|  FUN
FACTS
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The New York Times referred to Wicked
as "One of the most successful shows in Broadway
history.”
* In November 2006, the Grammy
Award winning (Best Musical Show Album) original
cast recording of Wicked
was certified “Platinum”, for sales
of more than 1 million copies in print.
* Three of the Broadway company’s
current stars – Stephanie J. Block (Elphaba),
Lenny Wolpe (The Wizard), and David Burnham (Fiyero)
originated their roles in the original Los Angeles
workshop of Wicked.
* The Broadway production of Wicked
recently adopted and refurbished an abandoned garden
in Harlem. Decorated with a yellow brick road, plus
characters and other settings from Wicked,
“The Friendship Garden” is located at
West 150th street in Harlem and is open to the public
every day.
* An Australian production of Wicked
will open summer of 2008. A Dutch-language production
of Wicked
will open in 2009.
 *
The novel “Wicked”
by Gregory Maguire, published in 1995, has sold
over 3 million copies, with 2.5 million of those
sold since 2003 when the musical opened. Buoyed
by the musical’s success, the novel still
appears on bestseller lists 13 years after its initial
publication.
* In his review of the Los Angeles
production, Charles McNulty, of the Los Angeles
Times, stated that “Wicked
is a phenomenon that keeps growing.”
* The company of Wicked
wears 70 wigs during a performance, all of which
are made of human hair.
*
Wicked is the only show so popular that
it even has its own Behind-the-scenes tour that
you can buy tickets to every Saturday morning. You
do not need a performance ticket for this tour.
For more information, visit www.emeraldcurtain.com.
 *
The Chicago Tribune has called that city’s
production of Wicked
“the most popular piece of Chicago theatre
in a generation.”
* A Japanese language production
of Wicked
opened in Tokyo on June 17, 2007 at the Dentsu Shiki
Theatre. A German language production of Wicked
opened in Stuttgart on November 15, 2007. Both shows
have been playing to consistent capacity crowds
ever since they opened.
* The enormous Time Dragon, which
hangs above the stage of the Gershwin Theatre, has
a wingspan that is the same as a Cessna 172.
* The Tony Award-winning scenery
for Wicked
weighs about 175,000 pounds and uses close to five
miles of cable to automate it.
*
Wicked has won fifteen major awards,
including the Grammy Award, three Tony Awards and
six Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical.
* Did you know that there is a
Wicked day?
For the past three years, Wicked
Day is held on the last Sunday in October. For more
information, please check the website www.wickedday.com
to find out where events will be held.
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