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Musical 'Wicked' flying back to Minnesota in fall
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The witches are coming back. "Wicked," the hit Broadway musical that sold out its two-week engagement in July 2006 in the Twin Cities, will return this fall, said officials with the Hennepin Theatre Trust, which presents Broadway shows in Minneapolis.
The Minnesota run of the musical sold more than 40,000 tickets and played to 100 percent capacity, said Karen Nelson, public-relations manager of the trust. The musical has been a top draw since it began performances in Oct. 2003 in New York, where it won three Tony Awards.
"There's something about this show that resonates with a lot of people," said Tom Hoch, president of the trust. "Like 'The Lion King' and 'Phantom,' it is a gateway show, with broad appeal to regular theatergoers and those who don't come to the theater as often."
Based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," "Wicked" revolves around the two young women who would grow up to be the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch Glinda. Green-skinned Elphaba, smart and sassy, and popular blond Glinda room together in Maguire's imagining. The show draws a lot of teenage girls.
"And that's a good thing," said Hoch. "But it's not limited. It has these broad themes about friendship and growing that everyone can relate to."
Group tickets to "Wicked" go on sale at 10 a.m. today.
