The alternative story of the L Frank Baum classic novel The Wizard of Oz was written by Gregory Maguire. The novel was transferred to stage in 2003 by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. The musical, Wicked, was produced by Universal Pictures which helped to guarantee the success of the new musical. The performances on New York’s Broadway earned the musical ten nominations for Tony Award.
They successfully gained three which included the Best Actress Award, the Award for Scene Design and the Award for Costume Design. Alongside this it was awarded with six Drama Desk Awards. Wicked opened on London’s West End at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 2006 and it continues there today. The musical broke the record for the highest box office sales during opening week.
During the first hour that Wicked tickets went on sale they grossed over £100,000. It has gone on to show across the globe including performances in over 30 cities across Canada and the United States, Japan, Tokyo, Australia and within the United Kingdom. The musical has become a West End and Broadway classic and is guaranteed to continue on stage for some time to come as audiences continue to fill night after night.