Sentimental Man Kevin Chamberlin Will Board the Hot Air Balloon to Oz Joining the Cast of WICKED as The Wizard

Beginning performances Tuesday, May 22, three-time Tony nominee KEVIN CHAMBERLIN will assume the role of The Wizard in the Broadway production of Wicked.

KEVIN CHAMBERLIN has been nominated for Tony Awards for his performances in Seussical, Dirty Blonde, and The Addams Family. His other Broadway credits include Disaster!, The Ritz, Chicago, Triumph of Love, and My Favorite Year. Chamberlain has appeared on film in Die Hard with A Vengeance, Road to Perdition, Taking Woodstock, Suspect Zero, and Christmas with the Kranks. His TV credits include "A Series of Unfortunate Events," "Modern Family," "Frasier," "Grace and Frankie" and Bertram on Disney Channel's "Jessie!"

Mr. Chamberlin joins a cast which currently includes Jackie Burns as Elphaba, Amanda Jane Cooper as Glinda, Ashley Parker Angel as Fiyero, Isabel Keating as Madame Morrible, Jye Frasca as Boq, Kristen Martin as Nessarose, and Martin Moran as Dr. Dillamond. The role of The Wizard is currently being played by Fred Applegate, who will give his final performance on Broadway on Sunday, May 20th.

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."

Winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 14 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, and Brazil) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese.

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 Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

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

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos