Wicked celebrates 5th birthday plus other anniversaries coming up

Mega-hit musical Wicked celebrates 5 years at the Apollo Victoria Theatre

When it opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London on 27 September 2006 the reviews for Broadway musical Wicked were decidedly lukewarm, with Paul Taylor of the Independent declaring that “I enjoyed very little…”

Fast-forward five years and the show’s reign as one of the most successful musicals in London theatre history continues unabated, having taken over £145m at the box office and about to welcome its four millionth visitor in the next couple of months.

The show premiered on Broadway in 2003, where it also continues to pack them in and appear week after week at the top of the box office charts. Stephen Schwartz’s musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s best-selling novel, which in turn is inspired by L Frank Baum’s classic story Wizard of Oz, which is also running in the West End at the Palladium Theatre.

The book and musical tell the “untold” story behind Baum’s classic, envisioning the Wicked Witch starting life as a good, green-skinned girl who turns evil due to the prejudice of those around her, notably her spoilt sister Glinda, who later becomes the Good Witch.

The show enjoys enormous levels of support from a loyal fanbase, many of whom have seen the musical countless times.

A new cast will join the show from 12 December this year, including Gina Beck as Glinda and and Matt Willis as Fiyero, plus Desmond Barrit returning to the show to play The Wizard, alongside current Wicked stars Rachel Tucker as Elphaba and Julie Legrand as Madame Morrible.

Wicked recently played its 2000th performance at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and has won numerous awards including the 2010 Olivier Award for Most Popular Show. Long may the success continue.

Book tickets to Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London

OTHER ANNIVERSARIES COMING UP

Autumn is always a big time for theatre anniversaries, being prime season for the opening of new shows. Already this month we’ve seen The 39 Steps celebrate its 5th birthday at the Criterion Theatre on 20 September and STOMP celebrate its 9th birthday on 25th September, having opened in the West End in 2002.

Coming up, Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre turns 26 on 8 October 1985 and is still riding on a massive high following its 25th anniversary celebrations last year and continuing news and gossip about the upcoming Hollywood movie version of the show.

Last year may have been all about Les Mis but this year it’s The Phantom of the Opera’s turn to bask in the spotlight as the show turns 25 on 9 October. The show, which has played continuously at Her Majesty’s Theatre since 1986, and subsequently all around the world, will celebrate with a special The Phantom of the Opera 25th anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Also in October Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre turns 12 on 19 October.

LINKS

Book tickets to Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London

 

Gina Beck And Matt Willis To Join Cast of Wicked From Monday 12 December 2011. Desmond Barrit Returns To Play ‘The Wizard’

WICKED, the smash hit musical that tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz, is pleased to announce that Gina Beck and Matt Willis will join the cast on Monday 12 December 2011 to star as Glinda and Fiyero respectively. Desmond Barrit is returning to the show to play The Wizard. They will be joined by Lillie Flynn (Nessarose), Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond) and Adam Pettigrew (Boq).

Gina Beck (Glinda) recently finished a two-year season starring as ‘Christine Daaé’ in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at London’s Her Majesty’s Theatre. She made her West End debut in 2006 as ‘Cosette’ in Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre and recently performed in the 25th Anniversary Concert at The O2. Gina is currently starring in The Belle’s Stratagem at the Southwark Playhouse.

Matt Willis (Fiyero) first shot to fame as a member of the chart-topping, BRIT award-winning band Busted. In 2006 he won the popular ITV show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!. He has subsequently made countless TV appearances, many alongside his wife, presenter Emma Willis. Having originally trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Matt returned to his theatre roots in 2010, to make his West End debut as ‘Nick Hurley’ in Flashdance. He most recently starred as ‘Chuck’ in the UK national tour of Footloose.

Desmond Barrit (The Wizard) originally starred in WICKED in 2008/09. The Olivier award-winning RSC and National Theatre actor has just finished playing ‘Falstaff’, directed by Sir Peter Hall, to great acclaim.

Gina Beck (Glinda), Matt Willis (Fiyero), Desmond Barrit (The Wizard), Lillie Flynn (Nessarose), Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond) and Adam Pettigrew (Boq) will join current WICKED stars Rachel Tucker (Elphaba) and Julie Legrand (Madame Morrible) from Monday 12 December 2011.

WICKED recently played its 2000th performance and will celebrate its landmark 5th birthday on Tuesday 27 September 2011. The “hugely popular musical” (The Times) has now been seen by almost 4 million people since its West End premiere in 2006.

Acclaimed as “the hit musical with brains, heart and courage” (The Sunday Telegraph), WICKED has won multiple awards including the 2010 Olivier Award for Most Popular Show and the Whatsonstage.com Award for Best West End Show in both 2011 and 2010.

Release issued by: Wicked Press Office

LINKS

Book tickets to Wicked at the Apollo Victoria in London

OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Comedy Winners

OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Comedy Winners

Best New Comedy

2010 The Priory
2009 God of Carnage
2008 Rafta Rafta
2007 John Buchan’s The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon
2006 Heroes by Gerald Sibleyras translated by Tom Stoppard

Best Comedy

2003 The Lieutenant Of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh
2002 The Play What I Wrote by Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben
2001 Stones In His Pockets by Marie Jones
2000 The Memory Of Water by Shelagh Stephenson
1999 Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle And Dick by Terry Johnson
1998 Popcorn by Ben Elton
1997 Art by Yasmina Reza
1996 Mojo by Jez Butterworth
1995 My Night With Reg by Kevin Elyot
1994 Hysteria by Terry Johnson
1993 The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright
1992 La Bête by David Hirson
1991 Out Of Order by Ray Cooney
1989/90 Single Spies by Alan Bennett
1988 Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell
1987 Three Men On A Horse by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott
1986 When We Are Married by J.B. Priestley
1985 A Chorus Of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn
1984 Up’N’Under by John Godber
1983 Daisy Pulls It Off by Denise Deegan
1982 Noises Off by Michael Frayn
1981 Steaming by Nell Dunn
1980 Educating Rita by Willy Russell
1979 Middle Age Spread by Roger Hall
1978 Filumena by Eduardo de Filippo, adapted by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall
1977 Privates On Parade by Peter Nichols
1976 Donkey’s Years by Michael Frayn

Best Comedy Performance

1995 Niall Buggy for Dead Funny
1994 Griff Rhys Jones for An Absolute Turkey
1993 Simon Cadell for Travels With My Aunt
1992 Desmond Barrit for The Comedy Of Errors
1991 Alan Cumming for Accidental Death Of An Anarchist
1989/90 Michael Gambon for Man Of The Moment
1988 Alex Jennings for Too Clever By Half
1987 John Woodvine for The Henrys
1986 Bill Fraser for When We Are Married
1985 Michael Gambon for A Chorus Of Disapproval
1984 Maureen Lipman for See How They Run
1983 Griff Rhys Jones for Charley’s Aunt
1982 Geoffrey Hutchings for Poppy
1981 Rowan Atkinson for Rowan Atkinson in Revue
1980 Beryl Reid for Born In The Gardens
1979 Barry Humphries for A Night With Dame Edna
1978 Ian McKellen for The Alchemist
1977 Denis Quilley for Privates On Parade
1976 Penelope Keith for Donkey’s Years