New Morrible Houdyshell to Go from 'Well' to 'Wicked'

Jayne Houdyshell, who received a Tony nomination for her performance in Well, will join the Broadway company of the smash-hit musical Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st St.) as Madame Morrible beginning Tuesday, November 14. 

Houdyshell will replace Carol Kane, who will be reprising the role of Madame Morrible in the Los Angeles production at the Pantages Theatre in February 2007.

Houdyshell was lauded last season for her acclaimed performance in Well.  In addition to a Tony Award nomination, she received a Theatre World Award, OBIE Award and Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Award nominations for her role.  Her off-Broadway credits include The Pain and the Itch at Playwrights Horizons, Much Ado About Nothing at New York Shakespeare Festival, True Love at the Zipper Theatre and Attempts on Her Life at SoHo Rep.  She received a 2005 Jefferson Award for The Pain and the Itch at the Steppenwolf Theatre and a 2005 Barrymore Award for The Clean House at the Wilma Theater. 

Ana Gasteyer (Elphaba) and Kate Reinders (Glinda) currently star with David Garrison (the Wizard) and Carol Kane (Madame Morrible) in Wicked on Broadway, with Derrick Williams (Fiyero), Jenna Leigh Green (Nessarose), Logan Lipton (Boq) and Steven Skybell (Dr. Dillamond).

Wicked has been sold out at virtually every performance since having its official opening at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003, breaking house records with box office receipts of over $1.4 million per week.  Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the show has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman.  Directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento, thee musical is currently being presented on Broadway; on a national tour; and in a separate, open-ended engagement at Chicago's Ford Center for Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre.  The London production had its official opening at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on September 27. 

"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 Witch," as the show is described in press notes.

The performance schedule for Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre (222 W. 51st  St.) is Tuesdays at 7 PM; Wednesday through Saturdays at 8 PM; matinees on Wednesdays & Saturdays at 2 PM; Sundays at 3 PM.  The scale of prices is $50 - $110.  Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100 (or www.ticketmaster.com) or at the Gershwin Theatre box office.  For more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com.