New WICKED cast
New WICKED cast
#0New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:24pm
EDEN ESPINOSA
CAROL KANE
DERRICK WILLIAMS
To Join The Broadway Production Of
‘WICKED’ On Tuesday, January 10
On Tuesday, January 10, three new principal cast members will join the Broadway company of the smash-hit musical WICKED at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.). Eden Espinosa, who recently played the role of Elphaba to great acclaim in the San Francisco engagement of the show’s national tour, will assume the role in the Broadway production. Ms. Espinosa, who starred in the Broadway production of Brooklyn, was also the original Standby for Elphaba on Broadway. Carol Kane, well-known for her Emmy-winning role on TV’s “Taxi” and such films as Annie Hall and Hester Street (for which she received an Academy Award nomination), will become Broadway’s new Madame Morrible, a role she originated WICKED’s national tour. Derrick Williams will assume the role of Fiyero in the Broadway production. Mr. Williams had previously understudied the role on Broadway and was the original Fiyero in the show’s national tour.
Shoshana Bean (Elphaba) and Megan Hilty (Glinda) currently star with Tony Award winner Ben Vereen (the Wizard) in WICKED on Broadway, with Rue McClanahan (Madame Morrible) and David Ayers (Fiyero), Michelle Federer (Nessarose), Sean McCourt (Dr. Dillamond) and Robb Sapp (Boq).
Called “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” by The New York Times and “a cultural phenomenon” by Variety, WICKED has been sold out at virtually every performance since having its official opening at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003, breaking house records with box office receipts of over $1.3 million per week. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. Directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento, WICKED is currently being presented on Broadway, on a national tour, and in a separate, open-ended engagement at Chicago’s Ford Center for Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre.
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.
EDEN ESPINOSA (Elphaba) made her Broadway debut in Wicked as Standby for both Elphaba and Nessarose. She recently played Elphaba to great acclaim in the San Francsico engagement of the show’s national tour. Ms. Espinosa starred as the title character on Broadway in Brooklyn, The Musical, a role she created in workshop, performed throughout the first production at the Denver Civic Theatre and onto Broadway.
CAROL KANE (Madame Morrible). Stage: Larry Gelbart’s Sly Fox; Control Freak, Signature, The Lucky Spot and Family Week by Beth Henley; Shakespeare's The Tempest, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream; John Cassavetes' A Women of Mystery; Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny; Feydeau's He Hunts. Television includes “Taxi” (two Emmys), “Pearl,” “Seinfeld,” “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Chicago Hope” (Emmy nomination) and “Beggars & Choosers.” Film includes Carnal Knowledge, The Last Detail, Annie Hall, Hester Street (Academy Award nomination), Dog Day Afternoon, The World's Greatest Lover, When a Stranger Calls, The Princess Bride, Scrooged, The Lemon Sisters, The Pallbearer, Office Killer, Trees Lounge, Addams Family Values, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, The Pacifier and Cosmopolitan.
DERRICK WILLIAMS (Fiyero) was in the original Broadway cast of Wicked and created the role of Fiyero in the show’s national tour. Other Boadway credits include Aida and Swing!; and first national tours of Aida and Smokey Joe's Café. He has also been seen in episodes of the TV comedy hit “The Chapelle Show.”
The performance schedule for WICKED at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.) is Tuesdays at 7 PM; Wednesday through Saturdays at 8 PM; matinees on Wednesdays & Saturdays at 2 PM; Sundays at 3 PM. The scale of prices is $50 - $110. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100 (or www.ticketmaster.com) or at the Gershwin Theatre box office. For more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com.
Happy...Everything!
Kaye Thompson
#1re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:25pmSorry, I believe you, just wondering if there was a link for the news.
#2re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:26pmI just actually got the info from allthatchat.com message board....passing it on to you guys.
Happy...Everything!
Kaye Thompson
broadwaybelter
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/26/04
#3re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:28pmthat'd be great if Eden could go back into the role, she was amazing, best of luck to her
PJ
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#5re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:37pmI was lucky enough to see Eden in the role on March 21, 2004. She was fantastic and really deserves this. Congrats!
#6re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:40pm
http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=521963
Ugh, now there are going to be 1,000 threads about this news.
DefyingPopular
Featured Actor Joined: 4/10/05
#7re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:45pm
#8re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:45pmOhhh yeah, expect 10000 million threads about Eden taking over the role of Elphaba. I think many people expected this though. Oh well, another trip to NYC to see the new Elphaba is on its way...
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
cubbiegirl
Stand-by Joined: 11/15/05
#9re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:47pmOh..I met Derrick last Wednesday..I thought he was a great Fiyero. He's a hottie. :)
Jim Caruso: You know, you are doing Wicked.
Stephanie J Block: I am!
Jim: Is anyone coming to that old thing?
Stephanie J Block: I am!
Jim: Is anyone coming to that old thing?
IveGottaBeME
Leading Actor Joined: 1/15/05
#11re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:01pmwho will be replacing Derrick in the tour????
Slotted spoons don't hold much soup
whatacharacter
Leading Actor Joined: 8/19/05
#12re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:18pmDERRICK WILLIAMS???????????? why can't they find anyone decent to play this role??? More then a pretty fce is required, but that's all they seem to focus on in the casting... how about ability to act? Or at least act well enough to convince the audience that you would be interested in either girl! Norbert and Taye were good, Joey Mac was so so, but since then...
#13re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:19pm
I'm so happy for Eden! 
I can't think of anyone more deserving. I liked Derrick as Fiyero, so I'm happy for him too. Not a fan of Carol Kane's Morrible, but at least she's better than Rue.
#14re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:21pmDAMN! While I love Eden I was really hoping that Ana would head over to NYC so everyone could see just how fabulous she is.
"My father warned me about men and booze, but he never mentioned a word about women and cocaine" - Tallulah Bankhead
AugustusGloop
Chorus Member Joined: 10/26/05
#15re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:24pmSebastian Arcelus will likely be the next Fiyero on the tour.
#16re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:38pmI was really hoping for Ana, too. Can anyone give opinions (I have never seen Eden) of Eden compared to Stephanie or Sho?
Pretty pretty please don't you ever ever feel like you're less than f**ckin' perfect!
#17re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:41pmI think Eden is better than Sho, and as good as Steph (but very different).
#18re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:47pmWell, good... Sounds perfect.
Pretty pretty please don't you ever ever feel like you're less than f**ckin' perfect!
#19re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:48pmdoes this mean Michelle STILL isn't leaving wicked? damn that girl has been there a long time
#20re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:49pmMichelle is leaving. They just haven't announced her replacement yet. I think Ben is leaving too.
#21re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:59pmI really want to know who's replacing Michelle. I hope it's someone completely fresh and not from any of the pre-existing casts. I'm not sure if I'll even see Wicked again though...so whatever. (On Broadway, I'll see the tour when it comes around because...well because.)
--Like an odd exotic creature on display inside a zoo, hearing children asking questions makes me ask some questions too...--
#22re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 2:59pmah ok. so, after michelle leaves, the only original cast member will be Asmeret, right?
#23re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 3:00pm
THIS IS THE BEST NEWS I'VE EVER READ! I'M SO HAPPY FOR HER!
Her mom told me at the last day of the SF Tour that "She loves this role so much" and now, this!
*dances around room*
And to make things even better, Derrick got his gig too! He's been with this company from the beginning since SF Try-outs and now! Oh, what a gift!
#24re: New WICKED cast
Posted: 11/28/05 at 3:01pmYay! I'm glad of that. (especially since I'm going to buy tickets this weekend) I've only heard a few songs with her as Elphaba, but she sounded fantastic.
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
