Theater News

PJ Benjamin, Nicole Parker to Join Wicked Tour

Nicole Parker in Wicked
(© Joan Marcus)
Nicole Parker in Wicked
(© Joan Marcus)

PJ Benjamin will join the first North American tour of Wicked in the role of The Wizard on Tuesday, May 8, while Nicole Parker will take over the lead role of Elphaba on Friday, May 18 during the tour’s stop a the Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado.

They join a cast that features Alli Mauzey (Glinda), Liz McCartney (Madame Morrible), Justin Brill (Boq), Emily Ferranti (Nessarose), Andy Kelso (Fiyero), Paul Slade Smith (Dr. Dillamond) and Carla Stickler (Standby for Elphaba).

The company also includes Lauren Boyd, Antonette Cohen, Rick Desloge, Luis Augusto Figueroa, Timothy A. Fitz-Gerald, Dominic Giudici, Napoleon W. Gladney, Brenda Hamilton, Courtney Iventosch, Spencer Jones, Trevor Ryan Krahl, Renee Lawless-Orsini, Philip Dean Lightstone, Marissa Lupp, Michael Mahany, Kevin McMahon, Ashley Dawn Mortensen, Cassie Okenka, Christopher Russo, Adea Michelle Sessoms, Sarah Schenkkan, Pamela Shandrow, Shanna VanDerwerker, Nicky Venditti and Mikey Winslow.

Benjamin has played the Wizard on Broadway for five years, with other Main Stem credits including Torch Song Trilogy, Sophisticated Ladies, Pippin, Charlie and Algernon, Sarava, The Pajama Game, The Wind in the Willows, and Damn Yankees.

Parker has played her role on Broadway, with other Broadway credits including The People in The Picture and Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. She may be best known for her work on MADtv.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, Wicked is based on the 1995 best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire, and tells the untold story of the witches of Oz. The musical is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello and features musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento.

Click here for more information on the Wicked tour.