Derek Klena, the California native joined the Wicked Broadway Musical show in late May, is putting his own spin on Fiyero, the Winkie prince who captures the heart of Glinda and Elphaba.

Derek Klena in Wicked as Fiyero

Broadway.com recently caught up with the 21-year-old actor to chat about leading the 10th anniversary cast, reuniting with his Dogfight co-star Lindsay Mendez and how he went from baseball player to Broadway star.

Read the chat below:

We love watching you on Fly Girl. How is acting on Broadway different than your experience leading an off-Broadway musicals?
The stakes are a lot higher on Broadway; there’s so much more going on and everything’s so much more intricate. It’s definitely more intimidating. And going into Wicked, I don’t have the privilege of originating my role like I did with Carrie and Dogfight.

What makes your Wicked and Dogfight leading lady Lindsay Mendez the ultimate co-star?
We just instantly clicked! We’ve developed this great friendship, and that’s been the key to us being compatible on stage. Anything that she does or anything that I do, we are there 100% for each other, and that’s all you can ask for in a co-star—trust and respect. That’s what makes this show so much more enjoyable, having someone like that by your side—a co-pilot.

Wasn’t Wicked your first Broadway show? How did it feel to make your debut in it?
Surreal. When I saw the show eight years ago, I had no idea I would get the opportunity to perform it someday. It was just a dream I had when I was younger. It’s kind of unbelievable to be working with Joe Mantello and the group at Wicked, which I’ve idolized all these years. Fiyero is a role I’ve always wanted to play, and I’m actually getting to experience that on the Broadway stage.

What would you have said if someone had told you eight years ago that you’d be playing Fiyero in the 10th anniversary cast of Wicked?
I would have said, “Yeah right, I want to play baseball.” [Laughs.] At the time, I was pretty into sports; I didn’t know yet that this is what I wanted to pursue. Seeing Wicked definitely sparked that in me and pushed me to pursue it as a career. It’s kind of bizarre that it took me to Wicked.

When you were growing up, was it hard to be the jock who also did theater?
Yeah, it was harder when I was younger because my friends didn’t understand yet. But once high school and college rolled around, my friends matured and understood it’s kind of a cool thing; they were were blown away with the theater side of me. They grew to respect it, which was really cool to see.

Was it difficult to give up baseball?
It was. I got into UCLA for theater, and I had to make a decision whether to let baseball go. I ended up switching out of theater; I figured I could still do theater outside of school. I played baseball my freshman year as a pitcher, but at the end of the year, I realized that my true love and passion is in acting and singing. I’m glad I made that choice. I play in the Broadway softball league and a restaurant league, so I still get that sports atmosphere. I feel like I get enough playing recreationally and casually.

What is the secret to wearing the infamous Fiyero pants?
Just being fearless. The first time I put them on I was a little doubtful, but you have to wear them with pride. A lot of people come to the show knowing those pants are coming, so you’ve just got to wear them with pride.

Read the complere interview {Via Broadway.com}

Buy Wicked Broadway Tickets Online and see Derek Klena as Fiyero in Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre.

Wicked Broadway Musical grossed $1,871,050 and had an attendance rate of 95.9%, same as that of the previous week. The 23 shows on the boards grossed $21,839,391, slipping around 4.82% from the previous week’s totals.

Below are the Top 15 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending August 18, 2013.

1. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $2,112,788
2. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $1,871,050
3. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,741,615
4. Kinky Boots – (AL HIRSCHFELD) $1,649,031
5. Motown: The Musical – (LUNT-FONTANNE) $1,437,843
6. Matilda – (SHUBERT) $1,329,084
7. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) $1,167,085
8. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,025,358
9. Pippin – (MUSIC BOX) $1,023,367
10. Cinderella – (BROADWAY) $980,547
11. Mamma Mia! – (WINTER GARDEN) $953,280
12. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $904,461
13. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $812,903
14. Annie – (PALACE) $806,640
15. Once – (JACOBS) $708,350

{Via BroadwayWorld.com}

The long-running musical, Wicked starring Lindsay Mendez and Katie Rose Clarke as the main cast, celebrates the landmark of 4000th performance at the Gershwin Theatre on Tuesday, June 18.

Buy Wicked Broadway Tickets Online NOW!

Directed by Joe Mantello, Wicked opened on October 30, 2003 and is currently the twelfth-longest-running show in Broadway history. In mid-September, ninety-seven performances from now, it will surpass Miss Saigon to take the eleventh spot.

Before the show began, the cast – led by Lindsay Mendez, Katie Rose Clarke, and Derek Klena – and crew toasted the show’s success with an onstage dessert party. New York City bakery The Chocolate Swirl supplied the three-layer confection, complete with the show’s logo and a replication of the dragon that hangs over the proscenium arch.

Watch the Gallery – Source {Via TheaterMania.com}

Lindsay Mendez, Katie Rose Clarke with Cake

Wicked Cast with the Celebratory Cake

Lindsay Mendez, Derek Klena, and Katie Rose Clarke Celebrates

Buy Wicked Gershwin Theatre Tickets Online NOW!

Wicked Broadway Musical grossed $1,657,584 and had an attendance rate of 95.9%, about 1.6% less than that of the previous week. The 23 shows on the boards grossed $18,315,911, dropping around 4.03% from the previous week’s totals.

Below are the Top 14 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending February 24, 2013.

1. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $1,779,324
2. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $1,657,584
3. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,607,985
4. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,212,082
5. Cinderella – (BROADWAY) $1,045,064
6. Mary Poppins – (NEW AMSTERDAM) $1,022,585
7. Annie – (PALACE) $972,128
8. Once – (JACOBS) $969,147
9. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) $950,908
10. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $926,915
11. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $844,357
12. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof – (RICHARD RODGERS) $725,106
13. Nice Work If You Can Get It – (IMPERIAL) $699,893
14. Mamma Mia! – (WINTER GARDEN) $680,908

{Via BroadwayWorld.com}

Wicked became the the first show to remain the highest-grossing production on Broadway for nine consecutive years. Wicked musical beats The Phantom of the Opera, which remained Broadway’s top show for eight non-consecutive years (1988-91, 1993-94 and 1996-97).

The show also had the highest-grossing week with 9 performances in Broadway history, taking in $2,947,172 for the week ending December 30, 2012.

As Wicked enters its 10th year on Broadway, the musical currently stars Jackie Burns as Elphaba, Alli Mauzey as Glinda, Kyle Dean Massey as Fiyero, Randy Danson as Made Morrible, Adam Grupper as the Wizard, Catherin Charlebois as Nessarose, Tom Flynne as Dr. Dillamond and F. Michael Haynie as Boq.

Based on a novel by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked” is the musical adaptation of the untold story of the witches of Oz. The play follows the young Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda in the Land of Oz…long before Dorothy drops in.

Buy Wicked New York Broadway Tickets Online – SAVE $10 when you spend $350 or more, Use code AFF$10.

Tiffany Haas to Join Wicked Broadway Company

Tiffany Haas (former Glinda, ensemble, u/s Glinda, Nessarose – 2nd Ntl. Tour) will join the Broadway company of Wicked on Tuesday, November 20, 2012, taking on the position of standby for Glinda. She replaces Kate Fahrner, who has been the Broadway Glinda standby since August 2011.

Tiffany Haas joins after a nine month run as Glinda on the 2nd National Tour, concluding in June 2012.

Buy Wicked Gershwin Theatre Tickets Online at discounted prices – Save $10 on Orders of $350 or more, Use code AFF$10.

Wicked Musical Broadway grossed $1,980,214 and had an attendance rate of 97.3%, about 1.7% more than that of the previous week. The 28 shows on the boards grossed $23,438,088, improving around 7.38% from the previous week’s totals.

Below are the Top 12 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending 07/15/2012.

1. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $2,002,353
2. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $1,980,214
3. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,738,983
4. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,637,543
5. Evita – (MARQUIS) $1,212,448
6. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $1,055,178
7. Mary Poppins – (NEW AMSTERDAM) $1,021,205
8. Once – (JACOBS) $1,015,977
9. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $955,638
10. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) $914,957
11. Mamma Mia! – (WINTER GARDEN) $863,782
12. Nice Work If You Can Get It – (IMPERIAL) $814,142

{Via BroadwayWorld.com}

Wicked topped the box office with $2 million ($2,033,004) mark for the second consecutive week.

Wicked Broadway musical grossed $2,033,004 and had an attendance rate of 97.3%, about 0.1% less than that of the previous week. The 30 shows on the boards grossed $23,877,257, slipping around 0.33% from the previous week’s totals.

Below are the Top 12 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending 07/01/2012.

1. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $2,033,004
2. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $1,944,704
3. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,615,956
4. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,608,683
5. Evita – (MARQUIS) $1,191,200
6. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $1,048,090
7. Once – (JACOBS) $1,039,207
8. Mary Poppins – (NEW AMSTERDAM) $929,166
9. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) $889,043
10. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $887,165
11. Nice Work If You Can Get It – (IMPERIAL) $804,816
12. Mamma Mia! – (WINTER GARDEN) $750,421

{Via BroadwayWorld.com}

Wicked at Gershwin Theatre has extended its booking through to 24 Mar 2013. The musical opened at the Gershwin Theatre on 30 Oct 2003, following previews from 8 Oct 2003.

Wicked Gershwin Theatre New York

Long before Dorothy drops in, 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 Witch makes for “the most completely satisfying new musical in a long time”(USA Today) On Broadway and around the world. 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 Based on the novel by Gregory Maquire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Wicked currently features Jackie Burns (Elphaba), Chandra Lee Schwartz (Glinda), Tom McGowan (The Wizard), Kathy Fitzgerald (Madame Morrible), Richard H. Blake (Fiyero), Cristy Cand (Nessarose), Tom Flynn (Doctor Dillamond) and Etai Benshlomo (Boq).

A book by Winnie Holzman and is directed by Joe Mantello with choreography by James Lynn Abbott, scene design by Eugene Lee, costumes by Susan Hilferty, lighting by Kenneth Posner and sound by Tony Meola.

Buy Wicked New York Tickets Online, Use Code SUMMERFUNTN to Save $10 on Orders of $250 or more!

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Saw Wicked on Broadway, a matinee showing on April 29, right after she returned to NYC from her quick trip to Washington, D.C. Kim Kardashian was spotted holding hands with her new love, Kanye West, in New York City heading to watch the Wicked Musical at Gershwin Theater.

Kim, 31, and Kanye, 34, walked hand-in-hand into the Gershwin Theater in New York to see a 3 p.m. showing of the hit Broadway musical, Wicked on April 29.

Here is the Photo Gallery of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West out in New York City:

Kim Kardashian with Kanye West

Kim Kardashian with Kanye West to see Wicked

Wicked Broadway Tickets are so popular, Get $10 OFF on Wicked Gershwin Theatre Tickets Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout.