Thrillifying cast announced for Wellington season of Wicked - The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz

The producers of the Wellington season of the Broadway blockbuster, Wicked – the untold true story of the witches of Oz – are thrillified to announce the stellar cast for their season, opening at the St James Theatre this August.

In the principal roles of best friends, Elphaba and Glinda are two of New Zealand's finest female leads, Heather Wilcock and Maya Handa Naff.

Known for her soaring vocals and spellbinding stage presence, Heather – a graduate of the New York Film Academy in Manhattan – reprises the role of Elphaba, the emerald-skinned Wicked Witch of the West and a character that is considered one of the most inspirational female musical theatre roles ever.

Having played Elphaba in the Auckland and Christchurch seasons, Heather's other credits include Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray, Eva Peron in Evita (Auckland and Wellington) and Florence in Chess (Auckland). She will be supported in the role by Lane Corby (Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserable, Footloose).

Maya triumphantly returns to the St James Theatre stage, having wowed audiences as Eponine in last year's sold-out season of Les Misérables. From rags to riches, this time Maya arrives on stage in the sparkliest crystal-encrusted gown ever as the fabulous blonde society girl, Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.

The brilliant Kristin Chenoweth made Glinda a household name on Broadway – a place Maya is only too familiar with. Maya spent a decade performing, directing, and teaching across the United States. Her favourite past performance credits include Miss Saigon (Kim), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Cabaret (Sally Bowles), Les Misérables (Eponine), The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily Cardew), A Doll's House: A New Opera (Christine Linde), Uncle Vanya (Sonya), Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Marcy Park), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Julia), Avenue Q (Christmas Eve), 4000 Miles (Amanda), Mame (Pegeen), and First Date (Casey). Maya will be supported in the role by Gemma Hoskins (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables).

Wicked follows the journey of these two women, thrust together as disgruntled roommates at Shiz University, through to them becoming best friends and navigating the political landscape of Oz.

Caught in the middle of this gale force is Fiyero, the devilishly handsome, seemingly one-dimensional Winkie prince played by Nick Lerew – Maya's real-life partner who also melted hearts in Les Misérables last year as Marius.

Hailing from the U.S. and landing in Wellington a few years back, Nick brings much experience with him. His credits include Miss Saigon (Chris), Les Misérables (Marius), South Pacific (Lt. Joseph Cable), Into the Woods (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), The Pirates of Penzance…in Space (Frederic), Daddy Long Legs (Jervis), Legally Blonde (Emmett Forrest), The Light in the Piazza (Fabrizio Naccarelli), and The Importance of Being Earnest…with Zombies (Jack Worthing). Supporting Nick in the role is Henry Ashby (Rent, Shortland Street. Also lead singer and guitarist in Wellington band Skram).

Playing Elphaba's wheelchair-bound and spoiled younger sister Nessarose is Anna Smith (Knights of the Table, The Addams Family Musical) and Boq, who is Glinda and Elphaba's university friend, will be played by fellow former New Yorker turned Wellingtonian Kevin Orlando (Into The Woods, End Of The Rainbow).

University headmistress and cohort of The Wizard, Madame Morrible, will be played by Frankie Leota (Les Misérables, A Natural Woman, Sweeney Todd, That Bloody Woman, Mamma Mia, My Fair Lady, Beauty & The Beast, The Sound of Music); The Wizard will be played by David Hoskins (Miss Saigon, Beauty & The Beast), and Dr Dillamond will be played by Ben Emerson (Sister Act The Musical, Les Misérables, Pippin and Hairspray). 

Ensemble
Medhi Angot Horsfall, Bryce Blackmore, May Lee Burrows, Allegra Canton, Adele Child, Bridget Connor, Tessa Deacle, Joshua Franken, Gayle Hammersley, Chris Hayward, Millie Ireland-Spicer, Maxine Kemp, Sheree Latimer, Rachael Leask, Anika Leamy-Hayes, Jason Mackiewicz, Holly Main-Grant, Chris McMillan, Corey Moir, Finlay Morris, Adam Nachowitz (Boq understudy), Megan Neill (Nessarose understudy), Molly O'Hagan, Raureti Ormond, Lisa Philipsen, RV Quijano, Catelin Riordan, Conall Sims, Oliver Smyth, Jeromy Tiatia (The Wizard understudy).

Backing vocalists
Bella Armstrong, Emily Cato-Symonds, Bells Campbell, Ace Dalziel, Eleanor Deacon, Allie Falkner, Corrie Milne, Grace Powell, Meg Tisdall, Neil Brewer, Chris Crowe, Dominic Taffs.

Landing in Wellington for the very first time, Capital Theatre Trust and G&T Productions will celebrate the 20th year of this amazing production with a premiere season in Wellington at the St James Theatre from 17 August – 3 September. 

WICKED tells the story of 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 - smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent and the other, a bubbly blonde who was exceptionally popular. Their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships… until the world decides to call one "good" and the other "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."
With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, it is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, in turn, based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film adaptation.

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