There are songs that immediately bring me to my knees. I hear certain parts of the harmonies and I can't help but tear up and get emotional. One of those songs is 'Defying Gravity' from the long running Broadway musical 'Wicked.' There's something about when the singer hits those notes that makes me feel things I didn't know I could feel.
I've seen Wicked a couple of times as it has rolled through town. Each performance had its merits. The current stars of Broadway's version of the show made their way to the NPR office to take part in the Tiny Desk Concert series. If you're not familiar with Tiny Desk, artists will come into the NPR offices and perform right there in the cubicles. There have been thousands of performances, and they're all amazing in one way or another. But the office has never felt vocal range like it did when the witches came to town.
The singers, along with Stephen Schwartz, the composer and lyricist of Wicked, brought their A game. I'm still feeling these performances.