Original Broadway Premiere and First Release
Wicked the musical first opened on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003, after previews that began on October 8, 2003. The production was developed by Universal Stage Productions with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The show was based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, which reimagined the Land of Oz from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. The original Broadway cast starred Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, with direction by Joe Mantello and choreography by Wayne Cilento. The production was produced by David Stone, Marc Platt, Jon B. Platt, and the Broadway group, with orchestrations by William David Brohn and costumes by Susan Hilferty. The show quickly became a major commercial success and a fixture of Broadway's long-running hits. For the official Broadway production details, see the Broadway organization's page on Wicked.
The first preview performance was held on October 8, 2003, and the opening night followed on October 30, 2003, marking the official first release of the musical to the public. The production received mixed to positive reviews from major critics, with praise for the score, performances, and visual design. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards in 2004, including Best Musical, and won three, including Best Actress in a Musical for Idina Menzel. The show's commercial run continued to expand, and it became one of the highest-grossing productions on Broadway in subsequent years. The original Broadway production is documented by the Broadway organization and theater databases that track long-running shows.
Pre-Broadway Tryouts and Development Timeline
Workshops and Early Development
Before the Broadway premiere, Wicked went through several developmental stages, including workshops and out-of-town tryouts. The musical had a workshop production in 2000 and a developmental reading with the original creative team. The first major public presentation occurred during the out-of-town tryout at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco in May and June 2003. The San Francisco tryout allowed the creators to refine the show, adjust pacing, and test audience reactions before the Broadway transfer. The development process was supported by the producing team and involved input from the creative department and the Broadway organization.
The out-of-town tryout in San Francisco ran from May 28, 2003, to June 29, 2003, and included revisions to the book, orchestrations, and staging. The production then moved to New York for previews at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003. The development timeline shows how the musical evolved from a concept based on the novel to a full-scale Broadway production within a few years. The first release to a paying audience occurred during the San Francisco tryout, which served as the initial public presentation of the show. The Broadway organization and theater historians track these milestones as part of the production's official history.
First Touring Production and Global Expansion
First National Tour Launch
The first national touring production of Wicked launched in March 2005, beginning in Toronto and then moving to cities across the United States. The tour was designed to bring the musical to audiences outside New York and to extend the commercial life of the show. The first tour used a scaled-down version of the Broadway set and costumes while maintaining the original creative vision. The production was managed by the Broadway organization and local presenting partners in each city. The tour's launch marked the first time the musical was available to audiences in major markets across North America.
The first touring production played in major theaters in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, and it became one of