Sponsored Listings:
The imagined prequel to the Wizard of Oz captured the hearts of London’s West End audiences when it made its debut ten years ago.
So to celebrate Wicked! reaching its double digit birthday, we’ve put together some intriguing facts and figures you might not know about the show, which reveals how the wicked witch, Elphaba, and the good witch, Glinda, first met.
If you’re already an expert, why not take our “How Wicked are you?” quick quiz below first.
1. Even the previews sold out…
Before the show opened on September, 27, 2006 at the Apollo Theatre Victoria, it had 22 sell-out previews.
It got off to a broomstick flying start as it broke records in its first month, taking three quarters of a million (£761,125) in just one week (Oct 21-28, 2016) – a West End record.
2. It’s showing no signs of slowing down
Wicked! is now the 9th longest running show currently in the West End, and already in the all-time top 20.
3. Where did it begin?
‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, was written by Gregory Maguire in 1995, nearly a century after The Wizard of Oz was released (1900).
4. The magic is multi-lingual
If you’re familiar with Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish and Korean – then you’re in luck as the musical has been translated into those languages.
5. The green-skinned “monster”
MAC eyeshadow makeup is the secret ingredient to creating that emerald green look for Elphaba.
They use wide make-up brushes to cover the larger areas (face and neck) with small brushes to fill in the details,
Watch the video below to find out more from the behind the scenes make-up artists.
6. Spell-binding special effects
The spooky spectacle of flying monkeys and witches, not to mention people disappearing in puffs of smoke, mean the musical is one of the biggest draws for those who like their entertainment on a grand scale.
There are more than 2,000 LED lights used to produce the glorious technicolour backdrop, along with hundreds of costumes and tonnes of dry ice.
While each show has a technical handbook, much of it has to be adapted for each stage, as for instance the Apollo has a very high ceiling but a narrow stage.
7. What’s in a name?
Wicked creator, Gregory Maguire, had to invent the name Elphaba, as she is only referred to as The Wicked Witch in the L. Frank Baum novel.
Maguire made the name up using his fellow author’s initials, L.F.B to create the unusual moniker.
Perhaps he was inspired by Baum who had come up with the name of the fictional kingdom of Oz while staring at his filing cabinets (they were organised A-N and O-Z).
8. Already see the musical? Well that makes you one in 50 million
In London alone, more than 7m theatre goers have seen performances of Wicked!, with around 18,000 people seeing it every week.
9. Want to see it in another country?
So far there has been performances of Wicked! in 13 different countries around the world, including Australia and Brazil, which shows you the musical’s global popularity.
It’s also toured multiple cities in the US, where it made its Broadway debut in 2003, starring Idina Menzel (Elsa’s singing voice in Frozen) as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth (Glee) as Glinda, and Joel Grey (Best-supporting actor Oscar winner for Cabaret) as the Wizard.
10. Hear it at home
The original cast recording received the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2005 and went double-platinum in 2010.
Essential Wicked information
Seeing the show: Book Wicked! tickets
Getting there: Apollo Victoria Theatre, 17 Wilton Road, Westminster, London, SW1V 1LG
Source: lastminute.com