Diep Tran

In the 13 years that Wicked has run on Broadway, a number of women have grabbed the flying broom and donned the pointy black hat of Elphaba, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West. Only a handful of hits run as long (or longer) than Wicked: Broadway shows The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King and Mamma Mia!, to name three. In honor of the blockbuster show’s tenth anniversary, Time Out tracked down 18 Broadway divas who went green for one of Broadway’s greatest hits. In these sessions, they gabbed about their favorite show moments, memorable technical mishaps, best fan gifts and their favorite Fiyeros.  Do you want more great stories about things to do, where to eat, what to watch, and where to party? Obviously you do, follow Time Out New York on Facebook for the good stuff. Wicked on Broadway: Buy tickets Buy Wicked tickets  

Chang(e): Theater review by Diep TranStepping through purple streamer curtains into the set of Chang(e), filled with hanging lanterns and a large peace sign on the floor at center stage, the setting seems more like Mardi Gras than a site where the audience will be presented with the real-life tale of a woman who self-immolates in protest of American passivism. This is not a spoiler; we learn that fact in the first five minutes of the show.Kathy Change, the titular character, was born Kathleen Chang (hence the parenthetical letter in the title). A dancer and activist—and ex-wife to Asian-American pioneer playwright Frank Chin—she set herself on fire in 1996 on the University of Pennsylvania's quad in an act of political protest. Chang(e) attempts to uncover the woman behind the act, who turns out to be a bevy of contradictions. Change spoke up against economic inequalities and racism, but took a white lover out of economic convenience. She sprinkled marijuana on her food but could quote Scripture. She was a manic-depressive who tried to commit suicide twice, yet believed in the power of love to change the world. Change is a figure who defies easy categorization or audience sympathy.Chang(e) doesn’t shy away from portraying the late artist’s flaws and demons, such as her needy selfishness and the ghost of her mother (Kiyoko Kashiwagi, in mostly wordless but haunting performance), who committed suicide when Change was 14. Soomi Kim is fearless as Change, simultaneously attractin