Festivate 20 years of Wicked! As Broadway’s most popular show, Wicked defies gravity and time with its story of self-discovery, love, and friendship. Whether you’ve seen the show five times or have yet to experience its magic, now is the time for you to take a trip to Oz. Don’t believe us? Check out “Why NOW is the best time to see Wicked on Broadway.”
“Why NOW is the best time to see Wicked on Broadway” - Rachel Chang, TravelZoo
As the lights dimmed inside the fabled Gershwin Theatre, I found my eyes darting in every direction –from the green glow of the Oz map, to the intricate gears of the epic clock to that humongous dragon overhead. The sights weren't entirely new to me – I'd seen Wicked on Broadway six years earlier – but sitting in the audience again, I knew something was different. This look at life in Oz "before Dorothy dropped in" felt bigger. More magical. More relevant.
When that glowing map lifted, I was transported into what suddenly became the very real world of Oz. The barrier between reality and fiction seemed to vanish, and for the next two hours and forty minutes, I was part of Elphaba and Glinda's adventures.
And given that Wicked is the fourth longest-running Broadway show of all time, countless others have clearly felt the same. Whether you're among them – or you're looking at your first trip to Oz-on-Broadway – here's why now is the time to follow the Yellow Brick Road. Being able to look back on the amazing legacy makes the audience experience richer.
For nearly 20 years, Wicked has made 51st Street in Manhattan home. While some things literally haven't changed since the beginning (like a pitchfork from the "March of the Witch Hunters" number), others have evolved into icons – including the roles themselves.
"I always knew it was something special in the beginning," Idina Menzel (aka the original Elphaba) told Playbill. "But I had no idea that it would become this phenomenon." A big part of the magic was her ability to completely get lost in the character and elicit empathy from the audience even behind a face of green
makeup.
The original themes have taken on new and heightened meaning. The themes of bullying and good vs. evil are certainly evergreen. But when you hear certain Wicked lines today, you think they had to be late-breaking script additions to suit the day's headlines. In fact, not a word has been altered since
Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics and Winnie Holzman wrote the text. We’re simply listening through a modern filter that makes them uncannily relevant. Case in point: At the end of Act 1, the Wizard says to Elphaba, "When I first got here, there was discord and discontent. And where I come from, everyone knows: the best way to bring folks together is to give them a really good enemy." Elphaba quickly realizes the truth behind the Wizard's facade and replies: "You have no real power!" and adds "That's why you need an enemy. And spies. And cages." Shockingly relevant today.
Knowing some behind-the-scenes secrets will make you feel like an insider when you go.
So here are some fun facts: Elphaba is the only one with a makeup team, while all the other actors do their own. Though going green usually takes 25 minutes (only the face, neck and hands are painted), the record is seven minutes. Also, no fewer than 29 yards of 37 different fabrics go into Elphaba's Act II dress.
Whether the curtain rises on your first or 150th viewing of Wicked, you'll feel as immersed in the magic that alchemic blend of dazzling stagecraft, electrifying music and deeply affecting themes as I did.
Want to see Wicked with 15 people or more?
Bring a group to the show! Best prices now through November. Book early for the busy spring season.
Student Pricing: $59/$79
Orchestra tickets from $99
Mezzanine from $75
Turn Wicked into your next lesson plan! Ask about Wicked’s brand-new study guide for student groups.