Video: Go Inside WICKED's Pride Performance With a Speech From Brad Oscar

Wicked recently hosted a special Pride performance on Broadway, honoring members of the LGBTQIA+ community on and off the stage. Following the performance, Brad Oscar – who currently plays the Wizard in the production – delivered a speech to the audience to commemorate the special night.

"I am honored to be part of this Broadway company of Wicked and we are so glad that you're here tonight celebrating our Pride performance. An evening that holds deep meaning for many of us on stage and offstage. As someone who has spent most of my life in the theater, I have seen firsthand how powerful this art form can be in celebrating individuality, identity, and truth. And what is pride if not that? Living out loud, embracing who you are, and making space for others to do the same."

Oscar went on to discuss how the iconic musical's powerful message can uplift and inspire others to "defy gravity in your own beautiful way."

"Wicked at its heart has always been a story about outsiders finding their power, about the magic that happens when we choose compassion over fear. Oz is richer because of its differences, just like our own world. So tonight and every night, we honor the strength, the resilience, and the beauty of the LGBTQIA+ community. We celebrate how far we've come and we recognize how far we still have to go. So, let us never stop striving for a world that is safer, freer, and more inclusive for all. Thank you so much for joining us. Happy Pride to you all. May you all defy gravity in your own beautiful way."

Wicked will host a Broadway Pride Block Party this Friday, June 27 from 1PM – 4PM in the breezeway of the Gershwin Theatre (222 W 51st St), bringing together Broadway fans, artists, and allies in a vibrant afternoon of music, giveaways, games, photo ops, and Pride-filled fun. The event is free and open to the public.

Participating shows include & Juliet, Buena Vista Social Club, Cabaret, Chicago, Death Becomes Her, Disney on Broadway, Gypsy, Hell’s Kitchen, Just in Time, Maybe Happy Ending, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Operation Mincemeat, Six, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Outsiders, and The Play That Goes Wrong. The Pride Block Party will also include giveaways from Bagel Market and NYC Bagel Tours and the Museum of Broadway. Other on-site participants include Playbill and Scenery Bags.

About Wicked on Broadway

Currently the 4th longest-running show in Broadway history, Wicked is currently in its 22nd year on Broadway.

Winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and China) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese. Wicked has been seen by over 70 million people worldwide and has over $6 billion in global sales. 

In addition to the Broadway production, Wicked in North America has enjoyed unprecedented record-breaking sit-down engagements in Chicago, where it ran for nearly four years; Los Angeles, where it ran for two years; and San Francisco, where it ran for nearly two years, as well as two North American Tours.

The Broadway sensation Wicked looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle.  Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “Wicked.”

With a thrilling score that includes the hits “Defying Gravity,” “Popular” and “For Good,” Wicked has been hailed by The New York Times as “the defining musical of the decade,” and by Time Magazine as “a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart, and courage.”  NBC Nightly News calls the hit musical “the most successful Broadway show ever.” 

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman.  The production is directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello with musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento.  Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

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