A $25 trip to the land called Oz

DON’T read this. Or if you do, don’t tell your friends: Each day, 2 1/2 hours before show time, a lottery is held for 26 front-row, orchestra seats for the musical “Wicked.” The seats are $25 apiece, a steal compared to the regular price of up to $150.

This is a cash-only deal, and winners must be present -- as one hopeful found out when his name was called while he was down the street at an ATM getting the requisite cash. Luckily, he made the cut on the next round.

Because “Wicked” is here for an open-ended run, about 100 people have been showing up for each lottery, compared with the 700 to 800 who lined up around the block when “Wicked” last parked at the Pantages Theatre for seven weeks in 2005, according to Martin Wiviott, general manager of the Broadway/L.A. series at the Pantages.

“It’s a well-kept secret,” he said. “On the other hand, now you’re going to tell everybody.”

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-- Diane Haithman