INTRODUCTION:
Staring a very rotten witch from a very well known story, the Broadway musical "Wicked" debuted on October 30, 2003, in America. The musical pre-debut was May 28, 2003 in San Francisco's Curran Theatre. Based on a book by Winnie Holzman, the live performance was directed by Joe Mantello and centres around the life of "Elphaba", The Wicked Witch of the West before she had her run in with Dorothy and her friends. Having already had its seventh year anniversary, the musical is now the 17th longest-running performance in Broadway's performing history. The show has completed a successful 3,030 shows since its debut and is currently the number one box selling event in England as of January the second of this year.
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box
ELPHABA AND HER SISTER:
This musical gives an account of these two witch sisters and the difficulties they had to face throughout their lives. It is because of their diverse personalities that Elphaba and Glinda find it hard to keep their relationship as sisters and as friends afloat. For the most part they struggle with same issues most sisters do such as fighting over the same boyfriend. Each of these women also have their own opinions about the new Governor of the town of OZ who is the Wizard of course. His election as the Oz's new higher power has Elphaba in stitches and essentially this is what causes her to fall from grace.
HERE COMES THE CAST:
With Universal Studios in the driver's seat for this production, the company spared no expense to add such cast members as Idina Menzel (Elphaba), Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda), Joel Grey as the Wizard and a musical score by Wayne Cilento was also added to the mix. The American actors' English counterparts for the original cast line up included; Hellen Dallimore as Glinda. While the part of Glinda was still carried out by Idina Menzel and Nigel Planer played the Wizard while some of the other characters involved in this story were portrayed by such talents as Miriam Margoyles (Madame Morrible - Eng. and Carole Shelley - US), Katie Rowley Jones (Nassarose), James Gillan as Boq and Martin Ball as Doctor Dillamond.
MUSICAL TIDBITS:
Wicked, The Musical kept most of its original cast after its first official presentation with the exception of maybe two or three minor readjustments on America's part. However, this did not appear to affect the shows overall positive status as after the first real show it pulled in a million dollars for every week it ran. The first North American assembly for the program began in Toronto, Ontario and has been all around the world since then thrilling each audience it encounters. The first production of Wicked, London in the West End was staged at the Apollo Victoria in September of 2003 and is still currently receiving rave review for the story.