Wicked the Musical
50 Wicked-related pages here!
All about the show Wicked on Broadway, Wicked Tour, Wicked Chicago, Los Angeles, & International
Index for Wicked - Broadway and Beyond
DETAILED Index - all about the Wicked Show:WICKED TICKET TIPS - Broadway On our Wicked Ticket Tips page, we include FAQs as provided by the official Wicked company, such as running times for the show, lottery info, cancellation line details, and ticket discounts for partial view seating. WICKED TOUR 2007 and 2008 - Wicked Tour Tickets and info, reviews, etc. Take a Wicked vacation. Cast information: Wicked Tour Cast Wicked Cast and CreativesSee Wicked's Stars - Cast and Creatives--for details on the Wicked cast and creative team or visit individual pages, e.g. Eden Espinosa who plays Elphaba in Los Angeles in 2007. Lenny Wolpe is the Wizard of Oz. Broadway's Elphaba is Stephanie J. Block. Megan Hilty is Glinda in LA. This whole site is all about Stephen Schwartz , Wicked's amazing songwriter. Idina Menzel (original Elphaba) sings "Defying Gravity" on her new single. Her 3rd solo album is called I Stand. Winnie Holzman (script) | Gregory Maguire | Maguire p. 2 (novel) | Kristin Chenoweth (original Glinda) | Norbert Leo Butz (first Fiyero)| Susan Hilferty - Costume designer | Joe Mantello (director) | WICKED the Musical - HISTORY - There's so much to tell about Wicked's development. The Making of Wicked feature stories | PBS Documentary Broadway: The American Musical DVD: Special features on the making of Wicked. | Wicked in the classroom - Wicked for teachers and students - Wicked study guide. WICKED REVIEWS and AWARDS: Wicked Reviews including reviews of Wicked the musical by critics and theatre goers. Also read about Wicked's Success, a page with statistics and photos of the 1000th performance party, or read about Wicked Awards: Tony, Drama Desk and others. |
Enter Drawing for Wicked cast album CD autographed by Stephen Schwartz, composer-lyricist
WICKED STORY SYNOPSIS: Love the CD but haven't seen the show?
Learn about the Wicked songs in context
(fast loading version) OR Wicked songs
in context - version with photos (slow loading version) CALENDAR Check this page for frequent updates: News - Events Schedule: Wicked cast appearances, Schwartz concerts, workshops (Unique to this website). ANSWERS to Frequently asked questions about Wicked - Musical (Broadway, tour, or Chicago), like should I bring the kids to the play? Where can I see Wicked video clips? What's the show it about? Does Wicked novelist Gregory Maguire like the musical? Where do I send fan mail? SUBSCRIBE: The Schwartz Scene is a free quarterly email newsletter with updates written by Stephen Schwartz and other articles offering insights on the making of Wicked the musical Questions or comments to share about Wicked the show or anything else? Write to Carol (that's me, the webmaster) at carol@musicalschwartz.com with the words "Question" or "Comment" in the subject heading. (If you don't hear from me please write again - it got lost in my spam filter or yours). CHAT ABOUT WICKED Wicked chat forums, Wicked e-groups, Wicked fan sites, etc. Explore Wicked Links | Visit the official website wickedthemusical.com [new browser window] for articles, photos, sound clips, and more. |
QUICK INDEX: 
See Wicked the Musical in 2008: Elphabas, Glindas, and Fiyeros, Oh My. Every actor for Wicked has been carefully chosen. 
WICKED Sheet Music- in print or instant download: 
ShowBusinessWicked the Musical news
Stephen Schwartz News and Events
May 31, 2008 Port Washington, NY - Stephen Schwartz and Friends Concert, 8pm
Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark, 232 Main Street, Port Washington, NY, which is based on the north shore of Long Island.
Stephen Schwartz, the Grammy® and Oscar®-winning songwriter teams with Tony® award winner Debbie Gravitte, Broadway star Liz Callaway and rising star Scott Coulter for breathtaking performances of his exquisite songs from his shows including Godspell, Pippin, Pocahontas, Prince of Egypt and Wicked. An unforgettable evening of musical theatre!
Tickets on-line (look in the lower right corner of the calendar on the landing page) or call the box office Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 516-767-6444.
For ongoing news subscribe to the Schwartz Scene.
Wicked Broadway and London - Elphaba Change
Kerry Ellis, currently starring as London's Elphaba, will recreate her award-winning performance on Broadway beginning June 17, 2008, taking over for Stephenie Block. Kerry will play her final performance in London on June 7th, 2008, and then return to the London production at the end of the year.
Last year for the London production, Ellis took over the role of Elphaba from Idina Menzel, and was the first British actress to play the green witch. She received unanimous rave reviews. She recently won the 2008 What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Award in the category for Best Takeover in a Role for her performance as Elphaba.
The Wicked cast members wear wigs (long black hair for Elphaba) along with their fantastical costumes. For info about the costumes see MusicalSchwartz.com's page Wicked Costumes.
NEWS from Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked the novel, February 28, 2008:
When he has time, Gregory contributes updates to The Schwartz Scene newsletter.
Here is his latest news, excerpted from issue #30: I am going to Stuttgart in early March to meet the German cast and to do promotion both for the play and for WICKED the novel now released in German--its fifteenth translation, I think. In the UK I am doing a signing at Waterstone's in Oxford Street to celebrate the publication in England of CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER, but I know WICKED tickets are being given away as part of the event.
Meanwhile, I am also hard at work on the third of what I now think of as the four novels in the WICKED sequence-- following on from SON OF A WITCH will appear, in the fall of 2008 I believe, the third volume. It has had a number of tentative titles but the current working title seems closest to being the final title: A LION AMONG MEN.
[See our Gregory Maguire page for more about him and his works]
WICKED - Novel 
Musical Tie-in Edition : The Life... [new browser window]
February 24, 2008 OSCAR Night - Stephen Schwartz at the Academy Awards
Watch for Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken during the televised ceremony. Three Enchanted songs are in the running for best song. For sheet music, DVD preorder, etc. see Disney Enchanted page - Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Kristin Chenoweth, the original Glinda from Wicked, will duet with Marlon Saunders on "That's How You Know" during the Academy Awards ceremony February 24th.
2008 - Stephen Schwartz, Wicked's Songwriter, to Appear in Concerts/Lead Workshops
Stephen Schwartz will perform in concert in New York City, Los Angeles, and elsewhere in 2008, as well as lead workshops, etc. Check our news page regularly for updates: Schwartz concerts and other news
January 2008 - Idina Menzel news
Idina Menzel, Wicked's first Elphaba who sang on the cast album, has released a new CD of her own. Visit our Idina Menzel page for "I Stand" - Idina Menzel
2008 Cast Changes for Broadway Wicked
David Burnham has taken over the role of Fiyero, the romantic interest in Wicked. Read about David Burnham.
This past fall, Stephanie J. Block joined the cast in the challenging role of Elphaba. She recently described her entrance into Wicked: "It was back in February of 2000. Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman were out [in California] creating Wicked because Universal Pictures was looking to back it. Story goes, as it's been passed on to me, that Stephen Schwartz went to dinner with a nice group of friends and he said, "I'm not familiar with a lot of the musical theatre talent out here on the West Coast. Who would you guys recommend?" Luckily, my name came up several times. They referred him to me, and he literally left a voice message on my home phone and just said, "Stephanie, you don't know me, but my name is Stephen Schwartz. I've written Godspell…" and he started to give his resume, and my jaw just kept dropping on the floor! . . . Once I regained myself, I called him back. I think we met the next day or the day after that. I sang a couple songs for him, and he played me three tunes from the show and kind of taught me there on the spot." Read more about Stephanie Block
January Press Release on Wicked Breaking Box Office Records
The seven productions of the worldwide smash Wicked shattered box-office, cumulatively grossing $11.2 million worldwide for the week ending December 30, 2007. In North America, the musical broke box office records in each of the markets in which it is playing – New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and National Tour (currently in St. Louis, MO).
The musical once again set a new record for the highest grossing week in Broadway history with a weekly box office gross of $1,839,950. Wicked also broke records as the highest grossing show in Los Angeles theatre history ($1,949,968), the highest grossing show in Chicago theatre history ($1,418,363), and the highest grossing show in North American touring history ($2,291,608 in St. Louis, MO). Wicked was the previous record-holder in each market.
When combined with the weekly grosses for the musical's three international productions – London, Stuttgart, and Tokyo – the musical cumulatively grossed $11.2 million during this record-breaking week.
The Broadway production of Wicked began performances in New York on October 8, 2003 at The Gershwin Theatre. The National Tour launched at Toronto's Canon Theatre on March 8, 2005 and sold out a seven-week run, going on to break box office records and sell out multiple-week engagements in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston, to name a few. The Chicago open-ended engagement at The Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre recently celebrated its 1,000 performance, and, most recently, Wicked opened an open-ended engagement at Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre on February 21, 2007.
The London production of Wicked opened on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. A Japanese-language production of the musical opened in Tokyo on June 17, 2007 and a German-language production opened in Stuttgart on November 15, 2007. An Australian production of Wicked will open in Melbourne on July 12, 2008. A Dutch-language production of Wicked will open in 2009.
Showbusiness Documentary featuring Wicked now available on DVD
It includes Wicked and Stephen Schwartz. Read about it at Showbusiness DVD - Details about the Documentary
ONGOING - WICKED BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR - Saturday mornings at the Gershwin Theatre.
"Behind the Emerald Curtain," billed as "an exclusive behind-the-scenes journey through Wicked," are available. For details see http://www.emeraldcurtain.com/
"Behind the Emerald Curtain," an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at WICKED, run by members of the Broadway cast at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.), is now offered every Saturday morning at 10 AM. The tour, which lasts 90 minutes, includes a 20-minute film containing special footage from NY and the national tour, featuring interviews with the cast and creative team of WICKED.
Participants visit the exclusive "Behind the Emerald Curtain" Museum, which includes an elaborate set model by Tony Award-winner Eugene Lee and an up-close look at some of Tony Award-winner Susan Hilferty's costumes (with beautiful details that are not always visible from the audience), as well as some of the actual props and wigs from the show.
To create the museum and tour, cast members Sean McCourt and Tony Galade, with the company manager Susan Sampliner, collected costumes, masks, props and set models, and edited a Wicked promotional video. Later Associate scenic designer Edward Pierce contributed a video of the Wicked set being loaded in, and photos from backstage technical departments were added. McCourt once said, "It takes 125 people to make Wicked happen" and this tour gives an idea of just how immense the effort is.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wicked the Musical
What's Wicked the musical about? Where can I find video clips? Where do I find reviews? Find answers to these questions and more by reading this web page below. Answers are provided by Carol de Giere, webmaster for independent site MusicalSchwartz.com and editor of The Schwartz Scene. Email me if you have other questions: carol@musicalschwartz.com. Please put QUESTION in subject line.
(Also check these links for Broadway tickets | Wicked Tour | Wicked in Chicago| Wicked in Los Angeles |Wicked London UK, Germany, Japan, Australia | Events & News | Newsletter | Sheet Music | Shop | etc. etc. Please scroll up to the top of this page for more listings.)
1. What is Wicked the Musical about?
Broadway's Wicked musical is a loose adaptation of Wicked the novel by Gregory Maguire.
WICKED - Novel
Musical Tie-in Edition : The Life... [new browser window]
This musical tie-in edition of Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West features 16 pages of photos from the musical.
Wicked the musical offers a "backstory" to the Wizard of Oz, in other words a buoyantly creative version of what happens to Elphaba, the supposedly 'wicked' witch and Glinda, the reputedly good witch during the college years. Their buddy story is only one of several storylines and subplots in a carefully constructed, surprise-filled musical adventure.
Read more about the story of the witches of Oz. Synposis: How to the songs fit with the story? Read about the song contexts--A Wicked Synopsis.
Note that most of the script is in the Wicked Grimmerie souvenir book.
2. Where can I find Wicked lyrics and Wicked play libretto (script)?
For lyrics see our Wicked Lyrics page or the Wicked sheet music or cast recording. The Wicked Libretto - a condensed version is published Wicked-The Grimmerie.
Read a little Q and A about the Wicked script
3. Should I read the novel before seeing the show? and related question: How do Wicked (musical) and Wicked (novel) compare?
It's not necessary to read the novel first, and if you do, don't expect to see it adapted closely on stage. The musical gives Elphaba and Glinda's story a new life. If you haven't seen The Wizard of Oz film lately, you might want to.
In the novel and the musical, what is the name of the Wicked Witch of the West? "Elphaba." For hints about how the novel and musical compare, read about Wicked's characters Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Dr. Dillamond, Nessarose, Boq, and the others. Find out which characters from the novel were included for the stage adaptaton and which were left out. Also read about the animals and Animals in Wicked - the show - How novelist Gregory Maguire developed Dr. Dillamond the goat professor and a comparison with Wicked the novel and musical regarding what happens to the Animals.
Check comments by Schwartz and Maguire about the Wicked -Life and Times of Wicked Witch of the West story adaptation for musical. This includes notes about the focus on the friendship between the witches, the clock of the time dragon (used in the set design), etc.
New: Wicked Sequel - Son of a Witch : A Novel [new browser window]
4. Who wrote the Wicked score? Who wrote the Wicked play script? What else have they written written?
Stephen Schwartz wrote the score for Wicked. He is an award-winning songwriter best known for his songs for Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked for stage; his film work includes lyrics for Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame and songs for The Prince of Egypt. Read all about Stephen Schwartz. Stephen Schwartz worked closely with Winnie Holzman wrote the "book" of the musical (script). Read about Winnie Holzman and her TV shows, etc. |
5. When and where will Wicked tour?
The tour is underway and will travel all around the US including Denver, Baltimore, and many other cities: Wicked Tour show and it also plays in residence in Chicago. Wicked musical show in Chicago | Wicked will soon open in Wicked in Los Angeles. And it is currently running in London. http://www.wickedwestend.co.uk
6. Is the Wicked show appropriate for children?
This section has moved to its own page: Wicked for kids?
The musical is a favorite of pre-teens, teens, and Wizard of Oz fans of all ages.
7. Where can I see free online Wicked video clips? or Is there a Wicked movie?
Don't miss SHOWBUSINESS - now available on DVD with lots of WICKED interview clips, etc. ShowBusiness with WICKED CLIPS
Wicked movie: There are no legal versions of the complete show. Sorry that we can't offer Wicked videotape or Wicked DVDs. Perhaps after the show runs on Broadway and around the world for many years, a film will be made.
However there are Wicked the musical video clips and the Wicked trailer. See links below.
One of the most exciting clips is from the UK production. http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/sightsvideo.php
Have you seen the Wicked tour trailer? It's not up-to-date for cast members, but has some nice features. I just noticed that you can clearly see Glinda's bubble machine spurting bubbles, and there are a few clips with Stephen Schwartz (composer and lyricist), Joe Mantello (director), Winnie Holzman (book writer) and Marc Platt (producer). View the Wicked Tour trailer with video clips Universal's site.
There's a clip for Behind the Emerald Curtain tour that also includes clips of the show. Go to http://www.emeraldcurtain.com/Press.html and look in the bottom right corner for the ART BEAT CHICAGO logo - click there to launch the video.
Wicked's songwriter: Podcast. Our new blog with podcasts includes audio files of Stephen Schwartz talking about Wicked. http://www.theschwartzscene.com/blog/
Wicked in London: For an online video of Wicked's opening night and clips of the show see: Broadwayworld- London
Wicked in Japan: Wicked video clip from Japanese production
Kennedy Center has video clips of an interview with Stephen Schwartz. He tells how Wicked began and sings versions of "the Wizard and I" http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/plus/plusonline/2006_schwartz.html
CBS special with original Broadway cast just before the Tony Awards: WICKED Tony Awards CBS video clip
Backstage at WICKED broadway video clip
Wicked Video clip Chicago: link to Wicked video clip about flying, etc
Watch Idina interview clip. Tony awards - You have to look up Idina Menzel on this page. About Stephen Schwartz she says, "I hope he knows how incredible it is for us [the cast]. People are unbelievably moved every night by his music. And it's an incredible honor that I get to interpret Stephen Schwartz's music every night."
Wicked Day 2007 at the friendship garden, see Stars Annaleigh Ashford and Lisa Brescia, librettist Winnie Holzman, producer David Stone and special guest Bette Midler
8. Does Wicked novelist Gregory Maguire approve of Wicked the musical?
Gregory loves this musical. At a book talk with Winnie Holzman, Maguire said, "I have been so pleased with the work that Winnie Holzman has done for Wicked. She has taken a novel that is like a symphony in my heart and she has turned it into an opera." Holzman promptly gave much credit to Stephen Schwartz for his ideas. "It literally was a vision--he just saw that Wicked the novel was a Broadway musical. So then he brought me into his vision." Visit my Maguire page for more on Gregory.
9. What's the buzz for the musical Wicked?
"...the most complete, and completely satisfying, new musical I've come across in a long time"--USA Today
"Truly an enchanting musical, 'Wicked' is a fabulous new Oz fable for the 21st century"--New Jersey Star-Ledger
Visit the Wicked reviews page here at MusicalSchwartz.com. It's a long page so keep looking down the page for various links.
Also read about Wicked's Success - see photos from the 1000th performance party. See a giant list of Wicked awards
10. Where do I send Fan Mail for the Broadway musical Wicked?
To contact the cast for WICKED on Broadway:
Address your mail to cast member
c/o WICKED
Gershwin Theatre Stage Door
242 West 51st Street
NY, NY 10019
How to write to the London cast:
Cast member name
c/o Stage Door
Apollo Victoria Theatre
Wilton Road
London
SW1V 1LG
United Kingdom
For Stephen Schwartz: Visit his website at http://www.stephenschwartz.com
11. How can I learn more about Wicked the musical?
Subscribe to The Schwartz Scene The Schwartz Scene back issues include updates by Stephen Schwartz, including comments he made as Wicked was being created. Or write me at carol@musicalschwartz.com with the word QUESTION in the subject heading, and I'll help you find the information you seek. - Carol de Giere, webmaster.
12. I'm an actor/singer/dancer. Where do I check for Wicked auditions?
Wicked Auditions - general information where you'll find sources for finding out about Wicked the musical auditions as well as suggested books and links for audition tips.
13. Where can I find Wicked London info?
Wicked London tickets etc. - Wicked the musical in London is popular on the West End. It has been running since Sept 6th, 2006. Visit our UK site for updates, shop, tickets, articles, and more. www.wickedwestend.co.uk/
14. What is the running time of Wicked the musical?
What is the length of Wicked? It's good to set aside at least 3 hours and 10 minutes to see this play/musical because the Gershwin and other theatres that house Wicked the new musical are always huge venues to get in and out of, plus a huge crowd of people. The actual length: Approx. 2 hours 45 minutes total -- Act One is about 1 hour and 30 minutes - (note: it's a good idea to use restroom before the show starts). Act two is a little less than an hour. And there's an intermission.
15. Where can I find more Wicked ticket details?
Note: for those arriving at this site by search engine. Sometimes Stephen Schwartz's name is misspelled Steven Schwartz or Stephen Swartz; before about the mid 70's he was known as Steve Schwartz. Sometimes Kristin Chenoweth's name is misspelled Cristin or Kristen Chenoweth. The cast album is sometimes called the Wicked soundtrack. Video is sometimes mispelled vidio.
Musicalschwartz.com offers one of the largest Wicked the musical fan sites, and is the fan site for Stephen Schwartz, created with his permission.
About Composer - Lyricist Stephen Schwartz.CDs | Events & News | Sheet Music| Newsletter|
Please also visit our newsletter site and new blog: TheSchwartzScene
Wicked the Musical home page on Musicalschwartz.com is the index for over 50 pages about Wicked the musical on Broadway, Wicked in Los Angeles, Wicked in Chicago, and Wicked on Tour featuring Wicked tickets, Wicked cast information, reviews, Stephen Schwartz Wicked sheet music, all about Stephen Schwartz.
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