Mandy Gonzalez Flies Into Wicked March 23

By Andrew Gans
23 Mar 2010

Mandy Gonzalez
Mandy Gonzalez
Photo by Aubrey Reuben

Mandy Gonzalez, who created the role of Nina in the Tony-winning In the Heights, steps into the role of the green-faced, misunderstood, perhaps not-so-Wicked witch Elphaba in the Broadway production of the hit musical Wicked March 23.

Gonzalez succeeds Dee Roscioli at the Gershwin Theatre.

She joins a cast that includes Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda, Tony Award winner Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Andy Karl as Fiyero, Alex Brightman as Boq, Jenny Fellner as Nessarose and Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond.

Mandy Gonzalez has also been seen on Broadway in Lennon, Aida and Dance of the Vampires. She received an Obie Award for her work in Off-Broadway's Eli's Comin', and her film and TV credits include "The Good Wife," "One Life to Live," "The Guiding Light" and "Third Watch."

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 journeys.

Wicked features a score by Schwartz, a book by 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.

For more information visit wickedthemusical.com.