fantastic tunes. When Galinda appeared floating on a bubble, I’d already wanted to tell her to tone down the ditzy blonde act. Louise Dearman played the obnoxious, popular, and vain “Good Witch” really well. She was hilarious, but almost to the point of being a loony especially during the Popular act.

Then of course, there’s Elphaba, the Wicked Witch. Her name is actually derived from the author of the Wizard of Oz, Frank L. Baum. We knew her to be the scary hag played by Margaret Hamilton, who cackled evilly and flew on her broom all around Oz. The musical’s Elphaba is a nice girl who, by twist of fate, was born different – with green skin. Even if you have not read the book, you immediately sympathize with her situation. Judging and being blinded by her green cover, her classmates could not see the smart, caring, and funny girl that she truly is. Nikki Davis-Jones proved to be a faultless Elphaba. She is actually the standby for this role normally played by Rachel Tucker, who took the day off. Nikki singing Defying Gravity gave me goose bumps. She’s a vocal powerhouse!

Clive Carter played the Wizard, and Julie Legrand played Madame Morrible; both were fantastic. The character that threw me off a bit was Fiyero played by Mark Evans. He was almost too pretty for the role. And in the book, Fiyero had tribal marks implying that he also has some sort of ethnic background. It’s pretty minor though. I actually quite enjoyed his performance especially in As Long as You’re Mine. It was the most intimate part of the show, and it was well done.

There were significant deviations from the book, but I understood why they had chosen to make those changes granted the time limitation and wanting to meet the audience’s expectations for an enjoyable show versus something very dark and depressing as the book. It is a great story touching on preconceived notions, manipulation, desire for power, desire for acceptance, ambitions, love, and a very unexpected friendship between two witches in college. Strong vocals and solid performances by all the actors garnered the show a standing ovation at the end.

Today is actually Wicked Day 2011 in London, so I thought it timely to write this. They’re eight hours ahead of where I’m at, but hey, it’s the thought that counts. And I do wish I were there to experience this annual event. I heard it’s pretty awesome with appearances by Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman themselves in previous years.

Lastly, tomorrow is Halloween, so it’s also a good time to talk about witches and wizards. Inspired by this great story and musical, this is why I am dressing up and painting myself green for Halloween!

A Wicked Halloween to Everyone!

PS. Gregory Maguire’s last book in the series titled Out of Oz: Final Volume of the Wicked Years is also officially being released on November 1st!