The West End production of Wicked has celebrated its 20th anniversary in London with a special weekend of events at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, alongside the release of new principal character photography and images from the anniversary celebrations.
The milestone was marked across the weekend of 26 and 27 September, with themed performances honouring the musical’s two iconic witches, Glinda and Elphaba, and a gala performance attended by alumni company members.
Saturday’s celebrations featured a “Pink” matinee and a “Green” evening performance, with audiences able to enjoy special displays throughout the theatre, including a custom photo booth experience inspired by the musical.
Before the curtain rose, current cast members were joined on stage by former stars of the show to reflect on their experiences in Oz.
Lydia Gerrard, the current standby for Glinda, welcomed former Glindas Gina Beck, Dianne Pilkington, Savannah Stevenson, Helen Woolf and original West End Glinda Helen Dallimore to share memories of their time with the production.
Ahead of the evening performance, current alternate Elphaba Laura Emmitt was joined by former leading ladies Louise Dearman, Cassidy Janson and Laura Pick to celebrate their performances as the green witch. Current stars Zizi Strallen and Emma Kingston also addressed audiences during the weekend festivities.
The anniversary celebrations concluded with a gala performance on 27 September attended by alumni company members from across the show’s two-decade history.
The landmark comes just days after Wicked welcomed its 14 millionth audience member to the Apollo Victoria Theatre. The musical has now played more than 7,700 performances in London and is currently the ninth longest-running show in West End history.
The current company stars Emma Kingston as Elphaba, Zizi Strallen as Glinda, Jordan Litz as Fiyero, Claire Machin as Madame Morrible and Michael Matus as The Wizard, alongside a large ensemble cast.
Featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel and tells the untold story of the witches of Oz before the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Twenty years after its London premiere, Wicked continues to attract new audiences while remaining one of the West End’s most enduring and successful musicals.
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