'Wicked' Celebrates 5th Anniversary With Series of Events; Empire State Building to Glow Green 10/30

In honor of its 5th Anniversary on Broadway on October 30, the blockbuster musical Wicked will host several special events and promotions throughout the month of October.  Highlights include THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD NOT TAKEN, a one-night-only benefit performance featuring songs and scenes cut from early drafts of the musical, as well as two of New York's most recognizable landmarks going green in honor of our anniversary: on October 27, the Empire State Building will glow green for the night and on October 30, Playbill's trademark yellow banner will be specially printed green, the first time in the publication's history that it has altered its masthead.

Several events with Wicked author Gregory Maguire, composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book writer Winnie Holzman, as well as Wicked producers Marc Platt and David Stone, are also scheduled, as is the release of a "Deluxe Package" CD of the Original Cast Recording, featuring a bonus disc with international and pop recordings of Wicked's most popular songs.

Additionally, the musical will be celebrating its annual Wicked Day anniversary landmark in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, where the national tour will be playing, as well as internationally in London, Stuttgart, Tokyo, and Melbourne.  A complete list of Wicked events can be found online at www.wickedday.com.

Below is a summary of 5th Anniversary events happening in New York.  For more information, please visit www.wickedday.com.

BARNES & NOBLE
DEBUTS EXCLUSIVE
"WICKED COLLECTION" IN STORES NATIONWIDE
This fall, Barnes & Noble has launched an exclusive "Wicked Collection" of gifts and decorative accessories in all stores nationwide.  Marking the first time that Barnes & Noble has partnered with, and debuted a line of merchandise inspired by, a Broadway musical, the collection features Wicked-inspired licensed products, including a signature Wicked journal that features popular lyrics from the musical on the endpapers, and a "Defy Gravity" tote, embellished with an illustration of an iconic moment from the Broadway blockbuster, among many others.

LIVE AT LINCOLN WITH Gregory Maguire
featuring A CAST PERFORMANCE
Thursday, October 23 - 5:00pm
Gregory Maguire, author of the best-selling novel on which Wicked is based, discusses his latest novel, A Lion Among Men, the third book in the Wicked series, with Bill Goldstein from WNBC-TV/ "Today in New York."  The free event, featuring a live musical performance by members of the Wicked Broadway company, will be held at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle (1972 Broadway @ 66th Street).

Gregory Maguire GOES BEHIND THE EMERALD CURTAIN
Saturday, October 25 - 10:00am
Now entering its 4th season, "Behind The Emerald Curtain," the exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at Wicked offered on Saturday mornings at the Gershwin Theatre (222 West 51st Street), will feature a special Q&A and book signing with Gregory Maguire.

92nd Street Y Tribeca presents
BEHIND THE BLOCKBUSTER:
AUTHOR Gregory Maguire IN CONVERSATION WITH
PRODUCER David Stone ON WHY WICKED MATTERS
Featuring Special Cast Performance
Sunday, October 26 - 7:00pm

Gregory Maguire and Wicked producer David Stone will discuss the special significance of Wicked and how the world of Oz is not all that different from ours, followed by a special appearance and performance by company members.  This special event begins at 7:00pm and will be held at the 92nd Street Y Tribeca (200 Hudson Street, just south of Canal).

THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD NOT TAKEN
Monday, October 27 - 7:30pm
In THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD NOT TAKEN, Wicked composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book writer Winnie Holzman will share some of the scenes and songs from early drafts of the musicAl Blockbuster in this special one-night-only benefit performance, directed by Matt Lenz.  Featuring material performed publicly for the first time, as well as songs cut during the show's development and pre-Broadway engagement, this one-night-only event will tell the story of Wicked the way it's never been told before and will illuminate the various paths the writers took in creating what has become one of the most popular Broadway musicals. The evening's proceeds will be donated to the New York Restoration Project.

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
TO SHINE GREEN IN HONOR OF WICKED'S 5TH ANNIVERSARY
Monday, October 27 - Dusk - Midnight

In honor of the 5th Anniversary of Broadway's biggest blockbuster, The Empire State Building will transform Manhattan into the Emerald City when New York's #1 landmark turns green.  Be sure to "look to the western sky" when the sun goes down.

"FROM PAGE TO STAGE" PANEL DISCUSSION
with Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman, and Marc Platt
Tuesday, October 28 - 6:30pm

The Museum of the City of New York (1220 5th Ave. @ 103rd St.) will host a special discussion dedicated to the creation of Wicked.  Moderated by David Cote, chief critic of Time Out New York, the panel will feature composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz, book writer Winnie Holzman, and producer Marc Platt discussing the process of adapting the novel into the stage musical that would become a Broadway blockbuster.

SPECIAL EDITION "DELUXE PACKAGE"
OF ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING --
BONUS DISC FEATURES NEVER-BEFORE-RELEASED TRACKS
PLUS "FOR GOOD" SUNG BY LeAnn Rimes AND DELTA GOODREM
Tuesday, October 28 Release Date

On October 28, Decca Broadway will release a special 5th Anniversary "Deluxe Package" CD featuring the Grammy Award-winning Original Cast Recording of Wicked, plus a new bonus disc with never-before-released recordings and specialty items.

The Bonus CD includes a pop duet of "For Good" by recording stars LeAnn Rimes and Delta Goodrem, produced by legend Phil Ramone and recorded especially for this release.  Other special tracks include a pop version of I'm Not That Girl produced by Brian May of Queen and performed by current Broadway Elphaba; Kerry Ellis; an Idina Menzel "dance mix" version of Defying Gravity; and Making Good, which was cut from the original production, featuring Stephanie J. Block accompanied by Stephen Schwartz on the piano.

Stephen Schwartz AT THE PIANO AND IN CONVERSATION
Thursday, October 30th - 5:30pm

Composer Stephen Schwartz will appear in conversation with Carol de Giere, author of Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked at Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Triangle (1972 Broadway @ 66th Street).

PLAYBILL GOES GREEN FOR ONE-NIGHT ONLY
Thursday, October 30

In honor of the actual 5th Anniversary date, Playbill's trademark yellow masthead will be printed green for one performance only - a collector's keepsake for all lucky audience members and every Wicked fan.

ABOUT WICKED

Winner of 20 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.

Declared "A Cultural Phenomenon" by Variety, Wicked currently has productions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Stuttgart, Melbourne, and on a North American tour.  Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman.  The production 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.

ABOUT WICKED DAY

Marking the anniversary of the hit musical's opening, Wicked Day has been held on the last Sunday of October since 2003 as a special celebration for the community and the show's fans.  Last year, the Producers of Wicked chose to do something "For Good" by partnering with the non-profit New York Restoration Project and restoring a public community garden at West 150th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in upper Manhattan.  NYRP Founder and Chairwoman Bette Midler hosted the opening ceremony of "The Friendship Garden," which featured a performance by the cast and a free block party for the community and Wicked fans.

For more information on Wicked Day events in New York and in other cities, please visit www.WickedDay.com.

For more information on Wicked, please visit www.wickedthemusical.com.