Marking its 20th anniversary on Broadway, Stephen Schwartz’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Wicked will open at Sydney's Lyric Theatre in August 2023.
Wicked, one of the most successful musicals in the world, will make its grand return to Australia in 2023, flying into Sydney’s Lyric Theatre in August.
Celebrating 20 years since composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman took a 1995 novel inspired by The Wizard of Oz, and transformed it into one of Broadway’s biggest hits of the 21st century, Wicked will return for an exclusive season in Sydney, reviving the John Frost production, which opened in Melbourne in 2008 and went on to tour nationally and internationally.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region on stage here.
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“The Broadway sensation WICKED looks at what happened in the Land of Oz… but from a different angle,” the description reads.
“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’.”
Since its official opening on Broadway in 2003, Wicked has become one of the most popular musical productions in history. The musical then opened in London’s West End in September 2006 and continues to run in the Apollo Victoria Theatre to date.
Following its Broadway debut, Wicked won a raft of international awards, including 10 Tony Awards, six Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy for its original Broadway cast recording. Locally, the original Australian production earned six Helpmann Awards in 2009.
The broadway phenomenon was last seen in Australia in 2015 after a tour of the region that amassed nearly 2000 performances and played to more than two million people.
Its arrival in Australia can be credited to Destination NSW, the state government’s tourism and events arm, and will no doubt become a major drawcard for Sydney that would provide significant benefits for the NSW visitor economy.
Producer of Wicked John Frost said the international musical sensation would have broad appeal across age groups and musical fans.
“I’m thrilled to present Wicked to Sydney in 2023. A proven blockbuster all around the world since it premiered, it has become one of the most loved musicals of all time,” Mr Frost said.
“Wicked is a musical phenomenon and appeals to everyone from the ages of eight to 80. People love it for so many different reasons – the engrossing story, the astonishing sets and costumes, the soaring ballads and the deeper messages.”
The Sydney production will be cast locally with auditions expected later this year and a cast announcement next year.
Described as a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart and courage, Wicked, the story of a friendship between two young women who become ‘Glinda the Good’ and the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’ opens at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on 24 August 2023.
For more information and to join the waitlist, head here.
