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Chicago and Broadway Wickeds Swap Wizards, Aug. 30-Sept. 4

By: Aug. 22, 2005
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In one of those flashes of creative casting, Wicked play a game of Wizard-tag from August 30th through September 4th.

Vereen, who currently plays the "wonderful" despot in New York and who wanted to be with an ailing family member in Chicago, prompted the producers' decision to send him to the Windy City for a week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. During that time, Chicago Wizard Gene Weygandt will take over the role on Broadway.

While Wicked has been a smash hit at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.) for almost two years, the Chicago production at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts' Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.) also plays to very full houses; the sit-down show received raves upon opening on July 13th. The Broadway production currently boasts Shoshana Bean and Megan Hilty as Elphaba and Glinda, while Ana Gasteyer and Kate Reinders play the respective green and pink witches in Chicago. The lavish musical biography of the misunderstood title witch of the West features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holtzman, direction by Joe Mantello and choreography by Wayne Cilento.

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Triple-threat Vereen has appeared on Broadway in I'm Not Rappaport (his straight play debut), Fosse (a performance which was taped for DVD), Jelly's Last Jam, Sweet Charity, Hair, Grind, Jesus Christ Superstar and Pippin. For the latter show, also featuring a score by Schwartz, Vereen won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Actor in the Musical in 1973. He has also appeared as The Ghost of Christmas Present in the Madison Square Garden production of A Christmas Carol, and film and TV credits include Funny Lady, "Roots," All That Jazz, and "Zoobilee Zoo."

While primarily a Chicago-based actor (he has three Jefferson Awards), Weygandt appeared on Broadway as Paul in Big. Chicago credits include Little Shop of Horrors, Lend Me a Tenor, Arthur: The Musical, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Inspecting Carol and Me and My Girl. He has appeared onscreen in The Babe, and on television in "Cybill," "The Drew Carey Show," "Coach," "Ellen," and "Murphy Brown," among others.

Tickets for the Broadway production of Wicked can be purchased by calling (212) 307 4100 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. To order tickets for the Chicago Wicked, visit any of the Broadway in Chicago box offices (22 W. Monroe Street, 24 W. Randolph Street and 151 West Randolph Street) or by calling (312) 902-1400. For more information on the show, visit www.wickedthemusical.com.





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