Wicked - The Untold Story Of The Witches Of Oz, Is Landing In Wellington In 2023

Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls met in the land of Oz. One was born with emerald-green skin - smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent and the other, a bubbly blonde who was exceptionally popular … Wicked looks at what happened in the land of Oz – but from a different angle. “Thrillifying” over 60 million people worldwide since it opened and having collected more than 100 international awards, Wicked will turn 20 in 2023 and Wellington can join the party. For the very first time, Wicked is landing in the Capital.

Tickets on sale Wednesday at 9am via Ticketmaster

The producers of the smash-hit season of Les Misérables are excited to announce that one of Broadway’s biggest blockbusters, Wicked – the untold true story of the witches of Oz – is landing in Wellington for the very first time in 2023.

Capital Theatre Trust and G&T Productions will celebrate the 20th year of this amazing production with a premiere season in Wellington at the St James Theatre from 17 August – 3 September. Pre-sales open today and all remaining tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster on Wednesday, 2 November at 9am -- priced from $66.50.

WICKED tells the story of what happened in the Land of Oz… but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships… until the world decides to call one “good”, and the other one “wicked”.

With a thrilling score that includes the hits Defying Gravity, Popular and For Good, WICKED has been hailed by The New York Times as “the defining musical of the decade”, and by Time Magazine as “a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart, and courage.”

Celebrating its 20th year in 2023, WICKED is the winner of over 100 international awards including a Grammy Award and three Tony Awards. WICKED has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland, and China) and has so far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese.

WICKED has broken box office records around the world and amassed over $4.6 billion in global sales and has been seen by 60 million people worldwide. On October 28, 2019, with its 6,681st performance, it surpassed Les Misérables to become Broadway's fifth-longest running show.
With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, it is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, in turn based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film adaptation.

A two-part film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero is currently in the works. Both parts are set for release in Christmas 2024 and 2025 respectively.

Capital Theatre Trust chairperson Sandy Brewer says: “After a fabulous season of Les Misérables, we are thrilled to be bringing Wicked to the St James. We look forward to celebrating the magic of the “other Oz” story with you all.”

Featuring a spectacular set and costumes, the Wellington production will be directed by Grant Meese who helmed the sold out seasons of Les Misérables in Auckland in 2019 and Wellington in 2022.

Grant says he is delighted to be able to bring such an iconic musical to the capital.

“You have waited such a long time to see this production. The story is full of heart and filled with magic. I know you will love it.”

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