By Andrew Gans
22 Jan 2008

Miriam Margolyes

Miriam Margolyes, who created the role of Madame Morrible in the London production of Wicked, re-creates her performance for New York audiences beginning Jan. 22 when she joins the cast of that Stephen Schwartz-Winnie Holzman musical at the Gershwin Theatre.

Margolyes, who received a Theatergoers' Choice Award for her work in the West End Wicked, succeeds Broadway's original Morrible Carole Shelley, who played her final performance in her return engagement Jan. 20.

Margolyes joins a cast that includes Stephanie J. Block as Elphaba, Annaleigh Ashford as Glinda, David Burnham as Fiyero, Lenny Wolpe as The Wizard, Cristy Candler as Nessarose, Logan Lipton as Boq and Steven Skybell as Dr. Dillamond.

Miriam Margolyes is a BAFTA Award winner for her work in "The Age of Innocence." She is also well known for her performance as Professor Sprout in the "Harry Potter" films. Her numerous stage credits include The Killing of Sister George, She Stoops to Conquer, The Importance of Being Earnest and Dickens' Women. In 2002 Margolyes was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty The Queen for her services to drama.

Wicked began previews on Broadway Oct. 8, 2003, after a summer tryout at San Francisco's Curran Theatre.

Based on Gregory Maguire's novel, which turned every Oz myth inside out, Wicked explores the early life of the witches of Oz: Glinda and Elphaba. The two main characters meet at Shiz, a school where both hope to take up sorcery. Glinda is madly popular and Elphaba is, well, green. By a misunderstanding, they wind up roommates and, after an initial period of mutual loathing, begin to learn something about each other. Their life paths continue to intersect through a shared love, entry into the Emerald City and interaction with the Wizard himself. Eventually, their choices and convictions take them on widely different paths.

The Broadway company, directed by Joe Mantello, plays the Gershwin Theatre. Tickets are available by calling (212) 307-4100 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

Miriam Margolyes in the London production of Wicked.
photo by Tristram Kenton