Student Blog: I Have Been Changed 'For Good'

Wicked perfectly encapsulates how I have grown throughout my theatrical journey. As the buzz around Wicked: For Good grows, here is how the show always seems to sneak its way into my life during times of shifting perspectives and change.

Wicked, Orpheum Theater San Francisco, CA, March 2016. I was instantly captivated by Wicked the first time I saw it. At the gorgeous Orpheum Theater, little eight-year-old Olivia suddenly knew this was what she wanted to pursue. I remember falling in love with Musical Theater the moment the show began. The energy, the acting, and the music were enthralling. This was my first musical ever, and the experience was unforgettable. It awakened a youthful spark of joy in me, directly linked to the unique beauty of live theater. I begged my mom to play the soundtrack the entire way home. There, began my Musical Theater journey. I even have the playbill from when I first saw it!

Wicked, DPAC, Durham, NC, August 2023. Fast forward to eight years later, watching Wicked for the second time, days before beginning my senior year of high school and hurdling into college auditions season. I was nervous and surrounded by self-doubt from all different directions. People told me I was too young, warning me about a career in the arts and questioning my chances of getting into a BFA program. Watching Wicked amidst all this negativity was just the inspiration that I needed at that time. Wicked reminded me of the magic of musical theater and why I am so captivated to pursue a career in the performing arts.

Wicked: Part 1, AMC, Boston, MA, November, 2024. The film adaptation was released during the fall of my Freshman year at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. It was a chaotic period of adjustment and change: being away from home, living in a dorm, and focusing on my training while exploring a new city. It was overwhelming and exhausting, yet undeniably exciting. I was in a vastly different place than I was as a senior in High School, gaining pieces of confidence and growth as an artist.

My friends and I rushed to see the film in theaters. Earlier that day, we had been working on the opening number, “No One Mourns the Wicked,” for our Freshman showcase. We patiently and eagerly sat in the back of the crowded theater, where, with wide smiles, we conducted the songs, mouthing the diction and noting cut-offs and cresciendos. We laughed, cried, and clutched our popcorn throughout this memorable cinematic experience. Watching the movie transported me to past times and places where I had watched the show. Today, even just a year later, I look back at this time and realize how little I knew about what lay ahead for me.

Wicked: For Good, AMC, Boston, MA, November 2025. As I await the newest part of the film adaptation, I reflect on where I am now. I am much more confident and mature than I was compared to this time last year. As an artist and as a person, I am learning about myself and how I fit into life in this ever-changing industry.

We will always be changing, no matter what path we choose to pursue. My experiences with Wicked perfectly encapsulate how I have been changed “for good” throughout my musical theater journey.