Broadway’s Biggest Blockbuster will Return to Philadelphia’s Academy of Music in July, 2007
April 5, 2006
Wicked returns in 2007!
Photo: Joan Marcus
Wicked, the smash-hit musical 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), based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, will fly back to Philadelphia at the Academy of Music on July 25, 2007 through August 19, 2007. Tickets for the encore presentation go on sale Sunday, April 9 at 9am. Wicked is part of the 2006/07 Kimmel Center Presents Broadway at the Academy theater season.
Wicked's current Philadelphia engagement (March 22 - April 9) has set box office records for three consecutive weeks as the highest-grossing touring show.
The musical is directed by 2003 and 2004 Tony® Award-winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Assassins, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues, Glengarry Glen Ross) and features musical staging by Tony® Award-winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed). Wicked, winner of 15 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.
Ticket prices range from $30 to $90. A limited number of Premium seats are available for $138. Performances include: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7:30pm; Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm; and Sunday evenings at 6:30pm. Matinee performances are Saturdays at 2pm, Sundays at 1pm and a weekday matinee on Thursday, July 26 at 2pm.
Tickets can be purchased beginning April 9 by calling 215-731-3333, online at www.kimmelcenter.org/broadway, (phone & website open at 9am) at the Kimmel Center box office, Broad & Spruce Sts. (open daily 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings) or the Academy of Music box office, Broad & Locust Sts., on performance afternoons and evenings only. Groups of 20 or more will receive discounts for select performances by calling 215-790-5883.
Subscribers to the 2006/2007 Season will have seats for the return engagement of Wicked held for them for a limited time and may choose to have Wicked added to their four-show subscription package. For subscription packages, call 215-893-1955.
"Philadelphia loves Wicked!" said Kimmel Center Vice President of Theatrical Presentations Jordan Fiksenbaum. "Our audiences embraced the Academy of Music premiere with excitement, enthusiasm, and a sold-out run. We are thrilled to bring Wicked back and offer the residents of the metropolitan area another chance to see this phenomenal musical."
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.
Casting for the forthcoming national tour stop will be announced at a later date. Wickedfeatures 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.
The national tour of Wicked opened at Toronto’s Canon Theatre on Tuesday, March 8, 2005 and sold out a seven-week run. Wicked has continued to break box office records and sell out multiple-week engagements in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and all throughout North America.
Wicked began performances on Broadway on Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at The Gershwin Theatre and continues to be the top-grossing show on Broadway. Cast recording available on Decca Broadway. For more information log on to www.wickedthemusicaltour.com.
Broadway at the Academy 2006/07 subscription packages are now on sale and feature four spectacular musicals including: I Can’t Stop Loving You, the music of Ray Charles (September 26 - October 1, 2006); Edward Scissorhands (January 16 - 21, 2007); Monty Python’s Spamalot (March 20 - 25, 2007); and Pippin (dates to be announced). Additional Broadway at the Academy shows will include: Disney Live! (November 24 & 25, 2006); The Beatle’s Experience performed by Rain (January 4 - 7, 2007); Annie (March 1 - 4, 2007) and Riverdance (May 15 - 20, 2007).
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