Marc Platt News

This just in! Theatre fans need not worry, as we're told that the character names in Disney's upcoming film of INTO THE WOODS *are* faithful to the original material. Some incorrect names were published online in error and have now been corrected.

The Wicked Witch of the West from the award-winning musical theatre blockbuster WICKED flew into Sydney today, ahead of the first performance at the Capitol Theatre on September 20 and an exciting summer season. Landing by helicopter at Macquarie lighthouse at South Head, Elphaba 'The Wicked Witch' was greeted by the Winky Prince Fiyero, munchkin Boq and citizens of the Emerald City in Oz. Scroll down for photos of her grand entrance!

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2011, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to the Detroit Opera House, December 10 - January 4. Tickets go on sale Today, September 12 at 10 AM at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 1-800-982-2787, online at www.ticketmaster.com/wicked or www.broadwayindetroit.com and at the Fisher Theatre and Detroit Opera House box offices.

Today we are talking to one of the most successful and accomplished composers and lyricists in Broadway and Hollywood history all about his participation in next week's hotly anticipated charity event UPRISING OF LOVE, co-produced with Bruce Cohen, hosted by Jane Lynch and starring Sting and Patti LuPone, among others - the one and only Stephen Schwartz. Schwartz sheds lights on what inspired him to curate the evening, as well as previews some of the entertainment set to be on hand and what audiences can expect from the Dustin Lance Black-penned benefit to raise awareness of gay bullying and support equal rights for all. Additionally, Schwartz looks back at his many major musical landmarks and touches upon the current revival of PIPPIN as well as long-running Broadway hit WICKED and the currently in development film adaptation of it. Plus, Schwartz comments on the upcoming screen-to-stage adaptation of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, currently set to premiere in La Jolla later this year. Furthermore, Schwartz shares news on the development of several current projects he is working on at the moment, including the new stage musical based on the life of Emanuel Schikaneder and the animated big screen A.R. Rahman collaboration MUMBAI MUSICAL, with remarks on the recent stateside premieres of new musical MY FAIRY TALE and musical revue SNAPSHOTS, too. All of that, thoughts on Ariana Grande and Kanye West sampling 'Popular', GLEE covering 'Defying Gravity', reflections on some lesser-known compositions from his solo albums RELUCTANT PILGRIM and UNCHARTED TERRITORY, thoughts on a Broadway production of CHILDREN OF EDEN and much, much more!

WICKED, the smash hit musical that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, has announced the opening of its 18th new booking period, on Monday 8 September 2014 at 10.00am, with 500,000 new tickets going on sale for performances until Saturday 7 November 2015.

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held for WICKED, which is returning to the Ed Mirvish Theatre for a nine-week engagement September 3 through November 2. Two and one-half hours prior to each performance, people who present themselves at the Ed Mirvish Theatre box office, 244 Victoria Street will have their names placed in a lottery drum; thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person. Lottery participants must have a valid photo ID when submitting their entry form and, if chosen, when purchasing tickets.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2011, WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to the Detroit Opera House, December 10 - January 4. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 12 at 10 AM at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 1-800-982-2787, online at www.ticketmaster.com/wicked or www.broadwayindetroit.com and at the Fisher Theatre and Detroit Opera House box offices.

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held for WICKED, which is making its South Bay premiere at San Jose's Center for the Performing Arts (255 S. Almaden Blvd.) with performances from August 27 - September 14. Two and one-half hours prior to each performance, people who present themselves at the Center for the Performing Arts box office will have their names placed in a lottery drum; thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person. Lottery participants must have a valid photo ID when submitting their entry form and, if chosen, when purchasing tickets.

The 14th Annual Helpmann Awards were presented live from Sydney's Capitol Theatre and broadcast on Foxtel's Arena. Host Jonathan Biggins was joined by some of Australia's most talented performers and industry leaders to announce this year's winners while recognising the distinguished artistic achievement and excellence across the major disciplines of Australia's live performance industry.

The company of the first North American tour of WICKED will welcome back Kim Zimmer as Madame Morrible on Tuesday, September 30 in Albuquerque, NM.

The Helpmann Awards, which has recognised the achievements in live performance in Australia since 2001, is the Australian industry's equivalent of the Tony Awards and the Olivier Awards.

SHOW BOAT, the first great contemporary musical opens tonight, August 16 in Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre for 10 performances.

Due to extraordinary demand, new tickets have been released for the Sydney season of the award-winning musical theatre blockbuster WICKED. With performances at Sydney's Capitol Theatre beginning on September 20, new tickets have been released for performances from 18 to 23 November.

SHOW BOAT, the first great contemporary musical opens on August 16 in Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre for 10 performances.

WICKED, the global musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, just announced that Ashleigh Gray (Elphaba), Emily Tierney (Glinda), Samuel Edwards (Fiyero), Marilyn Cutts (Madame Morrible), Steven Pinder (The Wizardand Doctor Dillamond), Carina Gillespie (Nessarose), Richard Vincent (Boq), Jacqueline Hughes (Standby Elphaba), Joe Atkinson, Joshua Berg, Chrissy Brooke, Ben Carruthers, Harrison Clark, Lauren Ellis-Steele, Oliver Evans, Victoria Farley, Natasha Ferguson, Zoe George, Natalie Green, Will Knights, Sophie Leigh-Griffin, Candy Marriot, Tom Mather, Brian McCann, Ashley Morgan-Davies, Stephanie Powell, Wendy-Lee Purdy, Elisha Sherman, Grant Thresh, Hannah Veerapen and Danny Whitehead will star in the record-breaking UK Tour from Tuesday 16 September 2014 at Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Just yesterday BroadwayWorld brought you the new teaser tailer for the highly anticipated Into the Woods film, which hits theatres this Christmas. Now, treat yourself again to the sneak peek- this time is glorious high definition!

Disney's hotly anticipated big screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's fairy tale-themed musical INTO THE WOODS is coming this Christmas and the director of the enterprise, Rob Marshall, offers some observations on the starry cast of the film in a new interview.

The NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK (NNPN), the country's alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, announces its 44th, 45th, and 46th Rolling World Premieres: Nathan Alan Davis' Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea, Andrew Hinderaker's Colossal, and William Missouri Downs' Women Playing Hamlet will receive a total of 12 productions through the Network's Continued Life of New Plays Fund in the 2014/15 season.

The company of the first North American tour of Wicked welcomes Chandra Lee Schwartz as Glinda and Etai BenShlomo today, July 29 in Salt Lake City, UT.

A great, big Broadway season is on its way, with fourteen productions already slated to open in the next few months. With several weeks until the craziness begins, there is plenty of time to catch up on what's been going on at Broadway's occupied theaters . BroadwayWorld will be profiling the hits of the Great White Way that continue to draw crowds after months, years, and (in some cases) decades. Meet the current cast of Broadway's WICKED below!