I Saw Wicked at The Kennedy Center!

I have always LOVED the meaningful storyline behind Wicked! Not only is it portrayed in the iconic musical that I got to see live just recently, but it is also portrayed in-depth in the books. My good friend Brittany reads the Wicked book and has learned SO much more than what is shown on the stage and it is all SO NEAT. I went on a solo date (which by the way EVERYONE should do this every so often!!) to see Wicked at The Kennedy Center just a few nights before it closed on January 22, 2023. I had an amazing time seeing Wicked live for the second time since seeing it at West End when I studied abroad in London in July 2018.

On my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), I shared ALL of my recent adventures (which I will be posting about *very soon*, too!) along with watching Wicked on tour. Wicked on tour was the first this weekend of many super fun recent adventures. It was really fun to see after almost 5 years when I saw it at London’s West End. 5 years ago, I was in a very different place than I was now. I have grown and learned so much over the past 5 years and I’m SO SO SO proud of myself for my own personal growth, too. In London even while studying abroad and knowing the transit system there and being able to navigate it on my own, I was *still* super nervous to do things by myself. Needless to say, 5 years ago, I didn’t feel comfortable by myself and with myself – sad but true. However, 5 years later, now I do and I even saw Wicked by myself: something I *just* wouldn’t have done when in London. You can read more about my London adventures while studying abroad, especially if you’re planning a trip there here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2020/09/05/my-study-abroad-experience-in-london/

***Photos of me seeing Wicked for the first time at London’s West End – July 2018!

I have LOVED getting to go visit The Kennedy Center over the past few months. There is SO MUCH to see here at this extraordinary fine and performing arts center. The Kennedy Center serves as much more than a theatre for performances that come from all across the world for fellow Washingtonians to see. A few months ago, back in October 2022, I went solo to see Hamilton the Musical on tour live at The Kennedy Center, too. I, then, saw a Frozen in Concert singalong with the National Symphony Orchestra over Thanksgiving 2022 weekend. And, in September 2022, my Papa and I took a visit to the then-brand-new John F. Kennedy (JFK) permanent exhibit on the top floor *and* to check out the iconic rooftop terrace. Read them all here:

So, a fun fact about The Kennedy Center is that if you are sick or there is inclement weather the day of your scheduled event there, they will transfer your tickets to another date of your choosing. ALL you have to do is contact the box office and they will be happy to help. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well on my initially-scheduled date to see Wicked. BUT, luckily, the box office transferred me to the day that I went recently AND got me a better seat with a better view. ALL I had to do was pay the difference between the cost of the initial ticket to the one that I booked through the box office. The box office was GREAT and super helpful! I ended up in the same section that I booked (Tier 2 Balcony), but was in the center part of it rather than the left or right. My views were impeccable!!

I arrived at The Kennedy Center pretty early (at least an hour early) and was able to successfully get to my seat and purchase the souvenir book from the gift shop before the crowds started pouring in. My best friend Brianna went to see Wicked with her family not once but twice and loved it. Brianna told me to get there early, too, so thanks to her! The night of the show, the weather was super foggy and rainy, so I opted to Uber there rather than Metro and take the free shuttle that The Kennedy Center offers from the nearest Foggy Bottom Metro Station to there, as I’m not one to drive into the city. The people sitting by me were super friendly, which made my experience all that more special!! Through it all, because I saw Wicked, I *truly* felt changed for the better!

I am definitely looking forward to another solo date at The Kennedy Center. Performances such as The Lion King and Into The Woods will be coming in 2023 as the year progresses. It seriously is a GREAT way to relax and sincerely take myself and only myself out on a nice date!

XOXO – Katie <3

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I Saw Disney’s Frozen in Concert at The Kennedy Center!

Do you wanna build a snowman?! Come on let’s go and play or, perhaps, watch Frozen in concert at The Kennedy Center! This past Thanksgiving weekend, I kicked off the holiday season with some of my best friends – Brittany and Brianna – by watching the National Symphony Orchestra play Frozen in concert while we watched the movie. Let’s just say that it was AMAZING!

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

I am a HUGE Frozen fan for those who know me very well in real life. Olaf is my very favorite Disney character, too (hence, me bringing my two plush Olaf’s to the show!!). And, sadly, Frozen Live didn’t go on tour to Washington, DC, unlike many of the other United States cities that it went to. However, I was very very very close to booking a ticket to see my favorite Disney movie live in Raleigh, North Carolina when they went there. SO, Brianna, Brittany, and I knew we had to go when the National Symphony Orchestra was playing Frozen in concert while watching the movie over Black Friday at the Kennedy Center. I also saw Hamilton back in October at The Kennedy Center, too – read on that here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/10/15/i-saw-hamilton-at-the-kennedy-center/

As for getting tickets, I purchased my tickets through The Kennedy Center’s MyTix program, which one of my coworkers told me about back in April. I only paid $29 for an Orchestra seat and met other super friendly young professionals and students who sat right by me (Brianna, Brittany, and their super sweet Mom sat nearby me in a different part of the Orchestra!). The MyTix program is a young professionals/young adults ticketing program for those who are 18-30, active duty, or an undergraduate student with the purpose of making seeing the performing arts more affordable and accessible to everyone. Tickets are posted weekly, on a first-come first-served basis, have no service fees, and several discounts for specific shows at specific seats and dates. The MyTix program is generously funded by David M. Rubenstein. Once registered to be apart of the MyTix program, emails come out weekly with dates and shows and times of which shows will be sold for that week and when. It is worth checking, too. To be apart of the MyTix program and learn more about it, look no further than here: https://www.kennedy-center.org/mytix/

Brianna and I both wore ice blue dresses! Mine is from Exlura (a brand sold on Amazon!) from a collaboration that I did with them back in the Spring fashion season earlier this year. A special thanks to Exlura for gifting me my dress earlier this year, too!! I styled my Exlura dress with a grey cape to make it scream Anna from Frozen that I purchased years ago from Nordstrom Rack. And, my Olaf earrings (which the sales ladies at the gift shop LOVED!!!) are from a favorite small business of mine: Cora’s Den! My boots are from a Jack Rogers clearance sale back in 2020 and a favorite of mine. And, last but not least, my plush Olaf’s are from Amazon (one of which one of my best friends Cassie gifted me!!) and I have them linked below. Shop my Cora’s Den earring which Cassie also gifted me – love you Cassie!!! – here: https://corasden.com/products/olaf-earrings?_pos=1&_sid=fd7cb05f0&_ss=r

The Kennedy Center is one of my favorite places to explore and see in the Washington, DC area. This performing arts center plays homage to not only a place for performances to be performed but also to exhibits such as one that is FREE and plays tribute to former President John F. Kennedy and the most gorgeous rooftop terrace. While there, Brittany and I saw several families with kids and both agreed that “kids need to be exposed to the arts” – something that former President Kennedy strived to introduce and make more accessible to everyone when he decided to create The Kennedy Center when in office. Read more on Papa and I’s experience at The Kennedy Center exploring this vastly extraordinary fine and performing arts center here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/09/29/visiting-the-brand-new-the-kennedy-center-jfk-exhibit/

XOXO – Katie <3

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I Saw Hamilton at The Kennedy Center!

…. And it blew us all away!!! A dream truly come true – I got to see Hamilton LIVE at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. And, well, the best part?! I went by MYSELF and had an amazing time and *even* forgot that I was there ALL alone. All in all, getting to be in the room where it happens was definitely another item crossed off my bucket list!

Hamilton was in town in my home city of Washington, DC from late August 2022 until around October 10, 2022 while on tour. It was performing at The Kennedy Center, which I write more about my experience visiting its GORGEOUS rooftop looking over the city and its brand-new exhibit dedicated to former President and founder of the performing arts center: John F. Kennedy, in the below post linked here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/09/29/visiting-the-brand-new-the-kennedy-center-jfk-exhibit/#/

In case you didn’t already know, Hamilton is a world-renowned musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and is based off of none other than American revolutionary statesman and one of America’s Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton’s life and story. Music from this musical can easily be found on Spotify, too. A beautiful tribute to him, through none other than a rapped musical! Currently, Hamilton is showing in New York City, London, Australia, Germany, and on tour in North America (where I saw this amazing musical!!!), which you can read more about (and hopefully comes to your home city soon, too!): https://hamiltonmusical.com/new-york/home/

If you’re a BIG fan of Hamilton or musicals in general, then you know that tickets are super high-priced to see it. I’m talking about tickets starting at around $150+ per person for nosebleed seats on a good day. BUT, somehow, I was able to score my ticket for a whooping $59 (nosebleed seats, though, but who cares when you’re seeing Hamilton?!) and around $75 with tax and fees. I scored my GREAT ticket deal on the Washington Theater marketplace, which I subscribed to here (I also know that the MyTix program via The Kennedy Center targeted at young adults 18-30 gave out even better deals on Orchestra seats, too!): https://www.washington-theater.com/?ppcsrc=ppc-adwords-city-c-e-10-washington%20theater&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIir_Ik_Hg-gIVkI7ICh3rWgkYEAAYASAAEgLdh_D_BwE

Now, while I won’t spoil anything here on what happens when you enter the room where it happens, I will say that Hamilton truly will blow us all away AND is worth every penny to see!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Kennedy Center’s JFK Exhibit!

When most people think of Washington, DC’s The Kennedy Center, they think of spending what can feel like a fortune on tickets to see a performance. Case in point, I am seeing Hamilton at The Kennedy Center (here) in JUST 10 days!!!! I shared a bit about my visit to The Kennedy Center on my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee) in recent times and am planning to share here more about it, too. To the common eye’s surprise, The Kennedy Center has MANY free things to do upon visiting, whether it be seeing an exhibit, checking out their legendary rooftop terrace, or enjoying the outdoor grounds or a daily performance outside. More specifically, Papa and I visited The Kennedy Center’s JFK exhibit titled Art and Ideals, dedicated to former United States President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK), on opening weekend just a few weekends ago.

About:

SO, to give a back story to the JFK exhibit at The Kennedy Center, during his presidency, President Kennedy founded and set aside some funds for an arts center in Washington, DC. He wanted this arts center to represent the several cultures within the United States and embrace diversity, showcase the performing arts talents within our world and a place to present international talents, too, and honor none other than the arts. The Kennedy Center was being built and, after President Kennedy’s assassination, it was decided to name this famous arts center that he so created the foundations for after him. This exhibit on President Kennedy opened on September 17, 2022 to honor the 50th anniversary of The Kennedy Center which opened in 1972. The JFK exhibit has photos of everything that the former President wanted to dedicate The Kennedy Center to, whether it be a safe haven for African Americans to express themselves and be accepted for who they are, a place for dancers, singers, and actors to show off their talents, and to continue performing arts education for all. JFK was President during the 1960’s in a time when the Cold War and Civil Rights Movements dominated the news and then-current times. Overall, the exhibit was a BEAUTIFUL tribute to former President Kennedy and his love for creating a safe haven for all to simply be them for years to come.

Our Experience:

One of my favorite parts of the JFK exhibit was getting to see ALL of the former First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis photos!!! I am a HUGE fan of Jackie Kennedy, as I love her utter class, style, and charisma. Not to mention, the fact that Jackie Kennedy remained a major supporter of the establishment of The Kennedy Center both when her late husband was in office and when he passed. Jackie Kennedy truly loved The Kennedy Center!! At the same time, the history of the Kennedy family was presented in JFK’s dedication exhibit. It was neat to be able to see the passion that the entire Kennedy family has for the arts and embracing diversity, all cultures, and acceptance.

Recently, I have been reading a lot of magazines on celebrities, whether it be Elizabeth Taylor or Dolley Parton. It has, indeed, been my new way to wind down after a long day. Anyhow, there is even a Kennedy Center award given to performers. It’s neat to see the legacy of The Kennedy Center and JFK to this day in performers that many of us know and love across the globe!

Wrap-Up:

Truly, the passions that JFK had for the arts shows today in their legacy known as The Kennedy Center. It seriously is a beautiful legacy!!! There is also a GORGEOUS signature rooftop terrace accessible to ALL The Kennedy Center visitors which truly showcases the beauty of Washington, DC (via showing off gorgeous skyline views!) and honors the Kennedy’s very well.

XOXO – Katie <3

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