Playbill.com has learned that Kendra Kassebaum — who is currently playing the curly locked Glinda in the San Francisco production of Wicked, a role the actress has also played on Broadway — has been cast in the world premiere of the new musical Leap of Faith, which begins performances at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in September.

As previously announced, four-time Tony nominee Raúl Esparza and Golden Globe Award nominee Brooke Shields will star in Leap of Faith, which will be directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford. Previews will begin Sept. 11 with an official opening scheduled for Oct. 3; performances will continue through Oct. 24.

Esparza will play Reverend Jonas Nightengale, the consummate flim-flam man, and Shields will be Marva, the small-town woman and single mother who challenges everything he believes in. Kassebaum will play the role of Sam, the Reverend’s sister and sidekick.

Get your Wicked Tickets to See Kendra Kassebaum in San Francisco CA.

Queensland’s most anticipated musical theatre extravaganza, Wicked, is officially set to fly north of the border to open in all its emerald glory in the Lyric Theatre, QPAC in January 2011.

Wicked Australia Co-Producer John Frost said, “Right from the start this show has been an overwhelming hit so we are absolutely thrilled to be able to bring her, in all her emerald beauty, to Brisbane.

“Wicked is a phenomenon, the most successful musical in the world today, and appeals to everyone from 8 to 80. People love it for so many different reasons – some people come to see Wicked for the engrossing story, some for the astonishing sets and costumes, some for the soaring ballads, some for the deeper messages, and some to see the life-affirming friendship between the two girls who grow up to be Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. Melbourne and Sydney audiences have been blown away by Wicked and now it’s Brisbane’s turn.

“Wicked is the winner of 35 major awards including the Grammy Award, three Tony Awards and six Helpmann Awards. It’s a musical that enchants audiences around the world and right across the spectrum,”  he said.

When the Australian production of Wicked arrives in Brisbane it will have played over 866 shows and will have been seen by well over 1 million people. Wicked’s record-breaking Australian run began in June, 2008 at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, where it broke the city’s box office record and ran through August, 2009. The production transferred to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on September 5, 2009 and will conclude its record-breaking run on September 12, 2010.

Check for the Wicked Sydney Australia Tickets.