#1
Posted: 11/28/05 at 1:24pm
EDEN ESPINOSA
CAROL KANE
DERRICK WILLIAMS
To Join The Broadway Production Of
‘WICKED’ On Tuesday, January 10
On Tuesday, January 10, three new principal cast members will join the Broadway company of the smash-hit musical WICKED at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.). Eden Espinosa, who recently played the role of Elphaba to great acclaim in the San Francisco engagement of the show’s national tour, will assume the role in the Broadway production. Ms. Espinosa, who starred in the Broadway production of Brooklyn, was also the original Standby for Elphaba on Broadway. Carol Kane, well-known for her Emmy-winning role on TV’s “Taxi” and such films as Annie Hall and Hester Street (for which she received an Academy Award nomination), will become Broadway’s new Madame Morrible, a role she originated WICKED’s national tour. Derrick Williams will assume the role of Fiyero in the Broadway production. Mr. Williams had previously understudied the role on Broadway and was the original Fiyero in the show’s national tour.
Shoshana Bean (Elphaba) and Megan Hilty (Glinda) currently star with Tony Award winner Ben Vereen (the Wizard) in WICKED on Broadway, with Rue McClanahan (Madame Morrible) and David Ayers (Fiyero), Michelle Federer (Nessarose), Sean McCourt (Dr. Dillamond) and Robb Sapp (Boq).
Called “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” by The New York Times and “a cultural phenomenon” by Variety, WICKED has been sold out at virtually every performance since having its official opening at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003, breaking house records with box office receipts of over $1.3 million per week. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. Directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento, WICKED is currently being presented on Broadway, on a national tour, and in a separate, open-ended engagement at Chicago’s Ford Center for Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre.
Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
EDEN ESPINOSA (Elphaba) made her Broadway debut in Wicked as Standby for both Elphaba and Nessarose. She recently played Elphaba to great acclaim in the San Francsico engagement of the show’s national tour. Ms. Espinosa starred as the title character on Broadway in Brooklyn, The Musical, a role she created in workshop, performed throughout the first production at the Denver Civic Theatre and onto Broadway.
CAROL KANE (Madame Morrible). Stage: Larry Gelbart’s Sly Fox; Control Freak, Signature, The Lucky Spot and Family Week by Beth Henley; Shakespeare's The Tempest, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream; John Cassavetes' A Women of Mystery; Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny; Feydeau's He Hunts. Television includes “Taxi” (two Emmys), “Pearl,” “Seinfeld,” “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Chicago Hope” (Emmy nomination) and “Beggars & Choosers.” Film includes Carnal Knowledge, The Last Detail, Annie Hall, Hester Street (Academy Award nomination), Dog Day Afternoon, The World's Greatest Lover, When a Stranger Calls, The Princess Bride, Scrooged, The Lemon Sisters, The Pallbearer, Office Killer, Trees Lounge, Addams Family Values, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, The Pacifier and Cosmopolitan.
DERRICK WILLIAMS (Fiyero) was in the original Broadway cast of Wicked and created the role of Fiyero in the show’s national tour. Other Boadway credits include Aida and Swing!; and first national tours of Aida and Smokey Joe's Café. He has also been seen in episodes of the TV comedy hit “The Chapelle Show.”
The performance schedule for WICKED at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.) is Tuesdays at 7 PM; Wednesday through Saturdays at 8 PM; matinees on Wednesdays & Saturdays at 2 PM; Sundays at 3 PM. The scale of prices is $50 - $110. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100 (or www.ticketmaster.com) or at the Gershwin Theatre box office. For more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com.
CAROL KANE
DERRICK WILLIAMS
To Join The Broadway Production Of
‘WICKED’ On Tuesday, January 10
On Tuesday, January 10, three new principal cast members will join the Broadway company of the smash-hit musical WICKED at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.). Eden Espinosa, who recently played the role of Elphaba to great acclaim in the San Francisco engagement of the show’s national tour, will assume the role in the Broadway production. Ms. Espinosa, who starred in the Broadway production of Brooklyn, was also the original Standby for Elphaba on Broadway. Carol Kane, well-known for her Emmy-winning role on TV’s “Taxi” and such films as Annie Hall and Hester Street (for which she received an Academy Award nomination), will become Broadway’s new Madame Morrible, a role she originated WICKED’s national tour. Derrick Williams will assume the role of Fiyero in the Broadway production. Mr. Williams had previously understudied the role on Broadway and was the original Fiyero in the show’s national tour.
Shoshana Bean (Elphaba) and Megan Hilty (Glinda) currently star with Tony Award winner Ben Vereen (the Wizard) in WICKED on Broadway, with Rue McClanahan (Madame Morrible) and David Ayers (Fiyero), Michelle Federer (Nessarose), Sean McCourt (Dr. Dillamond) and Robb Sapp (Boq).
Called “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” by The New York Times and “a cultural phenomenon” by Variety, WICKED has been sold out at virtually every performance since having its official opening at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003, breaking house records with box office receipts of over $1.3 million per week. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. Directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento, WICKED is currently being presented on Broadway, on a national tour, and in a separate, open-ended engagement at Chicago’s Ford Center for Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre.
Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
EDEN ESPINOSA (Elphaba) made her Broadway debut in Wicked as Standby for both Elphaba and Nessarose. She recently played Elphaba to great acclaim in the San Francsico engagement of the show’s national tour. Ms. Espinosa starred as the title character on Broadway in Brooklyn, The Musical, a role she created in workshop, performed throughout the first production at the Denver Civic Theatre and onto Broadway.
CAROL KANE (Madame Morrible). Stage: Larry Gelbart’s Sly Fox; Control Freak, Signature, The Lucky Spot and Family Week by Beth Henley; Shakespeare's The Tempest, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream; John Cassavetes' A Women of Mystery; Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny; Feydeau's He Hunts. Television includes “Taxi” (two Emmys), “Pearl,” “Seinfeld,” “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Chicago Hope” (Emmy nomination) and “Beggars & Choosers.” Film includes Carnal Knowledge, The Last Detail, Annie Hall, Hester Street (Academy Award nomination), Dog Day Afternoon, The World's Greatest Lover, When a Stranger Calls, The Princess Bride, Scrooged, The Lemon Sisters, The Pallbearer, Office Killer, Trees Lounge, Addams Family Values, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, The Pacifier and Cosmopolitan.
DERRICK WILLIAMS (Fiyero) was in the original Broadway cast of Wicked and created the role of Fiyero in the show’s national tour. Other Boadway credits include Aida and Swing!; and first national tours of Aida and Smokey Joe's Café. He has also been seen in episodes of the TV comedy hit “The Chapelle Show.”
The performance schedule for WICKED at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.) is Tuesdays at 7 PM; Wednesday through Saturdays at 8 PM; matinees on Wednesdays & Saturdays at 2 PM; Sundays at 3 PM. The scale of prices is $50 - $110. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100 (or www.ticketmaster.com) or at the Gershwin Theatre box office. For more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com.
Happy...Everything!
Kaye Thompson
I can't think of anyone more deserving. I liked Derrick as Fiyero, so I'm happy for him too. Not a fan of Carol Kane's Morrible, but at least she's better than Rue.
