Kerry Ellis is London Wicked's New Elphaba, Jan. 1

From Monday, January 1st, Kerry Ellis will play the role of Elphaba in Wicked, London's smash-hit musical at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. She takes over from Idina Menzel who performed the role on Broadway and opened in the London production of Wicked in September 2006.

Ellis trained at Laine Theatre Arts. Prior to joining the original London cast of Wicked, she played 'Fantine' in Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre and 'Ellen' in the national tour of Miss Saigon. Ellis created the role of 'Meat' in the original London cast of the Queen/Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre and took part in the Queen's Golden Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. In 2001, she understudied the role of 'Eliza Dolittle' in My Fair Lady at the National Theatre and Drury Lane, playing the role opposite Jonathan Pryce on many occasions. Other credits include the national tour of Magic of the Musicals and 'Mary' in Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. Recent workshops include Way Beyond Blue, and the title role in Helen of Troy, directed by Gary Griffin.  

"Over a quarter of a million people have already seen Wicked since its first public performance at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre on 7 September 2006," state press notes on the show, which "tells the incredible story of an extraordinary friendship between two girls: the blond and popular Glinda and the misunderstood green girl, Elphaba, whose destiny is to become the Wicked Witch of the West."

Based on the acclaimed novel 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West' by Gregory Maguire, the show has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman, music supervision by Stephen Oremus, orchestrations by William David Brohn, scenic design by Eugene Lee, costumes by Susan Hilferty, lighting by Kenneth Posner, sound by Tony Meola, projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, wig and hair designs by Tom Watson, music arrangements by Alex Lacamoire and Stephen Oremus, dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott, musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by Joe Mantello.

From January 1st, the principal London cast of Wicked is: Kerry Ellis as Elphaba, Helen Dallimore as Glinda, Adam Garcia as Fiyero, Miriam Margolyes as Madame Morrible, Nigel Planer as The Wizard, Martin Ball as Doctor Dillamond, James Gillan as Boq and Katie Rowley Jones as Nessarose. 

Visit www.wickedthemusical.co.uk for more information.