Espinosa, Kane and Williams Are New Broadway Wicked Stars, Jan. 10

By: Nov. 28, 2005
KRISTIN CHENOWETH
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Three new stars will enter Oz on January 10th, 2006, when Eden Espinosa, Carol Kane and Derrick Williams join the show.

They will, respectively, replace Shoshana Bean as Elphaba, Rue McClanahan as Madame Morrible and David Ayers as Fiyero. All three stars are Wicked veterans. Espinosa, early in the Wicked run, covered both Elphaba and Nessarose, and Kane currently plays Madame Morrible in the national tour. Williams is also a star of the national tour (as Fiyero); he was featured as an ensemble member in the show's original cast.

Espinosa, who recently made her concert debut at Town Hall, was nominated for a 2005 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance for playing the title role in Brooklyn. Regionally, she has appeared in Triumph of Love, and can be heard on the concept album of Bright Lights, Big City, on The Maury Yeston Songbook and on John McDaniel Live at Joe's Pub, among other credits.

Kane has appeared on Broadway in the recent revival of Sly Fox, as well as in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds and in Ring Around the Bathtub. Her off-Broadway credits include The Exonerated, The Guys, The Vagina Monologues and The Tempest, while she has been seen on screen in Carnal Knowledge, Annie Hall, Dog Day Afternoon, The Princess Bride, Addams Family Values and many others; she was Oscar-nominated for her performance in Hester Street.

Williams, in addition to his Wicked credits, has appeared on Broadway in Aida and Swing!; he also performed in the national tours of Aida and Smokey Joe's Cafe. Other credits include Five Guys Named Moe, Jesus Christ Superstar and Once On This Island.

In addition to Bean, McClanahan and Ayers, the Broadway production of Wicked also features Megan Hilty as Glinda, Ben Vereen as The Wizard, Michelle Federer as Nessarose, Sean McCourt as Doctor Dillamond and Robb Sapp as Boq.

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."

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, costumes by Tony Award-winner Susan Hilferty, lighting by Kenneth Posner and sound design by Tony Meola.

Wicked opened at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.) 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. Stephanie J. Block and Kendra Kassebaum headline the national tour that is currently circling the country, while the hit Chicago production stars Ana Gasteyer and Kate Reinders.

Wicked tickets can be ordered by calling (212) 307-4100 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com.


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