'Wicked' Broadway Blockbuster To Cast Spell On Broward Center

WICKED               (Photos By Joan Marcus)

BROADWAY'S BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER TO RETURN TO
BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ON MARCH 30th
* * *
TICKETS ON SALE SUNDAY DECEMBER 12
BY Stephen Schwartz AND Winnie Holzman
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY Gregory Maguire

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time at Broward Center for the
Performing Arts in 2008 WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, will return to Ft. Lauderdale this Spring for a limited 4-week engagement. Tickets for the return engagement go on sale Sunday, December 12 at 10:00a.m.  Tickets are available at the Box Office 201 SW Fifth Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, by phone (954) 462-0222 or online at www.browardcenter.org. Group rates are available NOW for groups of 20 or more, and may be purchased by calling (954) 462-0222 or (954) 626-7814. Tickets range from $29 to $89. VIP Ticket Packages are available at select performances and include premium seating.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Academy Award-winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman ("My So Called Life," "Once And Again" and "thirtysomething"), WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues) and features musical staging by Tony® Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who's Tommy, How To Succeed...).  Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED, winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards, is the untold story of the witches of Oz. It is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Au-Rene Theatre
201 SW Fifth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

"Broward Center for the Performing Arts was home to the South Florida debut of the acclaimed Broadway musical, Wicked, and we are thrilled to see it return to the Au Rene stage in our 20th anniversary celebration season," said Kelley Shanley, President/CEO, Broward Center for the Performing Arts. "This show has certainly had a significant impact on theater audiences worldwide, and South Florida has been no exception. Its broad appeal to audiences of all ages and the universal theme of self-discovery make it a memorable musical experience for all who attend. We know many theater-goers return to Wicked time and time again, and we look forward to
welcoming them here in Spring 2011."

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, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

WICKED has "cast quite a spell" (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston to name a few. Called "a cultural phenomenon" by Variety and named "the defining musical of the decade" by The New York Times, WICKED continues to thrill audiences around the world. There are currently seven productions of WICKED worldwide, including two North American tours, a Broadway production, London production, a Japanese-language production, a German-language production and Australian production. A Dutch-language
production of WICKED will open in 2011.

WICKED features set design by Tony® Award winner Eugene Lee (Ragtime, Show Boat, Candide, Sweeney Todd), costume design by Tony® winner Susan Hilferty (Into the Woods, Assassins), lighting design by Tony® nominee Kenneth Posner (The Coast of Utopia, Hairspray) and sound design by Tony Meola (The Lion King). Stephen Oremus is the show's musical director.

Orchestrations are by William David Brohn, with dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott.
Grammy Award-Winning Cast recording available on Decca Broadway. For more information about WICKED log on to www.wickedthemusical.com.

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