Nouveau Productions Executive Producer, Robert Pullen, announced the full cast of WICKED IN CONCERT: A Musical Celebration of the Iconic Broadway Score, which will air on Sunday, August 29, 2021 at 9:00 p.m. on WPBS.
PBS will mark Broadway’s return with WICKED IN CONCERT, a musical event celebrating the songs from one of the most iconic hits in Broadway history. This special performance will feature reimagined, never-before-heard musical arrangements created just for this broadcast, performed by celebrity artists from the worlds of film, pop music and television. Whether you’ve listened to the Grammy Award-winning cast recording for years or are new to the world of Oz, you will fall in love with these extraordinary Broadway classics written by the incomparable composer Stephen Schwartz.
The evening is co-hosted by WICKED’s original stars, Emmy and Tony Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth and Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel, with performances by Tony Award nominee and star of Sex and the City, Mario Cantone; Tony and Olivier Award-winning actor Gavin Creel; Tony Award nominee and star of the soon-to-be-released film West Side Story, Ariana DeBose; two-time Academy Award nominee and Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award-winner Cynthia Erivo; Stephanie Hsu of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; EGOT winner Rita Moreno; multi Grammy Award-winning country artist Jennifer Nettles; Grammy Award nominee and star of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Alex Newell; Grammy Award nominee and co-star of the upcoming film Dear Evan Hansen, Isaac Powell; Olivier Award-winner, Grammy Award nominee and star of Glee Amber Riley; star of TV’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Gabrielle Ruiz; and Tony Award-winner and star of The Glee Project Ali Stroker.
Musical numbers featured in this star-studded concert include much of the beloved score, such as “The Wizard and I,” “Defying Gravity,” “Popular, Wonderful,” “No Good Deed,” “For Good” and “As Long As You’re Mine.”
WICKED IN CONCERT is directed by Broadway legend Baayork Lee. The Associate Director is Tara Young and Assistant Director is Cassey Kivnick. The concert features lighting design by Zach Blane, with musical direction by Luke Frazier. The orchestra arrangements are created by Frazier with members of the American Pops Orchestra and filmed in multiple locations including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York City.
About WICKED
The Broadway sensation WICKED looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
With a thrilling score that includes the hits “Defying Gravity,” “Popular” and “For Good,” WICKED has been hailed by The New York Times as “the defining musical of the decade,” and by Time Magazine as “a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart, and courage.” NBC Nightly News calls the hit musical “the most successful Broadway show ever.”
Now the 5th longest-running show in Broadway history, WICKED is the winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards. Since opening in 2003, WICKED has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and China) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese. WICKED has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide and has amassed over $5 billion in global sales.
Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production is directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello with musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento. WICKED is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
