On Wednesday, November 10, producer Marc Platt presented creator Stephen Schwartz an award at the matinee of the Broadway musical Wicked celebrating the Grammy-winning Original Cast Recording, which has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), commemorating sales of over two million copies in the United States.

Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name, Wicked features a score by Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production is directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. It originally opened in 2003.

Actresses Mandy Gonzalez and Katie Rose Clarke, who respectively play the roles of Elphaba and Glinda in the show, were on hand for the presentation.

Marc Platt, Mandy Gonzales, Stephen Schwartz, and Katie Rose Clarke

Wicked Tour arrives in Little Rock’s Robinson Center Music Hall for a two week run playing through November 14, 2010.

Wicked, which arrived with its “must see” status fixed permanently on its black witches cap. Celebrity Attractions booked the show for two weeks — a huge bet on demand — and, if word of mouth is as golden as marketers believe it is, then they’ll walk away winners. This “Wicked,” bolstered by lead performances of Vicki Noon as Elphaba and Natalie Daradich as Glinda, is everything a huge musical should be — tuneful, funny, compelling, fantastical, glittery and odd. Musicals strain at credulity to begin with and the story in “Wicked” is one that makes your head hurt if you think about it too much.

And you do care about the fate of the two girls who will eventually become the Wicked Witch of the West (Noon) and Glinda the Good Witch (Daradich). “Wicked,” with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, works best when exploring the relationship between the two in which they begin as enemies and end as friends. The highlight is the school dorm room scene where Daradich, playing the blonde, self-absorbed Glinda to the hilt, teaches Elphaba, born with the scream-inducing green skin, to be “Popular.” Daradich struts and faints and pulls out every laugh imaginable.

As Elphaba, Noon is the central figure in “Wicked” and, as such, has the showstopping numbers such as “Defying Gravity,” which she belts out with wicked power. “Wicked” is smart in the way it consistently works in quotes and totems such as the broomstick from “The Wizard of Oz.”

On many occasions the touring shows that pull into Robinson have young, uneven casts — that isn’t the case with this “Wicked.“ The large cast is strong across the board. The set, which often looks is like the inside of a moving clock and packed with special effects, the lights and costumes are dazzlers. Don’t miss your chances to watch “Wicked” in Little Rock’s Robinson Center Music Hall.

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The Grammy-winning Original Cast Recording of the Broadway musical Wicked has been certified doubled platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), commemorating sales of over two million copies in the United States.

Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name, Wicked features a score by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production is directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento.

The original cast included Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda), Idina Menzel (Elphaba), Norbert Leo Butz (Fyero), Carole Shelley (Madame Morrible), Joel Grey (The Wizard), Michelle Federer (Nessarose), and Christopher Fitzgerald (Boq).

Wicked is currently playing on tour in Toronto-ON and Little Rock-AR.

Wicked Second National Tour arrives Wednesday Nov 03 for a two-week run at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Music Hall.

Elphaba (Vicki Noon, left) and Galinda (Natalie Daradich) in Wicked

Natalie Daradich and Vicki Noon worked their way up from the ensemble to achieve starring roles in the Second National Tour of the musical Wicked, which arrives at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Music Hall for a two-week run.

Good friends, Daradich, who plays Glinda, and Noon, who plays Elphaba, had risen to standby status for their respective roles in the West Coast company, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, before joining the tour a month apart this past spring – Daradich on March 10 and Noon on April 6.

Wicked will perform in Little Rock AR through November 14, 2010.

Buy Wicked Little Rock Arkansas Tickets.

Wicked, the long-running hit musical, made West End Theatre history last week with the highest ever recorded weekly gross. For week-ending 30 October 2010, the “hugely popular musical” (The Times) earned an extraordinary £923,612 at the Box Office. Over 20,000 people attended 9 performances of the musical at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre.

Wicked has now played over 1700 performances and grossed in excess of £115 million at the UK Box Office since its West End premiere in 2006. Now in its 5th year, over 3 million theatregoers have already seen the multi award-winning show.

Wicked stars Rachel Tucker (Elphaba) and Louise Dearman (Glinda) have both extended their contracts and will now continue in their acclaimed roles until 10 December 2011. Also continuing in their roles are Julie Legrand (Madame Morrible), Clive Carter (The Wizard), Julian Forsyth (Dr Dillamond) and Nikki Davis-Jones (Standby Elphaba).

Lee Mead (Fiyero), Cassandra Compton (Nessarose), George Ure (Boq) and original London cast member Sarah Earnshaw (Standby Glinda) will all depart on 5 February 2011.

Buy Wicked London GL Tickets Online

{Via Broadwayworld.com}

On Nov. 2 the Broadway cast of the hit musical Wicked will welcome two new cast members: Etai BenShlomo will assume the role of Boq, and Tom Flynn will step into the role of Dr. Dillamond at the Gershwin Theatre.

The actors will join a cast that currently includes Mandy Gonzalez as Elphaba, Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda, Kathy Fitzgerald as Madame Morrible, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Andy Karl as Fiyero and Jenny Fellner as Nessarose.

Buy Wicked Musical New York NY Tickets to enjoy Wicked with New Cast.

Wicked Musical touring Boise, ID in May 2011. Wicked will be playing in Morrison Center for the Performing Arts from May 04 through May 15, 2011. Wicked tickets are on sale online for the Morrison Center performances.

The musical is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues) and features musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed…). Wicked, winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy® Award and 3 Tony® Awards, is the untold story of the witches of Oz. It is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

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.

Buy Wicked Morrison Center for the Performing Arts Tickets at the best price on the internet i.e. Best Wicked Morrison Center Tickets.

Wicked, which sold out every performance of its three-week Memphis run in 2009, returns to the Orpheum on Wednesday, October 13th, and closes on Halloween night, October 31st. That schedule is especially appropriate for a musical extravaganza featuring a giant dragon, flying monkeys, talking animals, and a pair of feuding witches.

Wicked Good at the Orpheum Theatre

With its shadowy lighting effects and technical wizardry, Wicked is a visual treat. Glinda, Oz’s “good” witch, arrives on the scene in a bubble, and Elphaba soars 20-feet into the air while performing “Defying Gravity,” the show’s signature number. Somehow — perhaps by magic — none of the technological stunts overshadow Wicked’s political satire or its heartfelt story of sisterhood tested and triumphant.

The last time Wicked came to Memphis, it worked a bit of economic wizardry as well, bringing an estimated $7 million in spending to downtown. That could be good news for area businesses this month. Considering Wicked’s broad appeal — and the fact that tickets were so hard to come by the last time around — there’s no reason that miracle shouldn’t repeat itself.

“Wicked” at the Orpheum (203 S. Main), October 13th-31st. Get your Wicked Orpheum Theatre TN Tickets Online.

The smash hit musical Wicked has long been a favourite of theatre-goers in Toronto, and this Fall the National Tour flies back into the city for 6 weeks only at The Canon Theatre. This will be the third time Wicked has hit Toronto, and the engagement coincides with the show celebrating 7 amazing years on Broadway. If you are one of the few people who have not yet had the chance to check this show out, there are still a limited number of tickets available but they are bound to go fast! Buy your Wicked Canon Theater Toronto Tickets Online.

The National Tour features two very talented actresses in the lead roles – Chandra Lee Schwartz as Galinda and Jackie Burns as Elphaba. The two girls were kind enough to take some time to talk to BWW and pose for photos once they settled into their temporary home at Toronto’s gorgeous Canon Theatre.

All Photos by Racheal McCaig Photography

Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz recreating the famous poster

Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz

Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz embrace Toronto and the TTC Streetcar

Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz

Chandra Lee Schwartz and Jackie Burns pose outside The Canon

Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz

Chandra Lee Schwartz and Jackie Burns inside The Canon

Planet Maurie of Virgin Radio Toronto with Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz

{Via BroadwayWorld}

Wicked will return to the Benedum Center in 2011. After breaking box-office records and selling out in record time here in 2005 and 2008, Wicked again visitng Pittsburgh, PA in 2011. the musical will play Sept. 8 to Oct. 2 at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts.

Wicked at Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh PA

Based on the bestselling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked” has won 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards since its debut on Broadway in 2003.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, “Wicked” follows Maguire’s alternate reality version of the “The Wizard of Oz” and the characters you thought you knew well.

Wicked will be at Benedum Center for 24 performances starting Thursday, September 8, 2011. Tickets are $35.25-$138.25. The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, September 8, there will be a 1 p.m. matinee.