The smash hit musical Wicked performed for its 2 millionth customer this week celebrating its West End longevity. Lucky patron Louisa Robb and her partner Craig Robinson from Newark were given special treatment as the guests of honour, and were able to pose with both of the witches after the show, resulting in the lovely photo below.
If it were me, I would ask Alexia Khadime (who plays Elphaba) just how long it takes to get that green makeup on and off every night. I wonder if she has to scrub with industrial strength soap?
Wicked was already a Broadway hit when it arrived at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in September 2006 and quickly became a sought after show on the London scene as well. In this interpretation of Oz the munchkins and Dorothy take a back seat while the story of the witches is explored.
Celebrating its 1000th performance earlier this year and heading for a birthday cake with 3 candles in September, Wicked tickets are still in high demand. Check out the superb Wicked Meal Deal on www.discounttheatre.com or buy tickets for Wicked here.
This post celebrates the 1000th performance of Wicked on Saturday February 14th 2009 at a ram-packed matinee performance in London.
Who’d have thought when the lights went out on Starlight Express all those years ago, that the Apollo theatre would soon play host to a whole new set of excited fans eager to see a new magical spectacular? An event that would literally grab the public imagination by the horns and become the most popular West End show of them all!
The surrounding area of Victoria station is now like a hotbed of theatrical success with Billy Elliot and Wicked facing off skin on skin and night after night like two ferocious brothers…Blood Brothers?
Anyway I was sitting at home this morning eating Brioche and trying to think of the perfect way to mark this special occasion when suddenly it hit me in the eye:
My top 10 famous people who’ve seen Wicked in London, in a very particular secret order:
- Mick Jagger
- Ray Mears
- Tim Burton
- Brian May
- Jennifer Aniston
- Gary Barlow
- Graham Norton
- Matt Damon
- Dame Shirley Bassey
- Sharon Osbourne
So basically if you go see Wicked this year, you’re in GREAT company!
Get your Wicked tickets here =>
It’s been a winning formula for a couple of years now…
Take a hit West End musical, and transform it into a high budget glitzy movie starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones or Pears Brosnan. Then sit back on your private yacht with the champagne and Honeyz all around, and watch the $$$$ roll in.
I can almost hear the unscrupulous movie producers’ distorted minds ticking over through the din of cocaine-induced jitters and gurning: “It worked with Chicago, now let’s do it with The Producers. It kind of worked with The Producers, now let’s do it with Mamma Mia!. And by God did it work with Mamma Mia!, let’s do it with Wicked next fall.”
So basically this concept works out great for all involved, Catherine Zeta-Jones is happy because she becomes even more worthy of her marriage to ‘alleged’ sex addict Michael Douglas; the movie producers are happy because they can pay the tab on their lives of sin and debauchery; and the shows are grateful for the additional interest, because there is no denying that movie exposure puts fresh pink booty on seats.
But an interesting role reversal has been taking place recently, because now it seems that kind and virtuous West End theatre producers (who seem in most ways to be the direct opposites of their movie counterparts) are returning the favour, and using some of cinemas best-loved offerings as inspiration for new shows. The first of these being Rain Man at the Apollo Theatre, based on the Oscar-winning film staring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, closely followed by Edward Scissorhands in December (although it was actually on stage a while back, too), and an exciting production of Sister Act proposed for the New Year. Read more
