Photo Coverage: WICKED Flies Into London!

Last night at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London, the Broadway smash-hit "Wicked" opened to deafening applause throughout. In what has been described as a very atypical Lodon audience response (but very typical for this show) - each cast members entrance was met with thunderous applause. The energy in the theater during and after such signature songs as "The Wizard and I", "Defying Gravity" and "For Good" could probably be felt across the street at Billy Elliot. The curtain came down and the audience took to its feet to welcome West End's newest offering. After the show, everyone headed over to the Royal Courts of Justice (on the Strand) for a wickedly good party and BroadwayWorld.com was there! Check out these photos from the opening night celebration.

Complete video coverage featuring interviews with the cast and clips from the show will be on BroadwayWorld.com soon!

WICKED, Broadway's top-selling musical of the last two years, tells the untold story of the legendary witches from L. Frank Baum's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The musical opened at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre on Wednesday 27 September with previews from Thursday 7 September. Winner of fifteen major awards, including the Grammy and three Tonys, WICKED has played to over two million people since opening at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway in October 2003. The musical is also playing to sell-out audiences in Chicago and on a record-breaking North American tour.

The principal London cast of WICKED stars idina menzel, who is recreating her Tony Award-winning Broadway performance as Elphaba, Helen Dallimore, who made her West End debut as Glinda, Adam Garcia as Fiyero, Miriam Margolyes as Madame Morrible, Nigel Planer as The Wizard, Katie Rowley Jones as Nessarose, James Gillan as Boq and Martin Ball as Doctor Dillamond. Kerry Ellis will be standby for Elphaba before taking over the role in January 2007 and Annalene Beechey will be the standby for Glinda.

The company will include: Simon Adkins, Paul Ayres, Joseph Connor, Nadine Cox, Sarah Earnshaw, Jye Frasca, Maria Graciano, Nicky Griffiths, Simon Hardwick, Pippa Higgs, Melissa Hunte, Cassidy Janson, Caroline Keiff, Joshua Lacey, Andy Mace, Dominic Shaw, Philippa Stefani, Craig Stein, Oliver Tompsett, Tim Walton and Kerry Washington. Photos by Jake Brunger and Craig Brockman

The theatre... The scene outside the green carpet. The entrance to the Wicked party Adam Garcia (Fiyero) Alan Cumming The all-girl band -- All Angels! The Ensemble! James Gillan (Boq) Martin Ball (Doctor Dillamond) Miriam Margolyes (Madamme Morrible) Susan Hilferty (Costumes) Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel Wayne Cilento (Choreographer)