Wicked to fly into Brisbane

The hit musical Wicked has not quite finished its Australian life, with a Brisbane season to be announced today.

The news comes as its composer, Stephen Schwartz, is in the midst of an Australian visit. Click here to view our interview with the much-loved Broadway legend.

Earlier this week, Wicked producer John Frost confirmed that the show would end its Sydney season in September after a year at the Capitol Theatre. But there was no talk of an interstate season, which will be confirmed today.

Frost has a love of Brisbane so it is no surprise that rumours have proved true and the show will open there in January.

“Right from the start this show has been an overwhelming hit,” Frost said earlier this week.

“Audiences have been captivated by the soaring ballads, the spectacular sets, costumes and lighting, and been draw into the emotional richness of this beautiful story.

“We were hoping for a strong response in Sydney when we moved from Melbourne last year, and it has exceeded all expectations in the toughest theatre market in the country. Sydney took Wicked to its heart, and we’ve been thrilled by the response from Government, sponsors, theatregoers and the general public. Wicked has brought a whole new audience into the theatre for the first time; they have loved their experience and will come back for more.”

The Brisbane season will play at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC.

Wicked has already had a record breaking run in Australia. The Australian production began at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre in June, 2008 finishing up in August, 2009. It transferred to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on September 5, 2009. Wicked has smashed numerous records during its Australian run, including both Melbourne and Capitol Theatre box office records. On Tuesday, May 11 the one millionth ticket to the Australian production of Wicked was purchased.

Currently in its 7th year on Broadway, Wicked’s four North American and four international companies have cumulatively grossed nearly $1.8 billion and have been seen by nearly 23 million people worldwide.

Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz. 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 enchanting story of how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

Meanwhile, composer Stephen Schwartz has told AussieTheatre.com that theatre fans should not expect a sequel to his famous musical.

“Well you could, but not from me,” he said.

“I’m not particularly interested in sequels from my point of view. I can’t imagine that I would ever want to write one. But, you know, if someone else writes a sequel to one of their works that’s really interesting, I’ll be happy to see it. But it’s not the kind of thing that interests me.”

Stephen Schwartz is in the midst of an Australian visit. Click here to view our interview with the much-loved Broadway legend.