Wicked Returns to Chicago for Limited Engagement December 1

Wicked fans in Chicago will be melting with happiness when they hear the January 26 news from Broadway in Chicago that a return engagement of eight weeks for the hit musical is set to start on December 1 in Chicago.

The hit Broadway musical tells the story of what took place in Oz before the arrival of Dorothy. Wicked had a nearly four year sit down run at the Oriental Theatre at Ford Center for the Performing Arts in Chicago. Originally a national company visited Chicago before moving on, leaving a resident company behind from the production. The returning company will be the national tour and will play through January 23, 2011 at Cadillac Palace Theatre.

Wicked tickets will be going on sale to groups and Subscription Series holders of Broadway In Chicago in February 2010. The date for when individual tickets go on sale will be announced later. Casting will also be announced later.

Lou Raizin, Broadway In Chicago’s president said, we are thrilled that we can host Wicked’s return. Patron requests have been overwhelming to return this show to Chicago.

David Stone, Wicked producer said, we’re thrilled to be able to return to Chicago to perform Wicked in Cadillac Palace Theatre. Oriental Theatre, for almost four years, was our home. However it’s more than being about a building. What it’s really about is the City of Chicago, the audiences, that is what Wicked’s home is. We all know, there is no place like home.

On June 24, 2005 the first Wicked production in Chicago began it run. The final performance was played on January 25, 2009 at the Oriental Theatre in the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. When it closed, the musical had been performed 1,500 times and had a gross of more than $200 million.

With lyrics and music from Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Godspell, Academy Award recipient for “The Prince of Egypt” and “Pocahontas”), along with the book from Winnie Holtzman (“thirtysomething,” “Once And Again,” and “My So Called Life”), the musical Wicked narrates the untold witches of Oz story, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Joe Mantello (The Vagina Monologues, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Take Me Out), is the director, and musical staging is by Wayne Cilento (How To Succeed, The Who’s Tommy, Aida), Tony Award winner.

Producers for Wicked are David Stone, Jon B. Platt, The Araca Group, Universal Pictures and Marc Platt.

Currently there are eight worldwide productions of Wicked, including two tours of North America, a production on Broadway, a production in San Fransisco and productions in London, Japan, Germany and Australia. A Wicked production will open in the Denmark in 2011.

Holders of Season Series tickets for Broadway in Chicago will be receiving special benefits. These include getting the first opportunity to purchase Wicked tickets, saving as much as 30 percent on the series show, ticket exchange privileges, priority seating at all the venues, discounted and pre-paid parking, gift cards, and first opportunity for purchasing additional tickets for future productions for Broadway In Chicago.

All photos made available via creative commons licensing courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.