General:

• There are some loud moments, but I generally was fine without ear defenders/earplugs for this show

• Glinda wears a lot of shiny sparkly things that occasionally refract light in a slightly flashy way

This show does not have any major strobes (there are a few flashes, they’re all really short and contained to the stage, nothing goes onto the audience) I personally didn’t find really any of the things noted in this review to cause any sort of eye strain or motion issues, though I acknowledge that one experience is one experience, so I am still going to note everything (and will elaborate on the last slide). I have more space since there are less things to note so I will include tips on ways to avoid things that might be straining! This is one of the most accessibly lit shows I have seen on Broadway (especially for a big magical commercial musical) and I very much commend the lighting team on that!! (and bonus points for how slow the house lights down transition is)

Act I:

• the first note of both acts is a bit startling

• when the curtain comes up, streamers go out onto the front orchestra seats

• when Morrible takes Nessa’s chair and Elphaba yells “let her go!” and the magic stuff happens, there are some flashing lights

• Dancing Through Life -

• when Fiyero stands on the statue the first time there are some quickly changing lights

• bright lights come on quickly after Elphaba exits with the hat - these lights then become moving patterned downlights and on the back wall. They move fairly slowly

• Glinda’s mirror at the end of Popular can cause accidental strobe

• with the lion cub, when Elphaba yells “somebody has to do something!” there is a loud noise with that geyser/steam effect, and small moving lights

• when Glinda & Fiyero are on the bridge there is thunder and a moving rain projection

• Emerald City 

• bright green/neon green lights

• lots of light movement after the “I wanna be in this hoi polloi” lyric, this point is kinda the flashiest the show gets 

• throughout the number I think I counted 3 different times lights flash once like a camera photo being taken

• wizard head - generally loud and the bulb lights around it flash a lot but they don’t feel strobey (if you focus on the witches you can kinda block out the lights entirely)

• when Elphaba reads the spell there is a changing color downlight on her that moves slightly quickly

• after Elphaba runs off the flashing wizard head goes again

Act II:

• again, startling first note of the act, also the first number has the bright green Oz lights

• Nessa’s sparkly brooch can cause accidental strobe

• speckly lights turn on really quickly after the Tin Man exits 

• when the flying monkeys get set free it’s kinda loud

• after Morrible says “a change in the weather” there is a loud crack of thunder and some lightning flashes

• As Long As You’re Mine

• smoke onstage (doesn’t refract light weirdly)

• low vibrations after the song

• when E exits there is a spinny cyclone projection, it’s about as straining as the Oz lights,

• semi-fast lighting changes at the end of No Good Deed

• flame onstage after the Kill The Witch song (again, you can focus on the witches and block it out)

• loud crash after For Good