After playing Toronto's Canon Theatre (March 8-April 24) and Chicago's Ford Center for the Performing Arts (April 29-June 12), the hit Broadway musical will play Hollywood's Pantages Theatre. The musical, which is based on Gregory Maguire's novel of the same name, will play the California theatre June 17-July 17, according to Variety.
Variety also reports the Pantages season will include Annie, Dr. Dolittle, Bye Bye Birdie and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Stephanie J. Block and Kendra Kassebaum, will play, respectively, the wicked and popular witches in the upcoming tour. Block, who was part of the out-of town San Francisco tryout of Wicked, will play the green-faced Elphaba with Kassebaum as the golden-locked Glinda. The cast will also include David Garrison (the Wizard), Carol Kane (Madame Morrible), Derrick Williams (Fiyero), Jenna Leigh Green (Nessarose), Logan Lipton (Boq) and Timothy Britten Parker (Dr. Dillamond). The Wicked ensemble comprises Katie Adams, Timothy Anderson, Terra Lynn Arrington, Aaron Albano, Peter John Chursin, Matt Clemons, Nicholas Drommard, Laura Dysarczyk, Maria Eberline, Brooke Elliott, Lori Holmes, Adam Lambert, KW Miller, Kristen Oei, Chris Peluso, Don Richard, Emily Rozek, Chris Russo, Brian Slaman, James Tabeek, Barbara Tirrell, Brooke Wendle and Nicole Winhoffer.
Based on 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 began previews on Broadway Oct. 8, 2003, with an official opening Oct. 30, 2003. The Broadway company — directed by Joe Mantello, who will repeat his duties for the tour — continues to play the Gershwin Theatre. Tickets for Wicked's national tour are available by calling Ticketmaster at (312) 902-1400. For more information about Wicked visit www.wickedthemusical.com.
