Wicked Has Come to Los Angeles

Halloween came a day early at Universal Studios, Hollywood Monday as Broadway's smash hit Wicked flew into town announcing the upcoming cast of the Los Angeles sit-down production of the musical, opening at the Pantages Theatre early next year.

Producer Marc Platt took to the outdoor stage at Universal's City Walk and revealed that Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty will once again tackle the roles of Elpheba and Glinda, having both recently performed the roles in the long-running Broadway production.  And in a surprise announcement, Platt also disclosed a handful of other casting decisions, including Carol Kane as Madame Morrible, Kristoffer Cusick as Fiyero, Jenna Leigh Green as Nesssarose, Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond and Adam Wiley as Boq.  

"We wanted to bring the best company we could to Los Angeles," said Platt.  "It's a very special place, as it's my home.  Wicked was given its birth here at Universal and I've always been proud of the fact that it has come from L.A.  Winnie (Holzman) is from here as well as some of our actors.  I've always resented people in New York in my Broadway world claiming that L.A. isn't a theatre kind of town.  So we were looking to bring the best possible production and the best possible cast that we could...It's going to be an absolutely thrilling, exciting and exceptional production."

"I love those two women, they are incredible performers," said writer Winnie Holzman.  "We are really proud of them, as they have been with us from the beginning.  They were standbys and then moved up, so it makes you feel very proud."

Holzman remembers sitting in front of a piano on the Universal lot nearly 3 years ago with Schwartz and Platt as they played the first songs written for Wicked, "As Long as You're Mine," "No One Mourns the Wicked" and "One Short Day."

"The thrilling idea that we didn't know the whole story of the Wicked Witch of the West was just an exciting idea," said Holzman.  "And the fact that it turns out the Wicked Witch was college roommates with Glinda the Good Witch is not just really adorable, it makes you curious about them.  That's what continues to delight me about the show."

Espinosa, who along with playing Elphaba on Broadway, was recognized for her performance in Brooklyn the Musical, explained what drew her back to the Wicked role.  "The last time I did it on Broadway, it was really about discovering how I related to Elpheba and how I portrayed her, along with my perspective on how she feels," she said.  "I have never worked so hard in my life, but once I get out there, I just enjoy the show so much.  Megan (Hilty) was a huge selling point for me doing L.A.  We just have an amazing time together and it's just easy with her."

Hilty, sporting a newly colored brown hairdo, expressed similar sentiments in regards to her reprising the role of Glinda in the upcoming

L.A. production.  "The great thing about this role is that it is so richly written," she said.  "Glinda has such a huge transition throughout the course of the show, it's always exciting to explore that...I've only been here in L.A. for a couple days at a time, so it will be nice to be here for an extended period of time."

After the casting announcement, composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz joined Espinosa and Hilty on stage performing "The Wizard and I," "Popular" and "For Good," as Wicked fans, many dressed in various green and pink witch costumes, sang along with the Witches of Oz.

Along with the cast announcement and concert, fans were able to participate in a Wicked karaoke contest, a costume contest, makeup makeovers and various other Oz-themed activities.  Original cast recording samplers, along with posters and green and pink cupcakes seemed to be the most popular goodies amongst the younger fans in attendance.

The Grammy Award-winning original cast recording of Wicked, produced by Schwartz for Decca Broadway, has been one of the fastest-selling Broadway recordings of recent years.  In October 2005, it was certified "Gold" by the Recording Industry Association of America, for sales of more than 500,000 copies, according to a press release.

Tickets for the Los Angeles production of Wicked are on sale at www.broadwayla.org, by phone at 213-365-3500 or 715-740-7878, and in person at the Pantages Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster outlets.

Photos:  By James Sims