'Wicked' Celebrates 1st Anniversary in LA

Wicked, the smash hit musical, is celebrating its first anniversary at the Pantages Theatre.  It opened February 21, 2007 (previews began on February 10) - and the production, which was built for Los Angeles and the Pantages Theatre, is playing an open-ended engagement.

Wicked began eleven years ago when Producer Marc Platt was president of production at Universal Pictures.  It was developed, written and had its earliest readings and workshops in Los Angeles, primarily at Universal Studios, just two freeway stops away from the Pantages Theatre.

During the past year, Wicked set new box office records, most recently grossing $1,949,068 for the week ending Sunday, December 30, 2007, breaking its own record previously set March 4, as the top box office earner during a single week in Los Angeles Theatre history.

Wicked stars Megan Hilty and Caissie Levy as Glinda and Elphaba.  Both Hilty and Levy appeared in the Broadway production of Wicked.

Veteran stage, screen and television star John Rubinstein plays The Wizard. American comedienne JoAnne Worley appears as Madame Morrible.

The Broadway production of Wicked began performances in New York on October 8, 2003 at The Gershwin Theatre.  The National Tour launched at Toronto's Canon Theatre on March 8, 2005 and sold out a seven-week run, going on to break box office records and sell out multiple-week engagements in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston, to name a few.  The Chicago open-ended engagement at The Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre recently celebrated its 1,000th performance.

The London production of Wicked opened on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.  A Japanese-language production of the musical opened in Tokyo on June 17, 2007 and a German-language production opened in Stuttgart on November 15, 2007.  An Australian production of Wicked will open in Melbourne on July 12, 2008. A Dutch-language production of Wicked will open in 2009.

The seven productions here and around the world continue to defy gravity, cumulatively grossing $11.2 million for the week ending December 30, 2007.  In North America, the musical broke its own box office records in each of the markets in which it is playing - Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and National Tour.

Wicked is number one on Ticketmaster's Top Ten Most Requested Events of 2007, the same position it held in 2006.  This is the first time a theatrical production made the list, otherwise comprised of rock concerts and sporting events, and certainly the first time that one has held the top position.

The Los Angeles company of Wicked offers a rare insiders' glimpse into the world of the blockbuster Broadway musical with "Behind the Emerald Curtain," an exclusive look at the creative journey of Wicked, hosted by Cast members in Los Angeles.  "Behind the Emerald Curtain" takes place on Friday evenings at 6PM at the Pantages Theatre. This 60-minute experience gives audience members the unique opportunity to see what happens to make a big Broadway musical like Wicked come alive at every performance - everything from design and production to performance and marketing.  Tickets for "Behind the Emerald Curtain" are $25 (and does not include admission to Wicked).

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman.  It is directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento.  Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

Winner of 15 major awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, "Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz.  One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood.  The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular.  Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch," describe press notes.

Tickets for Wicked and "Behind the Emerald Curtain" are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 213-365-3500 or 714-740-7878, in person at the Pantages Theatre Box Office (opens daily at 10am), 6233 Hollywood Blvd., or at any Ticketmaster outlet.  For groups please call 866-755-3075, or visit www.nedgroups.com.   Details on the lottery, "Behind the Emerald Curtain," D-scriptive, I-caption, ShowTrans, as well as general information, are available online by visiting www.wickedthemusical.com.

Megan Hilty and Caissie Levy (photo by Joan Marcus)