'Wicked' Returns Its Enchantment To Arsht Center

"Best musical of the decade"

-- Entertainment Weekly

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BROADWAY'S BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER TO RETURN TO THE ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

TICKETS ON SALE - FRIDAY, JANUARY 15   PLAYING MARCH 3 - 21

WICKED 

BY Stephen Schwartz AND Winnie Holzman

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY Gregory Maguire 

TICKETS GO ON PUBLIC SALE FRIDAY, JANUARY 15

Special Box Office Hours:

8 a.m. to 10 a.m. In-Person Only

Starting at 10 a.m. Phone and Web Sales Available 

MIAMI - After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2007, WICKED, the smash-hit musical, will return to The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County.  Tickets for the return engagement go on sale Friday, January 15 at 8 a.m. IN PERSON ONLY at the box office. Beginning at 10 a.m., tickets will be available by phone at (305) 949-6722 or online at www.arshtcenter.org. Group rates are available NOW for groups of 20 or more, and may be purchased by calling (786) 468-2326 or (954) 626-7814.  Tickets range from $41.50 - 143.50. 

A popular personality from Lite FM will be broadcasting live from the Ziff Ballet Opera House Friday, January 15 from 8:00am to 10:00am. Prizes will be awarded all morning long. One lucky fan will be able to "Fly to the Front of the line" and be the first to buy tickets. The first 100 people to arrive will receive a Wicked cap. Coffee and donuts will be provided for the event. 

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, 9 to 5) 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 26 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. 

 "America has embraced WICKED as the ultimate 21^st Century Blockbuster for many good reasons," said M. John Richard, President and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center.  "Most importantly, it has a story line that extends the imagination of the land we all know as Oz. WICKED delivers an engaging live performance experience for young and old alike." 

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 Witch.

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 just named "the defining musical of the decade" by The New York Times, WICKED continues to thrill audiences around the world. There are currently eight productions of WICKED worldwide, including two North American tours, a Broadway production, San Francisco 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 (Hairspray) and sound design by Tony Meola (The Lion King and the recent Man of La Mancha).  Stephen Oremus is the show's musical director.  Orchestrations are by William David Brohn, with dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott.

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