‘Wicked’ Returns to Pantages

Wicked is coming back to The Pantages in Hollywood on Dec. 10. The award winning musical that The New York Times has called ”Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” will be back in time for the holiday season and run through March 2015.

Gregory Maguire wrote the novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”, on which the musical is based. In 2003, Wicked made its debut on the Broadway stage in New York City at Gershwin Theatre on October 30. The following year it won three Tony’s but didn’t manage to snag the ‘Best Musical’ one that year, or any year that followed. Despite never taking the big prize, the show has continued to be a major moneymaker.

Wicked tells the back-story of Wizard of Oz. Instead of following Dorothy and her cast of misplaced yellow brick road comrades, the tale is told from the perspective of the infamous witches from The Land of Oz. The action starts before Dorothy lands in Oz and continues after she comes into town. It’s a love story that puts Elphaba Thropp (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda Upland (later known as Glinda the Good) at each other’s throats as their personalities clash and as their interest in the same person, Fiyero Tigelaar, takes a toll on their relationship. In the end, audiences can see how Elphaba became Wicked Witch.

When the show debuted, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth stole the show as the lead witches and were nominated for numerous awards. Menzel walked away with the Tony for “Best Actress in a Musical” over her costar Chenoweth. While fans would love to see those two reprise their roles, they will not be at the upcoming Pantages run because in the past decade they have both moved on in their careers.

Since its debut, Wicked has been seen all over the United States and has international casts in many countries. Tickets for the shows are already on sale for all the dates, including Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day. It’s best to get tickets before it’s too late.

‘Wicked’ will be running from Dec. 10 through March 15 at the Pantages Theatre. Tickets are available here.