Lissa deGuzman, Jennafer Newberry, and More Join the National Tour of WICKED

The Broadway sensation Wicked will welcome new cast members to the National Tour beginning performances Tuesday, March 22 at the First Interstate Center for the Arts in Spokane, WA.

Lissa deGuzman, who is new to the world of Wicked, will assume the role of Elphaba after recently appearing in Disney's Aladdin and King Kong on Broadway. Regionally, she appeared in Bliss at The 5th Avenue Theatre, Fidler on the Roof at The Muny, Chasing Rainbows at Goodspeed Opera House, and West Side Story and Les Misérables at Studio Tenn. Lissa attended Belmont University where she received her BFA in Musical Theatre.

Jennafer Newberry is thrilled to be back in Oz as Glinda after previously being the understudy for the role in the National Tour of Wicked. Recent credits include Disney's Freaky Friday at La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse and The Alley Theatre, and Finding Nemo: The Musical at Disney World. Regionally, she appeared in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Light in the Piazza and Bat Boy. Jennafer received her BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

John Bolton (The Wizard) is also new to the Wicked family. On Broadway, John has had leading roles in Anastasia, A Christmas Story: The Musical, Dames at Sea, Curtains, Monty Python's Spamalot, Contact, Titanic, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and a featured role in Damn Yankees. On tour, he recently played Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly! Nominated for Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Astaire, Rivera and Lortel awards, John headlined four sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall and performed as a soloist with the NY Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. He played US Attorney General Hank Nolan on CBS' "Madam Secretary" and spent four seasons as Bruce on "Gossip Girl." He has guest-starred on "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," "Elementary," "Blue Bloods," "Boardwalk Empire," "The Good Wife," "Law & Order," and is featured in the film Mapplethorpe.

Michael Genet will return to the role of Doctor Dillamond in the National Tour of Wicked after having played the role on Broadway. His other Broadway credits include The Prom, Choir Boy, Lestat, Hamlet and A Few Good Men. Off-Broadway, Michael has appeared in Is God Is, American Son, A Soldier's Play and The Whipping Man. His film and television credits include She Hate Me, 25th Hour, One Fine Day, "Billions," "Bull," "Blue Bloods," "The Affair," "Fosse/Verdon," "Ugly Betty," "Dr. Death" and "The Following." Michael wrote She Hate Me (w/Spike Lee), Hallelujah and Talk to Me, which received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture.

Kimberly Immanuel will be joining the National Tour of Wicked as Nessarose, directly from the National Tour of Hadestown. She has also toured in Irving Berlin's White Christmas and appeared Off-Broadway in The Fantasticks at the Jerry Orbach Theatre, Heartbreak House at Theatre Row and Pacific Overtures at Classic Stage Company.

Jake Pedersen (Boq) most recently toured in the National Tour of Escape to Margaritaville. Regionally, he appeared in Newsies, Writing Kevin Taylor, The Last Day and The Lucky Boy. Jake received his BFA in Musical Theatre from Penn State University.

They join a cast which currently includes Lisa Howard as Madame Morrible, Jordan Litz as Fiyero, with Natalia Vivino, Alexia Acebo, Travante S. Baker, Anthony Lee Bryant, Nick Burrage, Jordan Casanova, Matt Densky, Marie Eife, Ryan Patrick Farrell, Sara Gonzales, Chelsea Cree Groen, Kelly Lafarga, Marina Lazzaretto, Megan Loomis, Ryan Mac, Alida Michal, Alicia Newcom, David Scott Purdy, Jackie Raye, Rebecca Gans Reavis, Andy Richardson, Jenna Nicole Schoen, Wayne Schroder, Paul Schwensen, Ben Susak and Justin Wirick.

Currently the 5th longest-running show in Broadway history, Wicked is the winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards. Since opening in 2003, Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and China) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese. Wicked has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide and has amassed over $5 billion in global sales.

In addition to the Broadway production, Wicked in North America has enjoyed unprecedented record-breaking sit-down engagements in Chicago, where it ran for nearly four years; Los Angeles, where it ran for two years; and San Francisco, where it ran for nearly two years, as well as two North American Tours.

The Broadway sensation Wicked looks at 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, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships...until the world decides to call one "good," and the other one "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." NBC Nightly News calls the hit musical "the most successful Broadway show ever."

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 Tony Award winner Joe Mantello with musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento. Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

For more information about Wicked, please visit www.WickedTheMusical.com.