Brescia, Ashford, and Cusick Join Chicago's 'Wicked'

Starting Tuesday, June 3, Chicago's WICKED is proud to welcome Lisa Brescia to the role of Elphaba, original company member Kristoffer Cusick returning to the role of Fiyero and as previously announced, Annaleigh Ashford to the role of Glinda.

Lisa Brescia joins the Chicago company directly from WICKED on Broadway where for the past year she has served as the Elphaba Standby.  Her other Broadway credits include starring in The Times They Are A-Changin', The Woman in White, Aida and the most recent revival of Jesus Christ Superstar.  Kristoffer Cusick originated the role of Fiyero in both the Chicago and Los Angeles companies of WICKED and has also performed the role on Broadway.  His other credits include the Original Broadway Company of Saturday Night Fever and the 1st National Tour of Rent.

The Chicago company of WICKED stars Lisa Brescia as Elphaba and Annaleigh Ashford as Glinda; Chicago's own BARBARA ROBERTSON as Madame Morrible, Gene Weygandt as The Wizard, Heidi Kettenring as Nessarose and K. Todd Freeman as Doctor Dillamond; Kristoffer Cusick as Fiyero; STANTON NASH as Boq; and JENNIFER DiNOIA as the Standby for Elphaba.

The complete cast includes: Meredith Akins, Kerry Blanchard, Cristin Boyle, Jeremy Duvall, Peter C. Ermides, Steven James Ewing, Marisa Field, Timothy A. Fitz-Gerald, James Ginnever, Jacqui Graziano, Charles Hagerty, Gregory Haney, Jill Hayman, Michelle London, Patrick McCollum, Vanessa McMahan, Vicki Noon, Nathan Peck, Casey Quinn, Mindy Reid, Don Richard, Brad Simanski, Betsy Struxness, and Kevin Samual Yee.

Winner of 15 major awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, WICKED is the untold story of the witches of Oz.  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.

Breaking multiple box office records since opening in June 2005, WICKED is the top-grossing and longest-running Broadway show in Chicago history and will soon celebrate its 3rd anniversary.

Declared "A Cultural Phenomenon" by Variety, WICKED currently has productions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Stuttgart, Melbourne and on a North American tour.  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 Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

The Chicago company of WICKED performs through January 25, 2009, at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph St).

For tickets and more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com/chicago.

Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy.

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