After an 18-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wicked resumed performances on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre September 14. The evening also welcomed the return of Hamilton, The Lion King, and Chicago as well as the first performance of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Lackawanna Blues.
Featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, Wicked tells the origin story of The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West, following her journey from birth to infamy. The musical, based on Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, opened October 30, 2003, and would go on to win Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Idina Menzel), Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee). It is currently the fifth longest-running production in Broadway history.
The reopening cast is led by Lindsay Pearce as Elphaba, Ginna Claire Mason as Glinda, Kathy Fitzgerald as Madame Morrible, Michael McCormick as The Wizard, Sam Gravitte as Fiyero, Riley Costello as Boq, Mili Diaz as Nessarose, and Michael X. Martin as Doctor Dillamond with Jennifer DiNoia as the Elphaba standby and Brittney Johnson as the Glinda standby.
Diaz is making her Broadway debut; Wicked veteran Fitzgerald plays Morrible through September 26, after which Alexandra Billings (who played the role at the time of the shutdown) will return. All other principals were in their respective roles up until the pandemic closure.
The ensemble includes Ioana Alfonso, Alex Aquilino, Larkin Bogan, Randy Castillo, Meg Doheerty, Teneise Mitchell ellis, Hannah Florence, Dan Gleason, Josh Daniel Green, Jeff Heimbrock, Celia Hottenstein, Courtney Iventosch, Chase Madigan, Sterling Masters, Matt Meigs, Jo”Nathan Michael, Lindsay K. Northen, Emily Rogers, William Ryall, Travis Taber, Jeremy Thompson, and Christiane Tisdale with Antonette Cohen, Jenny Florkowski, Colby Q. Lindeman, Micaela Martinez, Kevin Massey, and Dashi Mitchell as swings.
Directed by Joe Mantello with musical staging by Wayne Cilento, Wicked features scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Tony Meola, projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, wig and hair design by Tom Watson, music supervision and arrangements by Stephen Oremus, orchestrations by William David Brohn, and dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott. Casting is by the Telsey Office.
The musical is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone.
