Tom McGowan Joins West End's WICKED as 'The Wizard' Tonight

WICKED, the award-winning classic musical that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, is delighted to welcome the American stage, television and film actor Tom McGowan to the role of The Wizard from tonight 21 September for a limited season until Saturday 12 March 2016. He will be making his West End debut.

Tom McGowan has been playing The Wizard in various North American productions of Wicked to great acclaim since 2009, including three separate engagements at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway. His other Broadway credits include 'Bessie' in Harvey Fierstein's Casa Valentina, directed by Joe Mantello; 'Amos Hart' in Chicago; Anton Chekhov's Ivanov, adapted by David Hare and the original production of David Hirson's La Bête (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, Best Actor in a Play). Off-Broadway, he won an OBIE Award for his performance as 'Otto' in Nicky Silver's The Food Chain. His many television appearances include recurring roles as KACL Station Manager 'Kenny Daly' in Frasier; 'Bernie' in Everybody Loves Raymond and 'Joe' in The War at Home; and guest starring roles in Veep; Modern Family; Desperate Housewives; Brothers & Sisters; CSI; Hot in Cleveland; ER and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Films include The Birdcage; Heavyweights; Ghost World; Bad Santa; As Good As It Gets; Bean; The Family Man; Twelve and Holding and Sleepless in Seattle.

Tom McGowan said: "I am thrilled to be invited to make my West End stage debut in Wicked playing the role that has been such a huge and fulfilling part of my career on Broadway and across North America at various times since 2009. I look forward to meeting and working with the amazing London cast."

Executive Producer (UK) Michael McCabe said: "We are absolutely delighted that the wonderful Tom McGowan will be recreating his acclaimed Broadway performance as The Wizard in the West End production of Wicked, and we very much look forward to welcoming him to the Apollo Victoria Theatre in September."

From tonight 21 September 2015, Wicked will star: Emma Hatton (Elphaba), Savannah Stevenson (Glinda), Oliver Savile (Fiyero), Liza Sadovy (Madame Morrible), Tom McGowan (The Wizard), Sean Kearns (Doctor Dillamond), Daniel Hope (Boq), Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose), Natalie Andreou (Standby for Elphaba), Carina Gillespie (Standby for Glinda), Chloe Ames, Nicholas Collier, Laura Emmitt, Kerry Enright, Oliver Evans, Freya Field, Joseph Fletcher, Rosie Fletcher, David Gale, Sergio Giacomelli, Sheila Grant, Chester Hayes, Lauren James Ray, Aaron Jenkins, Jasmine Kerr, Natalie McQueen, Billy Mitchell, Scott Monello, Kane Oliver Parry, Steph Parry, Julienne Schembri, Paulo Teixeira, Joe Toland, Hannah Toy, Russell Walker and Helen Woolf.

Tom McGowan is appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes' Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

Acclaimed as "one of the greatest musicals of our time" (Daily Mail) and "one of the West End's best-loved shows" (OfficialLondonTheatre.com), Wicked is now the 10th longest-running show in the West End and has already been seen by almost 7 million people in London and played over 3700 performances.

Wicked is produced around the world by: Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK): Michael McCabe.