The national touring company of Wicked will host “Our Wicked, Wicked Ways,” an evening of cabaret performances on August 23, 2010. Held at Axis Nightclub, the event will feature performances from the company’s cast and crew with the net proceeds benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.

Produced by company members, the evening is an opportunity for them to step out of their Wicked roles and perform in other forms of music, dance, and comedy. Co-hosted by Columbus’ own Nina West, the evening will feature Chandra Lee Schwartz (Glinda), Richard Kline (The Wizard), Richard H. Blake (Fiyero), and Mariand Torres (Elphaba standby), as well as members of the ensemble and touring staff. In addition, there will be a silent auction of several items including Wicked memorabilia, and a live auction with opportunities to bid on backstage tours and a walk-on role in Wicked. The musical is now playing the Uihlein Hall Marcus Center For The Performing Arts through August 08 and Ohio Theatre through August 29. Tickets to performances of Wicked are available.

“Our Wicked, Wicked Ways” is part of an ongoing series of performances by the national touring company to support charitable causes. In its five years on the road, the company has raised well over $1 million in donations for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and local Aids service organizations all over the country.

Wicked musical coming to Ohio Theatre on July 28 and perform through August 29, 2010.

Even with millions in backing from Universal Pictures, the original Broadway opening of “Wicked” suffered from mediocre reviews. It was considered a “‘Wicked’ waste of talent” by the New York Daily News and a “lavish, ambitious and problematic” show by the Associated Press. The New York Times was even harsher, saying “‘Wicked’ does not, alas, speak hopefully for the future of the Broadway musical.”

Some say the middling reviews were the reason “Wicked” was beaten out by underdog “Avenue Q” for Best Musical at the 2004 Tony Awards.

However, the Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman collaboration did take home three other wins out of 10 nominations.

But even if the critics didn’t like the show at first, audiences had a much different take. Eight years later, the musical still sells out theaters across the country.

The traveling production returns to Columbus on July 28 for one-month stay at the Ohio Theatre.

Based on the Gregory Maguire’s 1995 bestselling novel of the same name, “Wicked” tells the back story of the witches from the “Wizard of Oz” — Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the East. Wicked is one of Broadway’s highest grossing musicals to date.

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