Cates and Morgain Lewis are the New Chicago Wicked Witches, Jan. 24

By: Dec. 01, 2005
KRISTIN CHENOWETH
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The smash sit-down Chicago production of Wicked will welcome a new Elphaba and Glinda on January 24th, 2006, when Kristy Cates and Stacie Morgain Lewis will succeed Ana Gasteyer and Kate Reinders as the respective green and pink witches.

Both Gasteyer (who has been cast in the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of The Threepenny Opera) and Reinders will play their final performance on January 22nd; both actresses have been with the show since it began its sell-out run at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts' Oriental Theatre (24 West Randolph Street) this summer.

Cates, who made her Broadway debut in Wicked's ensemble, has considerable experience with the role of Elphaba; she stood by in the role of the rebellious animal-loving witch on Broadway, and currently does so in Chicago. She was seen off-Broadway in Boobs! The Musical, and has performed regionally in john and jen and Into the Woods. She was also featured in the BroadwayWorld concert Unexpected Songs.

Morgain Lewis is also a standby--she is prepared to go on each night as Glinda in the Broadway company of Wicked. Her other Broadway credits include Urinetown and Titanic, while she has toured in South Pacific and has performed in regional productions of My Fair Lady, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and others.

Wicked's Chicago production also stars Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible, Heidi Kettenring as Nessarose, Gene Weygandt as The Wizard, Telly Leung as Boq, Steven Skybell as Doctor Dillamond, and Kristoffer Cusick as Fiyero.

Wicked, winner of 15 major awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, 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."

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the show boasts music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin) and a book by Winnie Holzman ("My So Called Life"). The show is directed by Tony award winner Joe Mantello (Assassins, Take Me Out) with musical staging by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who's Tommy). Wicked features sets by Tony Award winner Eugene Lee (Sweeney Todd), costumes by Tony Award-winner Susan Hilferty (Into the Woods), lighting by Kenneth Posner (Hairspray) and sound design by Tony Meola (The Lion King).

Wicked opened on Broadway (where it continues to be the top-grossing show) on October 30th, 2003 with Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as the respective green and pink witches. Shoshana Bean, Megan Hilty, Ben Vereen and Rue McClanahan currently star in the musical on Broadway (with Eden Espinosa, Carol Kane and Derrick Williams set to enter the show on January 10th), while Stephanie J. Block and Kendra Kassebaum headline a national tour that is currently circling the country.

For more information on the Chicago production of Wicked and to puchase tickets, visit www.wickedthemusical.com/chicago/.





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