Kassebaum and Wicks Will Head Cast of San Francisco Wicked

By Andrew Gans
16 Dec 2008

Kendra Kassebaum
Kendra Kassebaum

Initial casting has been announced for the open-ended San Francisco engagement of Wicked, which begins performances Jan. 27, 2009, at the Orpheum Theatre.

Teal Wicks (L.A. Wicked, national tour of Pippin) and Kendra Kassebaum (Broadway's Wicked, Off-Broadway's The Receptionist), will head the cast as, respectively, the green-faced, misunderstood Elphaba and the curly-locked Glinda.

Wicks and Kassebaum will be joined onstage by Carol Kane as Madame Morrible and David Garrison as The Wizard.

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.

Wicked features a score by Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman, direction by Joe Mantello and musical staging by Wayne Cilento. The creative team also includes 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.

Wicked won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel), Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty) and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee).

Tickets for the San Francisco production of Wicked are now on sale for performances through June 27, 2009; visit ticketmaster.com/wicked or call (415) 512-7770. Tickets are also available at the Orpheum Theatre Box Office (1192 Market at 8th Street).

For more information visit www.wickedthemusical.com.