Steve On Broadway (SOB)

Worldwide Wicked Casting News

Worldwide Wicked Casting News

With advance ticket sales going through the roof for the upcoming West End version of the Broadway juggernaut Wicked, the London production has announced additional casting. In addition to Idina Menzel, who will be reprising her gravity-defying Tony Award-winning role as Elphaba, Adam Garcia (formerly of the UK stage version of Saturday Night Fever) has been announced to portray Fiyero; Miriam Margolyes (best known to Harry Potter fans as Professor Sprout) will assume the role of Madame Morrible; and Nigel Planer (from the original West End cast of Evita) will step into the shoes of The Wizard. London performances begin at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on September 7.

Stateside, Kate Reinders -- who originated the role of Glinda during the sit-down production of Wicked in Chicago, opposite Ana Gasteyer -- will replace Megan Hilty in that role on Broadway starting May 30. I can honestly say that Reinders is every bit as amazing as Kristin Chenoweth, Broadway's original Glinda opposite Menzel. In fact, given how incredibly well Reinders nailed the role, I was surprised to learn that Reinders had never even seen Chenoweth perform. Reinders displayed the same wonderfully ditzy sense of comic timing as her Broadway predecessor. Wicked's New York audiences are sure to be every bit as dazzled by this new Glinda as they were when the show first opened nearly three years ago.

Finally, I'm looking forward to once again seeing Carole Shelley, Broadway's original Madame Morrible, when I take in the Chicago production (yet again) a week from Sunday. I'll report on just how Wickedly talented the current sit-down cast there is.

Click here for tickets to Wicked (London).
Click here for tickets to Wicked (New York).
Click here for tickets to Wicked (Chicago).
Related Stories:
Wicked Becomes Broadway's 8th Overall Cumulative Grosser Among Current Hits (June 2, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Approaching One Year, Chicago's Wicked Continues to Captivate (May 23, 2006)
Wicked's West End Witches Update (May 17, 2006)
Encore: Spotlight Week Ending April 30, 2006 (April 30, 2006)

Labels: Broadway, Chicago, Kristen Chenoweth, London, Musical, Wicked

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, May 05, 2006