Chicago WICKED Benefit Raises $22,000 for Habitat for Humanity

The cast of Chicago's record-breaking production of WICKED raised more than $22,000 dollars at its first ever cabaret benefit, There's No Place Like Home, on Monday, November 14 at 7 p.m. at Chicago's Park West Theatre, 322 W. Armitage Ave. More than 300 people attended the spell binding soiree showcasing talent from the cast Chicago's very own production of WICKED. The event – hosted by Rondi Reed, Madame Morrible in WICKED, and directed by Gene Weygandt, The Wizard – featured a series of variety acts and musical numbers from a diverse repertoiry ranging from Broadway classics to hip-hop. The evening culminated in the reveal of silent auction winners and a live auction of custom Nicolosi artwork.

WICKED fans traveled to the Windy City from as far as central Ohio for the event and to bid on memorabilia from the production which included an actual flying monkey mask. Prices were topped by a $2,500 bid for David Lee Csicsko's illustration. Other notable auction items included a "greening session" with WICKED's own makeup artist, Shon Harper; and autographed copies of Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch and Wicked.

Cast members preformed favorite show tunes, comic sketches and dance numbers, including a special presentation of Tom Waits' song "New Orleans", visually backed by projected images of Habitat for Humanity's current rebuilding efforts. "This was a rare opportunity for WICKED fans to not only support a great case, but to see cast members step out from their usual roles," says Chicago cast member Kristy Cates, a principle organizer for the event.

WICKED's commitment to community as well as their work with Habitat for Humanity will continue well beyond this experience. Warren Callahan, president of the Habitat for Humanity chapter, is making arrangements to open a work site on a Monday to allow the cast and friends to help participate in one of the many homes being built by Habitat in the Chicagoland area. The company looks forward to rolling up their sleeves and proving to another deserving family that there is indeed No Place Like Home.

About WICKED

WICKED, currently playing at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., stars Saturday Night Live and Northwestern University alum Ana Gasteyer as Elphaba; Midwest native and budding Broadway star Kate Reinders as Glinda; and Chicago's own stage veterans Rondi Reed, GENE WEYGANDT and Heidi Kettenring as Madame Morrible, The Wizard and Nessarose, respectively.

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.

WICKED is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

The Chicago company of WICKED is now playing at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays at 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 & 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets for WICKED are currently on sale and range in price from $25 to $85 and are available at all Broadway in Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St. and 151 W. Randolph St.), through the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (312) 902-1400, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including all Carson Pirie Scott stores, Tower Records, Hot Tix, select Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com. Groups of 20 or more can receive a discount by calling (312) 977-1710.