Behind the magic, a sneak peek at what it takes to bring 'Wicked' to Tulsa’s PAC

The Broadway hit Wicked is returning to Tulsa, and while the audience sees the magic on stage, what happens backstage is just as impressive.

It takes more than magic to make Elphaba fly. News On 6 got a look behind the curtain as an army of workers unloaded semitruck after semitruck to transform the PAC into the Land of Oz.

Long before Glinda and Elphaba take the stage, the magic of Wicked starts here, at the loading dock of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

The production crew arrived Monday morning with 11 semitrucks, unloading one at a time.

It takes two and a half days and hundreds of crew members to build the set.

"It's like a puzzle, one piece at a time put in place," said advanced carpenter Ed Lohrer.

This puzzle includes $11 million worth of equipment, costumes and set pieces, like the time dragon clock.

"Organized chaos," company manager Steve Quinn said. "It's kind of crazy back there, but it's also fun."

Quinn handles the day-to-day operations of the show. While it takes hard work, it's worth bringing Broadway to cities like Tulsa.

"You don't have to deal with New York hotels or New York prices; you can come see a full Broadway show here in Tulsa, and that's what's really special about it," said Quinn

Shows like Wicked don't just entertain, they also help drive business downtown.

"When you think of a three-week run with thousands and thousands of people, that's a lot of money," Tulsa PAC CEO Mark Frie said.

To keep productions coming and money flowing into town, improvements need to be made to the PAC. The center has $80 million coming from the voter-approved 'Improve Our Tulsa'

Frie says with that money, the loading dock will be expanded and dressing rooms will be improved to make the experience better for the crews who make the shows happen.

"Our facility needs to match what we try to do, which is world-class entertainment, and right now we don't," he said.

While audiences see the magic on stage, the flying monkeys and the floating bubble, it’s the team backstage that makes it all possible.

The Broadway hit will run eight shows a week for the next three weeks at the PAC. The fun all starts Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.

If you have Something Good you would like to share, email us at Somethinggoodnewson6@griffin.news