Theater News

Wicked Becomes 8th-Longest-Running Broadway Show in History Tonight

The musical bumps ”Mamma Mia!” to ninth in the records of Broadway longevity.

Jackie Burns will perform the role of Elphaba for Wicked's record-breaking 5,759th Broadway performance.
Jackie Burns will perform the role of Elphaba for Wicked's 5,759th Broadway performance.
(© Joan Marcus)

Tonight, Broadway's smash-hit musical Wicked plays its 5,759th performance at the Gershwin Theatre, surpassing Mamma Mia! as the eighth-longest-running production in Broadway history.

Since opening in 2003, Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 15 countries around the world and has thus far been translated into six languages (Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese). The musical has amassed nearly $4.5 billion in global sales and has been seen by over 53 million people worldwide.

Based on the novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire, Wicked is set in the land of Oz and tells the story of young girls Glinda and Elphaba, who grow up to become Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively. Featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, the production is directed by Joe Mantello with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. The show earned 10 Tony nominations in 2004, winning three for Costumes, Scenic Design, and Lead Actress (Idina Menzel).

The Broadway cast of Wicked is currently led by Jackie Burns as Elphaba, Amanda Jane Cooper as Glinda, Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Ashley Parker Angel as Fiyero, Jye Frasca as Boq, Kristin Martin as Nessarose, and Chad Jennings as Dr. Dillamond.

For tickets and more information, click here.

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