Wicked (known in full as Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz) is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), which serves as a revisionist parallel novel to L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Wicked tells the story of Elphaba Thropp and Galinda Upland, two young women in the Land of Oz who are pushed into becoming the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, respectively. The musical was produced by Marc Platt, Jon B. Platt and David Stone through Universal Stage Productions, with direction by Joe Mantello and choreography by Wayne Cilento.
Although the original Broadway production received mixed reviews and was initially panned by The New York Times, audience reception was much more positive. The success of Wicked on Broadway resulted in subsequent productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, London's West End, and San Francisco, as well as international productions in Japan, Germany, Australia and elsewhere. Additionally, two North American tours have visited over thirty cities in the United States and Canada. The show celebrated its 20th anniversary on October 30, 2023, and is currently the fourth-longest-running Broadway show in history,Staff Writer "Long Runs on Broadway". Playbill, August 19, 2013 having played 7,774 performances as of December 24, 2023.Internet Broadway Database listing, 'Wicked'". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 18, 2010. Wicked has broken box office records around the world, holding weekly-gross-takings records in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, and London, and obtaining the record for biggest opening in the West End (£100,000 in the first hour on sale). In the week ending January 2, 2011, the London, Broadway, and both national touring productions all broke the record for the highest weekly gross.Gans, Andrew. "Wicked Breaks Record for Highest-Grossing Week in Broadway History" . Playbill. January 4, 2011, Retrieved March 9, 2011.Press release (January 4, 2011). "Wicked Sets New Box Office Record with a Single Week Gross of over £1 Million, Crowning a Record-Breaking 2010" . wickedthemusical.co.uk. Retrieved March 9, 2011. Both the West End production and the North American tour have been seen by over two million patrons. The original show was nominated for ten Tony Awards in 2004 and won three, including Best Actress in a Musical for Idina Menzel. It also won six Drama Desk Awards and one Grammy Award, while the London show has been the recipient of five Laurence Olivier Award nominations, winning one.
Awards and nominations Original Broadway production Since its opening on October 30, 2003, the original Broadway production of Wicked has been consecutively nominated every year for at least one award. Accruing 64 nominations in 8 years, this production has won 33 of them. Amongst these 64 nominations include 10 Tony Awards (including the Tony Award for Best Musical), a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, 11 Drama Desk Awards, and 10 Outer Critics Circle Awards. YearAward ceremonyCategoryNomineeResult2004Tony AwardsBest MusicalBest Original ScoreStephen SchwartzBest Book of a MusicalWinnie HolzmanBest Actress in a MusicalIdina Menzel Kristin Chenoweth Best ChoreographyWayne CilentoBest OrchestrationsWilliam David BrohnBest Scenic DesignEugene LeeBest Costume DesignSusan HilfertyBest Lighting DesignKenneth PosnerDrama Desk AwardsOutstanding MusicalOutstanding MusicStephen SchwartzOutstanding LyricsOutstanding Book of a MusicalWinnie HolzmanOutstanding Actress in a MusicalKristin ChenowethIdina MenzelOutstanding Director of a MusicalJoe MantelloOutstanding OrchestrationsWilliam David BrohnOutstanding Set DesignEugene LeeOutstanding Costume DesignSusan HilfertyOutstanding Lighting DesignKenneth PosnerDrama League Awards Distinguished Production of a MusicalDistinguished PerformanceKristin ChenowethIdina MenzelOuter Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding Broadway MusicalOutstanding Actress in a MusicalKristin ChenowethIdina MenzelOutstanding Featured Actor in a MusicalJoel GreyOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalCarole ShelleyOutstanding Director of a MusicalJoe MantelloOutstanding ChoreographyWayne CilentoOutstanding Set DesignEugene LeeOutstanding Costume DesignSusan HilfertyOutstanding Lighting DesignKenneth PosnerEddy AwardsOutstanding Costume DesignSusan Hilferty2005Grammy AwardsBest Musical Show AlbumWicked (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
North American tours The North American tours have been nominated 15 times for various awards, winning 13 of them. YearAward ceremonyCategoryNomineeResult2006Carbonell AwardsBest Non-Resident ProductionBest Non-Resident ActressStephanie J. BlockBest Non-Resident Supporting ActorDavid GarrisonBest Non-Resident DirectorJoe MantelloBest Non-Resident Scenic DesignEugene LeeBest Non-Resident Costume DesignSusan HilfertyBest Non-Resident Lighting DesignKenneth PosnerHelen Hayes AwardsOutstanding Non-Resident ProductionOutstanding Lead Actress in a Non-Resident ProductionStephanie J. BlockKendra KassebaumTouring Broadway AwardsBest New MusicalBest Musical ScoreStephen SchwartzBest Production DesignEugene Lee, Susan Hilferty, Kenneth Posner
Chicago production The Chicago production of Wicked received 5 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations in 2006. YearAward ceremonyCategoryNomineeResult2006Joseph Jefferson Awards Outstanding Production – MusicalOutstanding Actress in a Principal Role – MusicalAna GasteyerKate ReindersOutstanding Actress in a Supporting Role – MusicalRondi ReedOutstanding Director – MusicalJoe Mantello
London production Like the original Broadway production, the London production of Wicked has been consecutively nominated each year since its opening in 2006. This production has garnered a total of 25 nominations, winning 13 of them. The production has been nominated 5 times for a Laurence Olivier Award and eventually won one in 2010. In addition, the production regularly appears on audience choice award ceremonies. YearAward ceremonyCategoryNomineeResult2007Laurence Olivier AwardsBest DirectorJoe MantelloBest Costume DesignSusan HilfertyBest Lighting DesignKenneth PosnerBest Set DesignEugene Lee2009Women of the Future AwardsWomen of the Future Art and CultureAlexia Khadime and Dianne Pilkington
Melbourne production The production of Wicked in Melbourne has garnered 24 nominations, winning 10 of them. YearAward ceremonyCategoryNomineeResult2008Green Room AwardsBest MusicalBest Leading Actress in a MusicalLucy DurackAmanda HarrisonBest Featured Actress in a MusicalPenny McNameeBest Director of a MusicalLisa LeguilliouBest Choreography of a MusicalWayne CilentoBest Musical Direction of a MusicalKellie DickersonBest Artistic Direction of a MusicalSusan Hilferty and Eugene LeeBest Lighting and Sound of a MusicalKenneth Posner2009Helpmann AwardsBest MusicalBest Original ScoreStephen Schwartz Best Female Actor in a MusicalLucy DurackAmanda HarrisonBest Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a MusicalRob GuestBest Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a MusicalMaggie KirkpatrickBest Direction of a MusicalLisa LeguillouBest Choreography in a MusicalWayne CilentoBest Scenic DesignEugene LeeBest Costume DesignSusan HilfertyBest Lighting DesignKenneth PosnerBest Sound DesignTony MeolaSydney Theatre AwardsBest Production of a MusicalBest Performance by an Actress in a MusicalLucy DurackAmanda Harrison
Brazilian production The production of Wicked in Brazil has garnered 40 nominations, winning 17 of them. YearAward ceremonyCategoryNomineeResult2016Bibi Ferreira AwardsBest MusicalBest Adaptation of a MusicalMariana Elisabetsky and Victor MühlethalerBest Actress in a MusicalFabi BangMyra RuizCenym AwardsBest MusicalBest ChoreographyBest Original Song or Adapted"Ódio (What Is This Feeling?)" Arte Qualidade Brasil AwardsBest MusicalBest Actress in a MusicalFabi BangAplauso Brasil de Teatro AwardsBest MusicalBest Actress in a MusicalFabi BangMusical Cast AwardsBest MusicalBest Musical by Popular VoteBest Actress in a MusicalFabi BangBest Actress in a Musical by Popular VoteFabi BangBest Sub/Swing in a MusicalTalita RealRodrigo NegriniThuany ParenteBest Sub/Swing in a Musical by Popular VoteTalita RealRodrigo NegriniThuany ParenteBest Production of a Foreign MusicalBest Production of a Foreign Musical by Popular VoteBest ProductionT4F EntretenimentoBest Production by Popular VoteT4F EntretenimentoBest CoupleMyra Ruiz and Jonatas FaroBest Couple by Popular VoteMyra Ruiz and Jonatas FaroBest Solo"Desafiar a Gravidade" by Myra RuizBest Solo by Popular Vote"Desafiar a Gravidade" by Myra RuizBest Choir"Venha Ver" by EnsembleBest Choir by Popular Vote"Venha Ver" by EnsembleBest AdaptationMariana Elisabetsky and Victor MühlethalerBest Adaptation by Popular VoteMariana Elisabetsky and Victor Mühlethaler2017Quem AwardsBest MusicalBest Actress in a MusicalMyra RuizPrêmio ReverênciaBest PlayBest Play by Popular VoteBest Actress in a MusicalFabi BangMyra RuizSpecial CategoryMariana Elisabetsky and Victor Mühlethaler for Wicked adaptation
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