Wicked Stage Review by Jeff Ritter, from the-trades.com

Read the review below:

I’ve been privileged to see Grease and Avenue Q at the Fabulous Fox Theatre this year, and enjoyed them both. But I wasn’t terribly surprised in either case — I’ve seen “Grease” with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John on TV more than a few times and I had heard many of the songs from Avenue Q long before I saw the show a couple of years ago. The second time around was still a blast, but the real pleasure was watching the reactions of the stunned newcomers who had no idea what they were in for.

Tonight I was one of those folks, a first time visitor to the land of Oz brought to life on the grand stage. I highly enjoyed the show and can honestly say I’ll never watch the Julie Garland film the same way ever again.

The national tour of Wicked features Natalie Daradich as Glinda the Good and Vicki Noon as Elphaba, the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. Daradich was excellent, with a strong, clear and high voice, and terrific comic timing. I truly wasn’t expecting Glinda to be laugh-out-loud funny! Vicki Noon was regrettably replaced halfway through tonight’s performance, with Anne Brummel taking over the role of the tragically misunderstood green-skinned witch. Both were wonderful as Elphaba, and the character’s serious, often dour demeanor contrasted nicely with Glinda’s bubbly cheerfulness. Brummel’s lower octaves carried her pathos nicely.

It was great not having any preconceived notions about the musical, because I did not see the “odd couple” aspect coming at all. I never would have thought Glinda and Elphaba were ever friends from the 1939 film. From the opening scenes that find the young sorceresses arriving at a school younger audiences will think of as Hogwarts, to the touching dramatic turns in life and love by the end of the first act, I found myself drawn into Oz like never before, finding ways to dovetail the live performance with my movie memories. Brummel thankfully didn’t overuse the witchy Margaret Hamilton cackle, and Daradich at times was so playful I had to remind myself how prim and proper Billie Burke’s Glinda was. After being vilified in Act One, Elphaba and Glinda fill in the blanks about what was going on in Oz while the movie cameras followed Dorothy and Toto in Act Two.

“Wicked” is at The Fox Theatre through July 11, 2010. Buy now and Save $10 on Wicked Fabulous Fox Theatre-St. Louis MO Ticket Orders Over $350! Code AFF$10.

Wicked veterans Marcie Dodd and Alli Mauzey will be San Francisco’s new witches in the hit musical beginning June 29, 2010. This will be a reunion for Dodd and Mauzey in their roles as Elphaba and Glinda respectively, and will mark the first time the two actresses are back on stage opposite each other since they played the roles on Broadway from November 2008 – February 2009. The actresses will take a final bow with Wicked when it closes on September 5, 2010.

Marcie Dodd recently launched Wicked’s acclaimed Second National Tour in the role of Elphaba, having previously performed the role on Broadway, with the Los Angeles company, and with the First National Tour. Dodd’s other credits include HAIRSPRAY, WE WILL ROCK YOU, GREASE, and multiple performing and recording projects with Universal Studios and Disney Entertainment.

Alli Mauzey recently returned to the Broadway company of Wicked as Glinda, and then played the title role in CINDERELLA alongside the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. She also starred as the love-crazed Lenora in the musical CRY-BABY on Broadway, for which she won the Theatre World Award and was nominated for a Drama League Award. Mauzey also originated the role of Lenora at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, where she won the Theatre Critics Circle Award. She played Brenda in HAIRSPRAY on Broadway and the first national tour.

Marcie Dodd replaces Eden Espinosa and Alli Mauzey replaces Kendra Kassebaum in the San Francisco company of Wicked.

The other principal roles in Wicked are performed by Bay Area actress Jody Gelb, who plays Madame Morrible, and Tom McGowan, who plays the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Wicked also features Cliffton Hall as Fiyero, Paul Slade Smith as Doctor Dillamond, DeeDee Magno Hall as Nessarose, and Etai BenShlomo as Boq.

{Via BroadwayWorld.com}

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West End hit musical Wicked is celebrating takings of £100m since it opened in September 2006.

The cast and crew of Wicked are celebrating after the musical passed the £100 million mark in box office takings. The show has been seen by almost three million people over 1,500 performances London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, according to its producers.

Speaking to the Stage, executive producer Michael McCabe said Wicked is “still going incredibly strong” after nearly four years.

He commented: “What we’re doing is still going up – that’s the real phenomenon of Wicked, it hasn’t plateaued. It just keeps on surprising us.”

Mr McCabe added that the show’s success has been based on “word of mouth”, with audiences growing gradually despite a mixed reception from critics in the first few months.

Voted most popular show at this year’s Laurence Olivier Awards, Wicked welcomed Lee Mead to the cast in May.

The former star of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is playing Fiyero and has joined Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman in the Apollo Victoria production.

The musical is currently running at London’s Apollo Victoria theatre. The musical has been seen by more than 21 million people worldwide. Get your Wicked Tickets London. Save $10 on Wicked Ticket Orders order over $350! Code AFF$10

On Broadway, Wicked grossed $1,570,925 and had a 100% attendance rate for the week ending June 6, 2010. Wicked still stays top of the chart. Below are the Top 10 Grosses Via BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending June 6, 2010.

1. Wicked $1,570,925
2. The Lion King $1,472,188
3. The Addams Family $1,278,089
4. Promises, Promises $1,028,626
5. Fences $1,024,317
6. Billy Elliot: The Musical $1,015,157
7. Jersey Boys $963,853
8. Mary Poppins $882,863
9. The Phantom of the Opera $840,902
10. A Little Night Music $778,263

The show “Wicked” is playing at Ovens Auditorium right now, but the cast took a break Tuesday afternoon to visit sick children at Levine Children’s Hospital. Cast-members from the hit Broadway production stopping by to perform for patients.

It’s been a tradition since the first time the show toured the United States. Wicked runs at Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC through Sunday June 13, 2010.

Click the video to hear more…

{Via WBTV}

Beginning performances on Tuesday, June 29, Kathy Fitzgerald will assume the role of Madame Morrible in the musicAl Blockbuster Wicked. Kathy joins a cast which includes Mandy Gonzalez as Elphaba, Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Andy Karl as Fiyero, Alex Brightman as Boq, Jenny Fellner as Nessarose, and Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond. Tony Award-winner Rondi Reed will play her final performance as Madame Morrible on Sunday, June 27 at 3:00pm.

Kathy Fitzgerald has previously appeared on Broadway in 9 to 5 the Musical (Outer Critics Circle nomination), The Producers and Swinging on a Star (Drama Desk nomination). Her off-Broadway credits include: Damn Yankees (City Center Encores!), Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know, Mating Habits, Lyrics and Lyricists series. Los Angeles: Nite Club Confidential, Grease (Drama-Logue Award). Regional: Sheldon Harnick’s Good Company, All in the Timing, A Christmas Carol, Quilters, Twelfth Night, Shakespeare (Abridged), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. TV/film: “The Electric Company,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Four Eyes,” “Family Plan,” The Producers.

Declared “A Cultural Phenomenon” by Variety and “The Best Musical of the Decade” by Entertainment Weekly, Wicked currently has productions in New York, San Francisco, London, Osaka, Stuttgart, Sydney and on two North American tours.

Wicked is performed at the Gershwin Theatre, 222 West 51st Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.

Find one of the lowest prices for Wicked Tickets Gershwin Theatre New York.

Kathy Fitzgerald, who has previously been seen on Broadway in 9 to 5 the Musical (Outer Critics Circle nomination), The Producers and Swinging on a Star (Drama Desk nomination), will join the cast of Broadway’s Wicked later this month.

Fitzgerald will step into the role of Madame Morrible beginning June 29. She succeeds Tony Award winner Rondi Reed, who will play her final performance June 27 at 3 PM.

Fitzgerald joins a cast that currently includes Mandy Gonzalez as Elphaba, Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Andy Karl as Fiyero, Alex Brightman as Boq, Jenny Fellner as Nessarose and Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond.

{Via Playbill}

The Broadway musical Wicked has extended its booking period through to 27 Mar 2011. The musical opened at the Gershwin Theatre on 30 Oct 2003, following previews from 8 Oct 2003.

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 currently features Mandy Gonzalez (Elphaba), Katie Rose Clarke (Glinda), P.J. Benjamin (The Wizard), Rondi Reed (Madame Morrible), Andy Karl (Fiyero), Jenny Fellner (Nessarose), Timothy Britten Parker (Doctor Dillamond) and Alex Brightman (Boq).

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Wicked, the Broadway Musical is coming to Minneapolis, buy your tickets today!

This exciting Broadway Musical is performing at Historic Orpheum Theatre mn in Minneapolis, MN from Aug. 11 through Sept. 19. All dates and prices on sale here. Buy Wicked The Musical Minneapolis Tickets Online.

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Wicked is live in Charlotte, NC at Ovens Auditorium between Saturday, May 29th and Sunday, June 13th. Wicked is a Broadway musical based on the novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire. The characters include many of which are in the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, but the show itself is not based on Dorothy and her troubles, but on Elphaba, “The Wicked Witch of the West” (as named in the movie) and Glinda “The Good Witch” and their lives as children to adults, school, love, and how they became who they are when Dorothy arrives in The Emerald City.

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Find List of all Wicked Tour Dates and Tickets in All Cities