Press Release

HIT MUSICAL IS THE 10TH LONGEST-RUNNING SHOW IN THE WEST END

WINNER OF 100 INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

WICKED, the award-winning classic musical that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, is now in its 9th year at London’s and is the 10th longest-running show in the West End.

Acclaimed as “one of the most popular West End musicals ever” (London Evening Standard), Wicked has been seen by more than 6 million theatregoers in London and played over 3000 performances.

Around the world, Wicked has already been seen by over 42 million people in 13 countries and won 100 international awards. The original Broadway production remains “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times) after more than a decade at the Gershwin Theatre.

While continuing its open-ended London run, a spectacular UK touring production is also now playing until July 2015. “This thrillingly entertaining show” (Manchester Evening News) has broken countless Box Office records and won multiple five star reviews across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

The London production currently stars Jennifer DiNoia* (Elphaba**), Savannah Stevenson (Glinda), Jeremy Taylor (Fiyero), Liza Sadovy (Madame Morrible), Martyn Ellis (The Wizard), Philip Childs (Doctor Dillamond), Sam Lupton (Boq), Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose), Emma Hatton (Standby Elphaba) and Sophie Linder- Lee (Standby Glinda). **From 2 February 2015, the role of Elphaba will by played by Emma Hatton.

*Jennifer DiNoia is appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire that ingeniously re-imagined the stories and characters created by L. Frank Baum in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two sorcery students. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked has music and lyrics by multi GRAMMY® and Academy Award® winner Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman, musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by two-time Tony Award® winner and Olivier Award nominee Joe Mantello. Wicked is based on the international best-selling novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ by Gregory Maguire.

Wicked is produced by: Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK): Michael McCabe.

Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG The theatre is 1 minute from London Victoria Mainline and Underground Stations.

Official UK website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Wicked spearheads and supports a range of good causes born out of the themes of the award-winning musical. Discover more at: www.WickedForGood.co.uk

UK Press Contacts: Jo Allan or Alona Fogel for Jo Allan PR TEL: +44 (0) 20 7520 9392 EMAIL: [email protected], [email protected] LISTINGS INFORMATION

NOW BOOKING TO SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2015

Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG The theatre is 1 minute from London Victoria Mainline and Underground Stations

Official UK website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Box Office and 24 Hour Credit Card Bookings: ATG Tickets 0844 871 3001 / www.ATGTickets.com (up to £2.75 per ticket service charge and £3.00 processing fee per transaction). No booking fees or transaction charges for tickets booked in person at the Box Office Group Sales (10 tickets or more): Group Line 020 7420 9700 (no booking or processing fees for group bookings of 10 or more).

Performance Times: Monday-Saturday 7.30pm Matinees Wednesday & Saturday 2.30pm Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes including a 20 minute interval

EXTRA SHOWS ADDED: 22, 23, 29 & 30 December 2014, 19 February, 9 April, 20 August, 27 August and 29 October 2015, all at 2.30pm

Christmas 2014/15 performance schedule: Monday 22 December – 2.30pm & 7.30pm Tuesday 23 December – 2.30pm & 7:30pm Wednesday 24 December – 2:30pm Thursday 25 December – no performance Friday 26 December - 7.30pm Saturday 27 December - 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Monday 29 December – 2:30pm & 7:30pm Tuesday 30 December – 2.30pm & 7.30pm Wednesday 31 December - 2.30pm Thursday 1 January - 7.30pm Friday 2 January – 7.30pm Saturday 3 January - 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Ticket prices:

In person at the Box Office: tickets from £15.00 at every performance: Monday-Friday 7.30pm, Wednesday & Saturday 2.30pm: £15.00, £25.00, £30.00, £35.00, £45.00, £55.00, £65.00 Saturday Evenings & Peak Weeks*: £15.00, £25.00, £30.00, £35.00, £45.00, £55.00, £67.50 For the best seat locations, choose Premium Seats: £90.00/£95.00

Online & Telephone Bookings: Open 24 Hours (a £3.00 per booking transaction fee also applies): Monday-Friday 7.30pm, Wednesday & Saturday 2.30pm: £17.25, £27.25, £32.75, £37.75, £47.75, £57.75, £67.75 Saturday Evenings & Peak Weeks*: £17.25, £27.25, £32.75, £37.75, £47.75, £57.75, £70.25 For the best seat locations, choose Premium Seats: £92.75/£97.75

*Contact the Box Office for more information about Peak Weeks.

All ticket prices include a £1.50 Theatre Restoration Levy.

Day Seats: £29.50 - twenty-four front row Stalls seats released daily at 10.00am at the Box Office.

Students: Best available seats £29.50 from 10.00am at Monday-Friday 7.30pm and Wednesday & Saturday 2.30pm at the Box Office with student ID. Subject to availability. One ticket per ID.

Standby Concessions: Best available seats £29.50 from 6pm at Monday-Friday 7.30pm performances and from 12 noon at Wednesday and Saturday 2.30pm performances at the Box Office for Senior Citizens, Jobseekers, Equity, BECTU and MU members and registered disabled. Subject to availability. One ticket per ID. NOTES FOR EDITORS

WICKED

Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman, scenic design by Eugene Lee, costumes by Susan Hilferty, lighting by Kenneth Posner, sound by Tony Meola, projection designs by Elaine J McCarthy, Hair and Wig designs by Tom Watson, music arrangements by Alex Lacamoire and Stephen Oremus, dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott, orchestrations by William David Brohn, musical supervision by Stephen Oremus, musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by Joe Mantello.

WICKED LONDON

Now the 10th longest-running show in the West End and the 13th longest-running musical in West End history, the London production premiered on 27 September 2006 (with previews from 7 September) and has already been seen by over 6 million people. Wicked has been hailed as “the biggest thing in musicals since The Phantom of the Opera opened” (The Times), “one of the biggest hits of our age” (The Observer), “the most popular show in the West End” (Time Out), “a major hit with audiences and critics alike” (BBC London News) and “one of the most popular West End musicals ever" (London Evening Standard).

Wicked continues to be a top choice of West End theatregoers having been voted Most Popular Show (Olivier Audience Award), Best West End Show and Best New Musical (WhatsOnStage Awards), Best Night Out (Evening Standard Theatre Award) and Best Family Fun (Visit London People’s Choice Award).

WICKED UK & IRELAND TOUR

The UK & Ireland Tour premiered in Manchester on 17 September 2013 (with previews from 12 September). This spectacular production has already broken Box Office records and been acclaimed as “so magical it defies belief” (Daily Mail), “quite simply, the best musical I’ve ever seen” (Yorkshire Evening Post), “an evening of wall-to-wall musical perfection” (Sale & Altrincham Messenger), and “truly a global phenomenon, and it deserves to be - the music is irresistibly catchy, the lyrics a perfect blend of poetry and wit and the plot, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, is remarkably clever” (Huddersfield Daily Examiner). The show has already won multiple 5 star reviews across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Critics also acclaimed the high quality of the production: “rest assured that this first touring production maintains the spectacular staging, costume design and magic of the original” (Manchester Evening News); “the production values are incredible - this is every bit the West End show” (The Public Reviews) and “this incarnation of the West End smash flew in and totally ripped up the rule book that states touring shows should somehow be second rate to London or Broadway. This interpretation is truly phenomenal” (Daily Record, Glasgow).

WICKED WORLDWIDE

Wicked has already been seen by more than 42 million people worldwide and grossed in excess of $3.4 billion at the Box Office. It has won 100 international awards.

The global musical phenomenon has been performed in over 100 cities in 13 countries around the world (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines and Mexico) and has been translated into five languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, and Korean. The original Broadway production remains “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times) after more than a decade at the Gershwin Theatre.

Wicked has been recognised as “the best musical of the decade” (Entertainment Weekly), “the defining musical of the decade” (The New York Times), “a cultural phenomenon” (Variety) and “a breathtaking success story of a magnitude not witnessed since the peak years of The Phantom of the Opera” (The Washington Post). WICKED – THE STORY

If you think you know the Wicked Witch of the West, think again...

When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire’s “outstanding novel” (The Independent), ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, ingeniously and wittily re-imagined the Land of Oz, creating a parallel universe to the familiar story written by L. Frank Baum and first published as ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ in 1900.

Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two girls who first meet as sorcery students at Shiz University: the blonde and very popular Glinda and a misunderstood green girl named Elphaba. Following an encounter with The Wizard, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths.

Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Experience this unforgettable, award-winning musical and discover that you’ve not been told the whole story about the Land of Oz...

Gregory Maguire’s ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ is published by Headline. The book is recommended for readers aged 16+

Virgin Atlantic is the official airline of Wicked London: www.virgin-atlantic.com

The GRAMMY® award-winning Original Broadway Cast recording on DECCA BROADWAY

The Rubens at the Palace is the official hotel partner of Wicked London. www.rubenshotel.com

Please note: The producers cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to statutory leave entitlement and illness.

October 2014