Burns/Schwartz Join Cast of WICKED as 'Elphaba', 'Glinda' on Broadway

Beginning today Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz will assume the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in the Broadway cast of Wicked. Ms. Burns and Ms. Schwartz come to Broadway directly from Wicked's First National Tour. The Broadway company currently features Richard H. Blake as Fiyero, Kathy Fitzgerald as Madame Morrible, Tom McGowan as The Wizard, Etai BenShlomo as Boq, Cristy Candler as Nessarose, and Tom Flynn as Dr. Dillamond.

Jackie Burns appeared on Broadway in Hair where she was a part of the ‘Black Boys' trio. Off-Broadway, she was a member of the original company of Rock of Ages and the award-winning Unlock'd for NYMF. Jackie has performed at many regional theaters and received the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Grand Night For Singing. She can also be heard on the concept album "Swept Away" (Disney) and Frank Wildhorn's latest, "Tears From Heaven," with Linda Eder.

Chandra Lee Schwartz has appeared on Broadway in Gypsy with Bernadette Peters, as Penny in Hairspray, and Sharpay in Disney's High School Musical. In 2007 she was nominated for a Barrymore Award for Nerds, the Musical. Her other credits include Lola in PCLO's production of Copacabana and Meghan in NYMF production of But I'm a Cheerleader.

Winner of 35 major awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Declared "A Cultural Phenomenon" by Variety and "The Best Musical of the Decade" by Entertainment Weekly, Wicked currently has 7 productions worldwide: New York, London, Japan, Germany, two concurrent North American National Tours, and an Australian tour. 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 Joe Mantello with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

To get tickets and more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com. WICKED is performed at the Gershwin Theatre, 222 West 51st Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.