WICKED Returns to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 2/3-2/28

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2006 and 2007, the
smash-hit musical WICKED returns to the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center), February 3-28. Tickets are on sale now.

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.

"We are delighted to host the return of WICKED at the Straz Center," said Straz Center President and Chief Executive Officer, Judy Lisi. "The show generates so much excitement in our community and among our patrons. We are looking forward to a month of high-quality performances and sold-out houses."

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 "the best musical of the decade" by Entertainment
Weekly, 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 an 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.

Grammy Award-Winning Cast recording available on Decca Broadway. For more information about
WICKED log on to www.wickedthemusical.com.

WICKED is presented as part of the Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay series and will
play Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Feb. 3-28. Performances are
Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and a matinee on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. There will be a post-show talkback on Wednesday, Feb. 10, in the theater following the performance. Regularly priced tickets start at $50 and may be purchased by calling 813.229.STAR (7827) or 800.955.1045 outside Tampa Bay, in person at the Straz Center Ticket Office or online at www.strazcenter.org.

For more information about the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts and its upcoming events, please visit www.strazcenter.org.