West End's WICKED Celebrates 5th Birthday!

WICKED, the smash hit musical that tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz, will celebrate its landmark 5th birthday tomorrow night (Tuesday 27 September 2011) at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre.

Acclaimed as "a phenomenon" (Sky News) and "the biggest thing in musicals since The Phantom of the Opera opened" (The Times), WICKED has become one of the West End's most popular and successful musicals of all time, breaking countless Box Office records and winning multiple awards since its West End premiere in 2006. 

UK Executive Producer Michael McCabe commented: "This is an incredible landmark for all of us involved in Wicked and we couldn't be more delighted to have become such a popular, long-running hit. We are also proud that our continued success has enabled us to support so many charitable projects though our on-going ‘For Good' programme. Our heartfelt thanks go to every single person who is part of this extraordinary production and to the millions of theatregoers who have been so supportive of the show since our very first performance five years ago."

Official UK website, video trailer and online booking: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

WICKED premiered on 27 September 2006 (with previews from 7 September) in one of the busiest ever years for West End musical openings. Avenue Q; Cabaret; Caroline, or Change; Daddy Cool; Dirty Dancing; Evita; Porgy and Bess; Monty Python's Spamalot; The Sound of Music and Sunday in The Park with George also all opened that year. With the 9 July 2011 closure of Dirty Dancing, WICKED has outlasted all of these shows and its popularity is greater than ever.

WICKED is now the 9th longest-running musical currently playing in the West End alongside Les Miserables (1), The Phantom of the Opera (2), Blood Brothers (3), Chicago* (4), Mamma Mia! (5), Disney's The Lion King (6), We Will Rock You (7) and Billy Elliot (8). *currently on hiatus.

WICKED is also now the 18th longest-running West End musical of all time, alongside Les Misérables (1), The Phantom of the Opera (2), Blood Brothers (3), Cats (4), Starlight Express (5), Chicago* (6), Buddy (7), Mamma Mia! (8), Disney's The Lion King (9), The Black & White Minstrel Show (10), Miss Saigon (11), Jesus Christ Superstar (original production) (12), Me & My Girl (revival) (13), We Will Rock You (14), Evita (original production) (15), Oliver! (original production) (16) and Billy Elliot (17). *currently on hiatus.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire that 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 girls who first meet as 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 Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman, scenic design by Eugene Lee, costumes by Susan Hilferty, lighting by Kenneth Posner, sound by Tony Meola, orchestrations by William David Brohn, musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by Joe Mantello.

WICKED is presented in London by: Marc Platt, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer: Michael McCabe.

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