WICKED Load in at the Majestic in San Antonio, Texas

When you head into the theater to see a great show like Wicked, you are taken by the wonderful scenery and gorgeous sets. Have you ever wondered what it takes to make it all work? Well, Broadway World got a chance to see the load in for San Antonio and it is quite the operation. There are 13 55 foot semi-trucks that bring everything along from city to city. Lights, sounds, costumes, props and merchandise all travel on the trucks. They start loading in for the show on Monday and are ready for the show on Monday evening. It is about 24 hours of actual work time to load everything in. The load in takes a long time but the load out only takes about 5 hours. It is like a show in itself watching the way the crew members work together to move everything in and put it all in its place in time for the opening. There is a crew of 30 that travels from city to city and then they hire about 70 to 80 local union workers to help out. Then, the actors are ready to get the lay of the land and try out the new stage. Wicked's Stage Manager Ryan Lympus said that things usually run very smoothly but sometimes there are mishaps that are out of their control. Trucks can break down or get stuck in blizzards but the crew members deal with each situation professionally and quickly so the stage is ready for opening night.

Tickets are still available by going to the Majestic's website. Don't miss out on this limited run from March 12-30, 2014. A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held for Wicked. Two and one-half hours prior to each performance, people who present themselves at the Majestic Theatre box office will have their names placed in a lottery drum; thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person. Lottery participants must have a valid photo ID when submitting their entry form and, if chosen, when purchasing tickets.

The Majestic Theatre in San Antonio was built in 1929 and has a seating capacity of 2,264. The Majestic is a National Historic Landmark and has a wide variety of concerts, performing arts attractions and Broadway in San Antonio.