Recently, The New York Times named Wicked "the defining musical of the decade." It has played for over 12.5 million people throughout the United States and has permanent international productions in London, Japan, Australia and Germany, with plans to open a Dutch production in 2011. In fact, the show is so popular that this is the third time it has come to Boston. Wow. On those statistics alone, you know this show has got to be incredible-and it is. For anyone who has not heard of Wicked or has simply been on a deserted island for the past decade, it is a musical reimagining of The Wizard of Oz that tells the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch were friends before Dorothy arrived in Oz.

Before this production, I had seen the show three times on Broadway, each time different than the one before it. But that's the thing about Wicked; you find that you don't mind seeing it again and again. Each time I have seen it has presented me with a totally different experience, and I end up realizing something that I had not have noticed previously.

This time, I was even more excited to see the show than in the past: I have had the good fortune of seeing Wicked so many times on Broadway, but I had never before seen the national tour. To make the occasion particularly monumental, I decided that this time around, I would go for the full experience and try to get tickets via lottery; at $25 a ticket for first- and second-row orchestra seats, who can resist?

Unfortunately, I didn't win the lottery. However, I still managed to find tickets at the box office for a fairly manageable price. All part of the experience, right? After this minor setback, it was time to enjoy the show.

With the exception of a few minor microphone glitches in the earlier portions of the show (typical of many touring productions using foreign sound systems), I cannot help but quote lyrics from the show when I say, "I couldn't be happier."

I was fortunate to go on a night when two understudies were playing two of the lead roles. I say "fortunate" rather than "unfortunate" because though understudies do not get nearly as much stage time as the actors who permanently play the roles, when they do finally get the chance to step out from the ensemble into the spotlight, they put every last ounce of energy that they have into making sure that this is their moment to shine-and this time was no exception.

Lauren Ashley Zakin, the understudy for Galinda (Glinda's name in college, before she changed it), managed to bring a new sense of spunkiness to her character that was unlike anyone I had ever seen. Her portrayal was even more melodramatic than Kristin Chenoweth's original interpretation, as unbelievable as that may seem; and yet, combined with her impeccable sense of comic timing, she managed to shed new light on such an iconic character.

Bud Weber, understudy for Fiyero (the popular rebel at Shiz University), carried such tunes as "Dancing Through Life" with lightness, flair and just the right touches of arrogance and humility. Weber's only flaw seemed to be that he looked so much younger than his co-stars, when in fact, the recent Boston Conservatory graduate was closest to the appropriate age of a college student.

And how was the title character, you ask? Jackie Burns' portrayal of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch's actual name) was visually, vocally and emotionally stunning. Each of her songs outdid the ones before. Her version of the iconic song "Defying Gravity" was the perfect conclusion to Act I. Where she really shined, however, was in one of Elphaba's lesser solo songs, "No Good Deed." It was by far the best version of the song I have ever seen or heard. Burns brought a sense of soul to the song that I never imagined possible.

Additional noteworthy supporting cast members are Michelle London, whose powerhouse voice shined in what few songs she had as Nessarose (Elphaba's sister), and Gene Weygandt, whose humble portrayal of the Wizard was a wonderful homage to the Joel Grey original.

I find it equally important to mention the spectacular design elements of the production which truly capture the feeling and environment of Wicked's Oz, including Susan Hilferty's and Eugene Lee's Tony Award-winning costume and set designs, respectively, and even more so how much of the spectacular original set this production was able to fit on tour.

As the curtain fell and the cast members took their bows, I looked behind me to find the entire audience on its feet giving the cast a standing ovation. This was my fourth time seeing the show, and due to this performance, I can't wait to see it again. Whether you have seen this show as many times as I have (or more) or if you've been meaning to see it, get over to Boston Opera House before Oct. 17 and see Wicked before it's too late!