Wicked breaks box office record!

Wicked breaks box office record!

WICKED breaks box office record!

Last week (ending 28 October 2006), WICKED grossed over three quarters of a million pounds (£761,125) at the Box Office, higher than any other West End show currently running and the highest weekly 8 performance Box Office gross in West End theatre history. Over 18,000 people attended the show.

Since its first public performance on 7 September 2006, WICKED has already been seen by over 130,000 people, averaging just over 95% attendance in its 2304-seat theatre.

Since opening night (27 September 2006), the weekly Box Office gross has been higher than any other West End show. For the month of October (4 weeks) WICKED has grossed nearly £2.5 million.

WICKED opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre 27 Sep 2006, following previews from 7 Sep - to reasonable notices from the popular press: THE EVENING STANDARD says, "Remarkable kaleidoscope of magical shocks, surprises and sensations. Wicked works like a dream."THE INDEPENDENT says, "I enjoyed very little. " THE GUARDIAN says, "Efficient, knowing and highly professional but more like a piece of industrial product than something that genuinely touches the heart or mind." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "Witty, enjoyable" THE TIMES says, "Songs bang out, along with iffy lyrics and not-so-witty dialogue."

The cast includes: Idina Menzel (Elphaba), Adam Garcia (Fiyero), Miriam Margolyes (Madame Morrible), Nigel Planer (The Wizard), Helen Dallimore (Glinda), Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose) , James Gillan (Boq), Martin Ball (Doctor Dillamond).

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman.

It is directed by Joe Mantello, 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.

Two girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, feisty and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very, very popular. WICKED is the story of these two unlikely friends and how they end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.