Photo Flash: Molly Ringwald, Regina King, et al. at WICKED's LA Opening!

Back by "Popular" demand, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, WICKED returned to its Los Angeles home, the Pantages Theatre, for a strictly-limited engagement this holiday season running through January 29, 2012. When it first played the Pantages in 2005, it broke box office records and sold out in record time. WICKED returned two years later to begin an extended engagement that would go on to run two years, becoming one of the longest-running Broadway musicals in L.A. history. Check out phots fromt he starry opening below!

Tickets for WICKED may be purchased online at www.BroadwayLA.org or by phone at 1-800-982-ARTS(2787). Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Pantages Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. The Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Vine Street, and the box office opens daily at 10am.

Leading the Los Angeles Company are Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda and Mamie Parris as Elphaba with Liz McCartney as Madame Morrible and Mark Jacoby as The Wizard. Also featured are Stefanie Brown as Nessarose, Justin Brill as Boq, Kyle Dean Massey as Fiyero, Paul Slade Smith as Dr. Dillamond and Mariand Torres as the Standby for Elphaba.

The company of WICKED also includes native Los Angeles residents Lauren Boyd, Napoleon W. Gladney, Brenda Hamilton, Alli McGinnis and Kevin McMahon. Rounding out the company are Megan Campanile, Antonette Cohen, Rick Desloge, Melanie Field, Luis Augusto Figueroa, Timothy A. Fitz-Gerald, Renee Lawless-Orsini, Philip Dean Lightstone, Marissa Lupp, Michael Mahany, Sterling Masters, Christopher Russo, Adea Michelle Sessoms, Carla Stickler, Brandon Tyler, Shanna VanDerwerker, Nicky Venditti and Mikey Winslow.

Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED, winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards, is the untold story of the witches of Oz. It 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, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

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 Tours.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Academy Award-winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman ("My So Called Life," "Once And Again" and "thirtysomething"), WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, 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...).

 Photo Credit: Jim Smeal / BEImages 

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