A Wicked July 4th

Last night for the fourth of July my husband and I went to dinner and after to see the Broadway musical Wicked at the Orpheum. If you are not familiar with it Wicked is the untold story of the witches of oz; the wicked witch of the west, the wicked witch of the east, and Glinda the good witch. The star of the show was Marcie Dodd who played the lead Elphaba (the wicked witch of the west). She is fantastic, and rightly so since she plays Elphaba currently in the Broadway company of Wicked. Glinda's character is played by Helene York and she is everything you would expect of Glinda and more. Glinda has a beautiful soprano voice, is blond, and wears dresses that sparkle. Both are surprisingly funny in an Amy Poehler way. Overall the show is fantastic, the costumes were great, the singing, the musical score,..I can't think of a thing negative to say about it. It was also very kid friendly (I would say ages 8 and up), and the story has a great lesson for middle and high school kids. So, that is my ringing endorsement of Wicked. If you have the opportunity you should definitely go and see the show!
Before Wicked Chris and I discovered what we now call the hidden gem of Beale Street. Above BB King's is a hidden gem of a restaurant. I have been downtown many times in the last 3 years and never saw this restaurant. If you aren't looking for it you'll miss it, because there is no street side entrance. You have to go up a staircase from the street or into BB kings and upstairs to find the restaurant Itta Bena. I would describe the atmosphere as intimate, swanky, 1920s ish, and very cool. It's fine southern dining on Beale street, with reasonable prices, and the best she crab soup. The menu is southern contemporary cuisine with items such as Shrimp and Grits, Filet Mignon, and Grilled Halibut. They have a great bar, piano music, and an extensive beer and wine list. If you want a quiet place to grab a drink on Beale, trust me, it is unlike any other bar on the street.