Wicked
The Musical
Wicked is a fantastic
ride and comes alive on stage now. Wicked
has been transformed into a Broadway musical by the
brilliant Stephen Schwartz, the great and powerful talent
behind Pippin, The Magic Show, Godspell, Children of
Eden, as well as the lyricist for a few Disney movie
musicals (Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame
come to mind).
Wicked the musical is not Wicked the novel. While the
novel is its source, the musical presents only pieces
of it, in a much simplified form, and often diverging
wildly from the novel's narrative. One might be tempted
to think all this destroys the work; but in the end
it improves it, shining a bright light on the story's
numerous ironies and interlaced levels of social commentary.
Wicked is a layered piece of drama that uses its musicality
as a way to convey some of the deeper issues it sets
forth. When Glinda (played to perky perfection by Kristin
Chenoweth) floats onstage in her metal bubble, you know
you're in for something different. She announces that
the Wicked Witch of the West is dead, and the Ozians
rejoice -- until one of them asks if Glinda and the
Wicked Witch were friends.
Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet
in the Land of Oz One, born with emerald-green skin,
is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful,
ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of
their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends
grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda
the Good Witch.
Wicked-the Untold Story of the Witches of Oz is a new
musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and
book by Winnie Holzman based on the 1995 novel by Gregory
Maguire. The musical is directed by 2003 Tony Award
winner Joe Mantello and features musical staging by
Wayne Cilento.
Wicked Tickets
In less than 14 months on Broadway, the hit musical
Wicked — with a whopping $14 million capitalization
— will recoup its entire initial investment just
prior to Christmas.
Wicked co-producer David Stone told the Associated
Press that the show, which plays the 1,800-seat Gershwin
Theatre, also has a $26 million advance. "The advance
and the weekly grosses are now higher than they have
ever been," said Stone. In fact, the grosses for
the musical tend to exceed $1 million every week; for
the week ending Nov. 7, the musical took in $1,196,658,
more than any show on Broadway.
Wicked, which turns every Oz myth inside out, explores
the early life of the witches of Oz: Glinda and Elphaba.
The two main characters meet at Shiz, a school where
both hope to take up sorcery. Glinda is madly popular
and Elphaba is, well, green. By a misunderstanding,
they wind up roommates and, after an initial period
of mutual loathing, begin to learn something about each
other. Their life paths continue to intersect through
a shared love, entry into the Emerald City and interaction
with the Wizard himself. Eventually, their choices and
convictions take them on widely different paths.
Wicked began previews on Broadway Oct. 8, 2003, after
a summer tryout at San Francisco's Curran Theatre. When
the musical officially opened Oct. 30, 2003, the original
cast featured Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, Idina Menzel
as Elphaba, Joel Grey as The Wizard, Carole Shelley
as Madame Morrible, Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, Michelle
Federer as Nessarose, Christopher Fitzgerald as Boq
and William Youmans as Doctor Dillamand.
About the Wicked Production Tour
Wicked is in San Francisco, CA as an open-ended engagement is scheduled to begin on January 27, 2009 at the Orpheum Theatre. The cast will feature all principal actors who have previously played or understudied their roles. Teal Wicks and Kendra Kassebaum will lead the cast as Elphaba and Glinda. The company will also feature Carol Kane as Madame Morrible, David Garrison as The Wizard, Nicolas Dromard as Fiyero, Deedee Magno as Nessarose, Tom Flynn as Doctor Dillamond, and Eddy Rioseco as Boq.
The 2009 North American Wicked Tour
A second Wicked tour of the United States and Canada is scheduled to begin on March 7, 2009 at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers, FL.
This tour will play until March 29 Fort Myers, before traveling to Birmingham, Wicked in Jacksonville, Norfolk, Wicked in Indianapolis, Phoenix and Wicked in Memphis. In a statement Wicked producer Marc Platt said, "Theatregoers across North America have embraced Wicked, creating an overwhelming demand for tickets and a wildly successful 1st North American tour. The upcoming launch of this second touring company will allow us to bring Wicked to markets which we have not yet been able to visit, as well as return to cities which have been asking for a second (or third) engagement".
You'll also be able to see Wicked at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City in April and Wicked in San Antonio in June at the Majestic. Both of these shows are limited time engagements.
Regardless of where you see this magical Broadway musical you can count on experiencing a show that holds true to Stephen Schwartz's and Winnie Holzman 's artistic visions. From Drama Desks to Tony's to Grammy's, Wicked has won many awards and the touring production is every bit as good as the show on Broadway.
