It is coming! It has been announced that there will be a tour of the beloved show Wicked in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. The show is set to premiere September 2013 at Manchester’s Palace Theatre.
Wicked tells the story of the witches you were first introduced to in the Wizard of Oz. It traces the origins of the witches in a unique way that truly allows the audience to get to know them and understand them on a more personal level. The audience follows the friendship of the witches and watches them step into their destiny as the production progresses.
The stars of the show are Nikki Davis-Jones as Elphaba, Emily Tierrey as Glinda, and George Ure as Boq. Other actors in the show include Liam Doyle as Fiyero, Marilyn Cutts as Madame Morrible, Dale Rapley as the Wizard and Doctor Dillamond, Carina Gillespie as Nessarose, and Jemma Alexander as the standby as Elphaba. Michael McCabe serves as the executive producer of the show and Andrew Stokes is the acting Chief Executive.
The musical is thriving at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. The West End production is currently in its 7th year at the theatre and is now the 16th longest running West End musical of all time. And with the continued success, it may very well move up on that list. Executive Producer Michael McCabe stated that the continuing success of the production in London is what launched the idea to do a major tour in Ireland and the UK. Andrew Stokes was quoted as saying that the Manchester Palace Theatre was a wonderful place to serve as the production’s first stop and that is would certainly be a popular attraction among the one million international visitors that gather each year.
The show will continue through 2014 and has announced stops in Dublin, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, and Birmingham. Public booking for the show will be open to the masses in November of 2013.