In The Rehearsal Room with WICKED

After a 10 month break the juggernaut that is Wicked returned to rehearsals this week before their upcoming foray to Auckland and Manila, with a return engagement in Australia commencing May 2014 in Melbourne to follow. While some familiar faces remain, the majority of the cast are brand new. After an exhaustive audition process, assembled is a young, energized and particularly talented group of performers ready to bring the prequel to The Wizard of Oz to life.

Headlining this cast are Jemma Rix as Elphaba and Suzie Mathers as Glinda. These two wonderful leading ladies not only sing Stephen Schwartz's complicated score with relative ease, they have a wonderful connection and a lot of fun doing so. Rix tells me that 'while Defying Gravity is a highlight with all the smoke and flying, what I really enjoy is my interaction with Suzie and the ensemble in a song like Loathing.' This connection is evident throughout the entire cast even with only 6 days of rehearsal and bodes well for a wonderful tour ahead.

Newcomer Steve Danielsen, was a Rep for sunglass company Oakley before travelling to America a few years ago to improve his craft. ' I had the music theatre bug but I never thought I could make it having never really danced. So I flew to New York and went to the Broadway Dance Centre and got my skills up to where they needed to be.' This courageous step helped Danielsen land a role in the ensemble of the Helpmann Award Winning Legally Blonde and ultimately lead to his first leading role of Fiyero.

The delightful Emily Cascarino and Edward Grey are also new to Wicked and are set to play the characters of Nessa Rose and Boq. Grey is particularly excited to be travelling to Auckland as he has never been. Cascarino assures him that he will love it having recently returned from performing in Jersey Boys at the Civic Theatre. Both are excited about their roles in the show and the journey that their characters have throughout it. Grey explains that 'Without giving anything away, our characters start the show as one thing and end up as something completely different...something closer to The Wizard of Oz.'

As part of its 10 year Anniversary Tour Wicked will be arriving at the Regent Theatre on May 10 2014 before touring to Sydney and Brisbane. For this Australian season music theatre darling and original Glinda Lucy Durack will reprise her role. It is an opportunity for audiences to see one of the greatest shows in broadway history, either for the first time, or again with this spectacular new cast.

Tickets are on sale now @ ticketmaster.com.au