Wicked the Musical in San Francisco 2009

Wicked Tickets Orpheum San Francisco &
Wicked San Francisco history

ON THIS PAGE you'll find Wicked tickets, cast info, history, reviews, and more.

• Below: Wicked history: Changes made to Wicked since 2003 San Francisco production
• Below: Wicked Reviews and articles on the original San Francisco pre-Broadway production (2003)
• Our Wicked index of 50 Wicked-related pages

Changes to Wicked from San Francisco 2003 to Broadway

For the full story of the Wicked creative team's challenges in San Francisco and as they fixed the show for Broadway, see the new book Defying Gravity. Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked.

For another report see an article reprinted from Theatre Bay Area magazine that includes comments from Winnie Holzman, Schwartz, Carol de Giere, and others. "There's No Place Like Home: Wicked Returns to San Francisco"

Stephen Schwartz wrote "Dancing Through Life" in the middle of the San Francisco run to replace "Which Way's the Party," which didn't seem to convey what he wanted to communicate about Fiyero. "Dancing Through Life" lyrics and Schwartz's comments

From interview with Wicked's bookwriter Winnie Holzman: "Stephen [Schwartz] wisely had insisted on having three months to rewrite in-between the time we closed in San Francisco and when we were to go back into rehearsals in New York. That was crucial; that was the thing that made the biggest difference in the life of the show. That time is what made the show work.

"Friends of mine who saw both [the San Francisco and Broadway editions] couldn't tell what I'd rewritten. But I rewrote on every page. And Stephen wrote new songs. We rewrote very, very carefully, so as not to disturb the things that were working. Kristin landed perfectly in San Francisco, but Idina's character was not quite coming forward — and we knew it was in the writing, not in Idina's acting. We addressed that. A lot of it had to do with her very first scenes."

Wicked San Francisco Reviews 2009

Monday, February 9, 2009. San Francisco Chronicle writer David Wiegand praises the performances and show. Orpheum brings green back in 'Wicked' return - SFgate

Pat Craig describes the leads as "flat-out incredible, with voices that must be heard to be believed and acting chops that squeeze every bit of nuance out of the material created by composer Stephen Schwartz and book author Winnie Holzman," and praised other performances as well.

Freelancer for the San Francisco Examiner Robert Sokol writes about Wicked's messages and fun, as well as examines the performances of the current cast. Wicked Good Fun

Wicked San Francisco assistance for hearing and sight challenged patrons; Translations to Spanish, Jpanese, French, and Portuguese.

The San Francisco company of Wicked is now offering D-Scriptive, I-Caption and ShowTrans, new state-of-the-art customer services that provides scene-by-scene dialogue and commentary of the production for hearing challenged patrons (I-Caption), sight challenged patrons (D-Scriptive) and translations for non-English speakers (ShowTrans) in Spanish, Japanese, French and Portuguese. D-Scriptive, I-Caption and ShowTrans are now available at all performances for the open-ended engagement of Wicked currently playing in San Francisco at the Orpheum Theatre.

More than a word-for-word translation, these three services give patrons the actual dialogue, as well as continual plot and descriptive information that enable them to follow the action, intention, humor and emotion of the show.

D-Scriptive and I-Caption are available for the hearing and sight challenged free-of-charge. ShowTrans multi-language commentary may be rented for $10 per ear receiver, cash only.

All devices are available in the Orpheum Theatre lobby prior to all performances on a first come, first served basis. For additional information, please visit www.shnsf.com, click on ticket info and ADA info.

More Wicked History for San Francisco

 

The DVD version of this landmark new PBS documentary about Broadway includes, among others, bonus features: "Wicked: The Road to Broadway" (16 minutes) and rehearsal of "For Good." Enjoy interview clips and footage from San Francisco for the colorful production of Wicked. See stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in rehearsal and backstage, Watch Norbert Leo Butz and others rehearse "Which Ways the Party" which was cut in San Francisco, see interviews with Stephen Schwartz, lots more.

BUY IT or get MORE INFO: Broadway: The American Musical - DVD at Amazon.com

Rent it: Netflix - Only $4.99 a month! 85,000 Titles. No Late Fees. Try it for Free! Under browse selections - enter "Broadway: American Musical" to get it. Netflix carries nearly 6,300 Music & Musicals DVDs. Total of all DVDs: more than 55,000 titles.

MORE WICKED HISTORY: It was Stephen Schwartz's idea to turn Gregory Maguire's novel into a musical. Visit our podcast edition in which Stephen Schwartz talks about deciding to adapt Wicked the novel: Adapting Wicked the Novel to Stage: A Stephen Schwartz Podcast

 

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's adaptation of Gregory Maguire's novel is a show business phenomenon. As one of Broadway's highest grossing shows for four years, it has four American companies, including the regular touring production (which played the Orpheum in '05) and sit-down shows in Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as London, Japan and Germany, with Australian and Dutch companies on the way.

David Stone, one of Wicked's producers says he's most pleased to bring Wicked "home to San Francisco," moving the current in place Los Angeles production north in January. "People ask me what's been the most exciting moment in this whole process, and it really was that first preview at the Curran. We were standing in the back, Marc and I and Stephen and Joe. Kristin got some nice applause with her opening number. Then the back door opens and this girl runs downstage center, this young, idealistic, hopeful, innocent, beautiful green girl. And the audience went crazy.

"It's the same every night, no matter who's playing it. In that instant, they'd understood that if this character was not who they'd always thought she was, the person they'd feared in childhood, but more complicated than that, then perhaps we all are. That's something that can only happen in live theater, that big idea that happens in a flash. And that was the moment we all looked at each other and said, Ohmygod! Nothing has been quite as exciting as that.

 

Keep up with Wicked by subscribing to The Schwartz Scene free email newletter with updates on the show's development and other articles about Stephen Schwartz musicals.

San Francisco Wicked Tickets for 2009 are now available. Regular price tickets at the Orpheum Theatre. The success of the show's pre-Broadway trial in San Francisco hinted at the huge success to come.

Wicked San Francisco Cast 2009

Cast credits:

ELPHABA: Teal Wicks will play the role of Elphaba. Born and raised in Sacramento, the California native made her WICKED debut earlier this year playing the role of Elphaba in the Los Angeles production. Teal has also been seen in the National Tour of Pippin (Catherine), NY City Center Encores! Stairway to Paradise (dir. Jerry Zaks), NY premiere of Fahrenheit 451 (Clarisse), World Premiere of Turandot, Rumble for the Ring (Turandot) at Bay Street Theatre, 1776 (Martha) and Pippin (Catherine) both at the Goodspeed Opera House.

GLINDA: Kendra Kassebaum, who will play Glinda, comes directly from playing the role in the Broadway production. Kendra received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for her portrayal of Glinda in the North American Tour of WICKED. Most recently, Kendra starred off-Broadway in The Receptionist at Manhattan Theatre Club. She created the role of Sam in the workshop production of Leap of Faith directed by Taylor Hackford. On Broadway, she was seen in the Tony Award-winning production of Assassins directed by Joe Mantello and Rent. Tours include A Chorus Line and Grease. Regional credits include Actors Theatre of Louisville, 5th Avenue Theatre, ACT, Ordway, Florida Stage and the St. Louis MUNY. Recordings include the Grammy-nominated cast album of Assassins.

MADAME MORRIBLE: Patty Duke

THE WIZARD OF OZ: Lee Wilkoff

The company also features Nicolas Dromard as Fiyero, Tom Flynn as Dr. Dillamond, Deedee Magno Hall as Nessarose and Eddy Rioseco as Boq with Natalie Daradich as the standby for Glinda and understudy for Nessarose and Vicki Noon as the standby for Elphaba.

The ensemble comprises Kehau Ahu, Keith A. Bearden, Angela Ara Brown, Marcus Choi, Laura Dysarczyk, Fiama Fricano, Alexa Green, D.J. Gregory, Celisse Henderson, Zach Hensler, Holly Hyman, Jeremy Kocal, Allison Leo, Everth Lopez, Kyle McDaniel, Kristen Faith Oei, Laura Pugliese, Angel Reda, Jonathan Ritter, Phillip Spaeth, Terrance Spencer, Eric Stretch, Tim Talman and Neka Zang.

San Francisco audiences and critics alike feel a special connection with WICKED, which had its world premiere at San Francisco's Curran Theatre on May 28, 2003. This engagement followed a long development process during which the entire creative team and cast immersed themselves in the musical's launch at the Curran Theatre. From these roots in the city by the bay, WICKED has gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon that has since redefined theatrical popular culture.
Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed September 26, 2008 "WICKED Day in San Francisco," welcoming the international phenomenon back to the city where it had its world premiere. Having just celebrated its 5th Anniversary on Broadway, WICKED's four North American and four international companies have cumulatively grossed over $1.25 billion and have been seen by over 15 million people worldwide.

Wicked San Francisco Lottery

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of $25 orchestra seats will be held daily for Wicked, playing an open-ended engagement at the Orpheum Theatre. Lottery tickets are available for every performance of Wicked beginning Tuesday, January 27 through Saturday, June 27.

Each day, 2½ hours prior to curtain, ticket buyers can arrive at the Orpheum Theatre box office to have their names placed in the Wicked lottery barrel where thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for these seats. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person, cash only. Each person must have a valid photo I.D. in order to participate. Visit official Wicked SF sitefor more information.

To the main Wicked page

Note for those arriving through a search, sometimes Stephen Schwartz's name is misspelled Steven Schwartz or Stephen Swartz.