The second North American tour of Wicked will welcome Christine Dwyer as Elphaba and Billy Harrigan Tighe as Fiyero beginning May 2 in Durham, NC. Dwyer and Tighe will join a cast that includes Tiffany Haas as Glinda, Marilyn Caskey as Madame Morrible and Paul Kreppel as The Wizard.

Christine Dwyer and Billy Harrigan Tighe to Join Wicked Musical

Dwyer returns to the hit musical after touring as the understudy and standby for Elphaba on this tour for two years. After graduating with a BFA from the Hartt School of Music, she toured the US, Canada and Japan playing Maureen in Rent. Tighe previously understudied Fiyero on this tour, and comes directly from the First National Tour of La Cage Aux Folles, in which he played Jean-Michel.

Anne Brummel & David Nathan Perlow, currently Elphaba and Fiyero on the tour, play their last performance on April 29, 2012 in North Charleston, South Carolina before Christine Dwyer and Billy Harrigan Tighe take over in Durham, North Carolina.

The company also features Catherine Charlebois (Nessarose), Dan Pacheco (Boq), Timothy Britten Parker (Dr. Dillamond) and Stephanie Torns (Standby for Elphaba) with Kerry Blanchard, Michael Drolet, Jeremy Duvall, Anna Eilinsfeld, Peter C. Ermides, Ryan Patrick Farrell, Samantha Farrow, Natalie Fotopoulos, Linda Griffin, Lauren Haughton, Zach Hensler, KJ Hippensteel, Ryan Jackson, Jillian Kates, Becca Kloha, Sterling Masters, Marissa Miller, Robert Pendilla, Casey Quinn, Michael McCorry Rose, Wayne Schroder, Ben Susak, Erin Wilson and Justin Wirick.

Dwyer and Tighe join Wicked in the tour’s opening in Durham, NC. Wicked musical will play at Durham Performing Arts Center May 2 to May 27, 2012. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Durham NC Tickets Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout.

Mark Jacoby plays the role as the Wizard in the touring production of the smash musical “Wicked” at The Buell Theatre. Reporter Adam Goldstein caught up with the stage veteran to get his take on the musical’s popularity.

Mark Jacoby plays the role as the Wizard in Wicked

As a cast member who’s been with the touring production of “Wicked” for more than a year, can you speak to the durability of the piece? What is it about the show that’s made it such a reliable money maker since its debut in 2003?

I’ve thought a lot about that, to tell you the truth. I think first of all, this is going to sound ridiculously mundane, but it’s really good in every department. All of the elements of stagecraft are there. Nobody leaves the theater thinking, ‘I didn’t get my money’s worth.’ The other thing I would look at is this very compelling friendship between these two women. It starts with friction and ends with love. The other thing that brings people in is the other worldly, paranormal nature of it. It’s not anywhere, USA. There’s something about that that captures people.

This is a story that’s seen plenty of adaptations. How do you think the musical juggles references to the original L. Frank Baum book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” with subsequent retellings? Do you see any links to the film from 1939 woven into Maguire’s source material?

My favorite single aspect of the show is the very ingenious and clever way in which the story is layered over the ‘Wizard of Oz’ story that we all know so well. There is sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes symbolic references to that story. I think it’s delightful. One of the conceptual problems is that most of us are more familiar with the movie than we are with the book. The notion that the whole thing is a dream is not part of the original book. It’s presented as a real story. The question then is to what extent are the factual elements of the book and the movie part of our underpinnings. That’s an ongoing question. Playing the Wizard, the question is, am I that guy that Dorothy met in Kansas or am I not? Is this a different notion? Things like that are ongoing. There’s much discussion backstage even after seven years.

Speaking of the Wizard, the character has seen several incarnations and portrayals in film and in literature since 1900. In “Wicked,” the character takes on a much more sinister aspect, a quality drawn from Maguire’s book. How do you approach the Wizard’s motivations and actions in tackling the role?

I’m always surprised when somebody comments about the Wizard being the villain of the piece. I think very few villains see themselves as villains. True villains, as a rule, don’t see themselves as such. I think the Wizard is a very simple guy, a very ordinary man who, due to circumstances beyond his control, found himself in an extraordinary situation where he became feared and deified in Oz. Being a simple man, he rode with it. He got himself carried away. As he says, ‘What can I say, I got carried away, and not just by a balloon.’ It’s an easy thing to do when people imbue you with supernatural powers.

The interview by reporter Adam Goldstein {Via AuroraSentinel.com}

Wicked play at Temple Buell Theatre continue through May 20, 2012. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Denver CO Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout.

Wicked will open at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center Wednesday, April 18 for a two-week run.

For the North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center, the Broadway musical’s 16-show run is by far the largest in the venue’s 13-year history, and it’s projected to be the highest-grossing show as well. One of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time, the show has taken its sweet time before finally landing that broom in the Lowcountry.

“The premiere engagement of Wicked is one of the most anticipated shows in the Performing Arts Center’s history,” said PAC General Manager Dave Holscher. “It’s been one of the most requested shows from our Best of Broadway season ticket holders, and we are excited to have it finally come to North Charleston.”

The show’s 16 performances is unprecedented for the Best of Broadway series — a testament to Wicked’s appeal.

“We’re thrilled to have the biggest show in Broadway history coming to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center,” said North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey.

wicked Musical show, based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel which in turn was based on Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, has developed into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon since opening on Broadway in 2003. You’ll still struggle to snag tickets for the Broadway show today, and there are national and international tours of the production as well. Numerous actresses have taken on the starring roles of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda since Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth set the bar nearly a decade ago; Charleston audiences will see Anne Brummel and Tiffany Haas filling the roles.

Read the complete review {Via CharlestonCityPaper.com}

Wicked play at North Charleston Performing Arts Center continue through April 29, 2012. Get $10 OFF on Wicked North Charleston SC Tickets Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout.

CBS4 Critic at Large Greg Moody believes it’s the perfect blend that keeps audiences coming back or those who haven’t seen it, want to see it for the first time.

Watch his report below – Video:

Wicked arrived Denver for the fourth time, currently playing at Temple Buell Theatre through May 20. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Denver CO Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout.

Wicked Broadway grossed $2,183,025 and had a 100.0% attendance rate, about 3.2% more than the previous week. The 39 shows on the boards grossed $27,986,522, about 14.90% more that of the previous week’s totals.

The start of April school vacations, family and tourist demand resulted in a big hit for the Broadway shows. As a result several of the shows – “Wicked,” “The Lion King,” “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” and “The Book of Mormon” – brought in huge sums per person on average, according to weekly box office data published on Monday. Wicked, Lion King and The Book Of Mormon gross sales crossed $2 million last week.

Over all, Broadway musicals and plays grossed $28 million last week, compared to $23.8 million a week earlier and $22.1 million for the comparable week last season.

Below are the Top 10 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending April 08, 2012.

1. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $2,183,025
2. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $2,081,189
3. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $2,010,621
4. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,590,235
5. Mary Poppins – (NEW AMSTERDAM) $1,364,848
6. Evita – (MARQUIS) $1,271,544
7. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) $1,262,881
8. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $963,625
9. Mamma Mia! – (WINTER GARDEN) $947,575
10. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $942,780

{Via BroadwayWorld.com}

Wicked Musical returns to the Buell Theatre Wednesday April 11 to May 20, 2012. This is the fourth time Wicked national tour visiting to Denver, Colorado.

Wicked plays the Buell Theatre from April 11 to May 20, 2012. Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Book by Winnie Holzman. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Starring Mamie Parris, Alli Mauzey, Mark Jacoby, Andy Kelso, Liz McCartney, Justin Brill and Emily Ferranti.

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.

Wicked The Buell Theatre Schedule:
Tuesday to Friday – 7:30 PM
Sunday and Sunday – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM

$25 Lottery in Denver for Wicked:
Each day, 2½ hours prior to each performance, patrons at The Buell Theatre box office will enter their names into a lottery drum. Thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person. Lottery participants must have a valid photo ID when submitting their entry form, if chosen, when purchasing tickets.

Good seats are still available for Wicked Musical. Buy Wicked Denver CO Tickets. Get $10 OFF on Wicked The Buell Theatre Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout.

Landmark Theatre, Syracuse announced 2012-2013 season which includes the return of Wicked Musical. Wicked,” which had a successful three-week run in 2010 in Syracuse, has been booked as a special presentation.

Wicked performances start at Landmark Theatre NY on November 29, 2012 and continue through Sunday, December 09, 2012.

Wicked musical could be described as a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz.” It introduces audiences to the two young girls who become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. The musical is directed by two-time Tony winner Joe Mantello and has won 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony awards.

The show features hummable songs such as “Defying Gravity” and plenty of Big Broadway spectacle, including a giant wizard’s head, flying monkeys and soaring witches on brooms. The story explores female friendship as well as themes such as conformity, morality and hypocrisy. Glinda – who begins “Wicked” as a fashion snob with a high opinion of herself – gradually learns how to be a better person from her nemesis-turned-best friend, Elphaba.

Dates for single-ticket sales for Wicked will be announced later. but you can book your Wicked Landmark Theatre Syracuse Tickets Online. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Syracuse NY Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!

Miller Auditorium will host Wicked in 2013. Wicked tour will make a stop at Kalamazoo, MI for the performances to start at Miller Auditorium – Western Michigan University from April 24, 2013 and continue through May 5, 2013.

Wicked broke box office records when it came in the year 2010 and sold out in record time.

Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two 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. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for “the most complete — and completely satisfying — new musical in a long time,” according to USA Today. Wicked, Winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, “Wicked” is “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster,” according to The New York Times.

Buy Wicked Kalamazoo MI Tickets. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Miller Auditorium Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout.

Wicked will return to Uihlein Hall Marcus Center For The Performing Arts during Marcus Center’s 2012-13 season Milwaukee, WI.

The Marcus Center and Broadway Across America invite you to experience Broadway at the Marcus Center throughout 2012-2013. This season will feature the return of the Broadway’s biggest blockbuster, Wicked.

Wicked, when it last played Milwaukee in 2010, it broke box office records and sold out in record time. Winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, Wicked is “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times).

“Audiences are in for a real treat this season,” commented Paul Mathews, President and CEO of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. “This season includes shows for a diverse audience to enjoy along with the return of the blockbuster hit, Wicked.”

Wicked Returns to Uihlein Hall Marcus Center For The Performing Arts June 12-July 7, 2013

Wicked will be performing at Marcus Center from through June 12, 2013 and continue through July 7, 2013. Buy Wicked Milwaukee WI Tickets Online. Get $10 OFF on Wicked Uihlein Hall Marcus Center For The Performing Arts Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!