Andy Karl Joins WICKED as 'Fiyero'

Beginning performances Tuesday, February 2, Andy Karl will assume the role of Fiyero in the Broadway production of WICKED. He joins a cast which includes Dee Roscioli as Elphaba, Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda, Tony Award-winner Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Alex Brightman as Boq, Jenny Fellner as Nessarose, and Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond. Through January 31, Kevin Kern will play the role of Fiyero.

Andy Karl originated the roles of Luke in Altar Boyz, Joe in 9 to 5, and the UPS Guy in Legally Blonde. He was also seen on the MTV reality show "Search for...Elle Woods." Other credits include The Wedding Singer, Saturday Night Fever, Disney's On the Record, and Stephen Sondheim's Saturday Night. He has appeared in the films On The One and New York, I Love You. He received the ACCA Award for Legally Blonde and was nominated for a Carbonell Award for Romeo & Bernadette. Andy is a proud composer/lyricist at BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.

WICKED, which was recently called "the defining musical of the decade" by The New York Times, currently has eight productions across the globe: in New York, San Francisco, London, Germany, Japan, Australia, and on two concurrent North American National Tours. WICKED has amassed over $1.7 billion globally in ticket sales and has been seen by over 21 million people worldwide in its 7-year history.

Winner of 26 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.

Declared "A Cultural Phenomenon" by Variety and "The Best Musical of the Decade" by Entertainment Weekly, WICKED is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, 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.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com/wicked. For more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com. WICKED is performed at the Gershwin Theatre, 222 West 51st Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.