WICKED Defies Gravity, Breaks Its Own North American Touring Record

The Broadway blockbuster Wicked continues to defy gravity at the box office, with the production's National Tour breaking its own record for the highest grossing week in U.S. touring history, with a final gross of $3,325,200 at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center for the nine performance week ending January 1, 2017.

WICKED's previous U.S. touring record of $3,285,606 was set last year at St. Louis' Fabulous Fox Theatre.

Additionally, Wicked was the only musical to have both of its U.S. productions gross over $3 million for the record-breaking week ending January 1, 2017, with the Broadway production grossing $3,162,603 for that nine performance week.

Since opening in 2003, Wicked has been performed in more than 100 cities in 14 countries around the world and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese. Winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, Wicked has amassed over $4.2 billion in global sales and has been seen by over 50 million people worldwide.

In addition to the Broadway production, which is currently the ninth longest running show in Broadway history, 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 concurrent National Tours. WICKED has grossed a combined total of nearly $3 billion solely from its North American companies. It continues to be among Broadway's highest grossing musicals, 14 years into its run.

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."

The musical currently stars Jennifer DiNoia as Elphaba, Kara Lindsay as Glinda, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Madame Morrible, Peter Scolari as The Wizard, Michael Campayno as Fiyero, Dawn E. Cantwell as Nessarose, Michael Genet as Dr. Dillamond, and Zachary Noah Piser as Boq.

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.

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