Paul Kreppel Joins WICKED's 2nd National Tour as 'The Wizard,' 3/7

The company of the second North American tour of WICKED welcomes Paul Kreppel as The Wizard on Wednesday, March 7 in Norfolk, VA.

Kreppel’s acting credits include the original NY productions of Godspell, NY Shakespeare Festival’s Comedy of Errors and Alice in Concert, Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, My Mother's Italian..., Joseph..., The Proposition and starring in the National Tour of Jerome Robbins' Broadway. Hundreds of television appearances include starring as Sonny Mann in the 80's comedy "It's A Living" and credits from “Laverne & Shirley” and “Love Boat” to “ER” and "That '70's Show!” (as Jackie’s Dad). Also, a Tony Award-winner for co-producing/directing/conceiving Jay Johnson: The Two And Only! with partner Murphy Cross, in the multi-award-winning Wetrock Entertainment. They are currently developing two new musicals: First Kids and Chaplin: A Life. In Concert. www.paulkreppel.com

Kreppel joins a cast that includes Anne Brummel as Elphaba, Tiffany Haas as Glinda, and Marilyn Caskey as Madame Morrible.

The company also features Catherine Charlebois (Nessarose), Dan Pacheco (Boq), Timothy Britten Parker (Dr. Dillamond), David Nathan Perlow (Fiyero) and Stephanie Torns (Standby for Elphaba) with Kerry Blanchard, Michael Drolet, Jeremy Duvall, Anna Eilinsfeld, Peter C. Ermides, Ryan Patrick Farrell, Samantha Farrow, Natalie Fotopoulos, Linda Griffin, Lauren Haughton, Zach Hensler, KJ Hippensteel, Ryan Jackson, Becca Kloha, Lisa Livesay, Sterling Masters, Marissa Miller, Robert Pendilla, Casey Quinn, Michael McCorry Rose, Wayne Schroder, Ben Susak, Erin Wilson, Justin Wirick and Lindsay Wood.

WICKED is currently playing The BJCC Concert Hall in Birmingham, AL through March 4. Tickets will be available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com/wicked, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the BJCC Central Ticket Office.

Kreppel joins WICKED in conjunction with the tour’s opening in Norfolk, VA. WICKED will play March 7 – 25 at Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com/wicked, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or at the Scope Arena Box Office, located at 201 East Brambleton Avenue in downtown Norfolk.

WICKED, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Disney’s Enchanted, Academy Award winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman (“My So Called Life,” “Once And Again” and “thirtysomething”), is based on the 1995 best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire. The musical is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues) and features musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed…). WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

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.

WICKED features set design by Tony Award winning Eugene Lee (Ragtime, Show Boat, Candide, Sweeney Todd), costume design by Tony winner Susan Hilferty (Spring Awakening, Into the Woods, Assassins), lighting design by Tony nominee Kenneth Posner (Tony Award winner for The Coast of Utopia, Hairspray) and sound design by Tony Meola (The Lion King). Stephen Oremus is the show’s music director. Orchestrations are by William David Brohn, with dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott.

WICKED has “cast quite a spell” (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston to name a few.

Called “a cultural phenomenon” by Variety, WICKED continues to thrill audiences around the world. There are currently seven productions of WICKED worldwide: New York; London; Japan; Holland; Australian/Asian Tour; and two concurrent North American National Tours.

Grammy Award-Winning Cast recording available on Decca Broadway. For more information about WICKED log on to www.wickedthemusical.com.