Wicked

Wicked is coming to Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for a run from February 3 to 28, 2027. It's the touring Broadway production of the musical that tells the untold story of the witches of Oz, long before the events of The Wizard of Oz. The show follows the unlikely bond between the green-skinned Elphaba and the effervescent Glinda, based on Gregory Maguire's novel.

On stage, the roles are played by Laurel Harris and Jessie Davidson as Elphaba, Zoe Jensen as Glinda, Timothy Shew as The Wizard, Eileen T'Kaye as Madame Morrible, Nicolas Garza as Boq, Ethan Kirschbaum as Fiyero, Jada Temple as Nessarose, and Drew McVety as Doctor Dillamond. Joe Mantello directs, with music by Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman, and choreography by Wayne Cilento. The production runs two hours and 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

If you're coming to it for the songs, you'll hear the ones that have become the show's most recognizable moments: "Defying Gravity," "Popular," and "As Long As You're Mine." The musical premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003 and has since won more than 50 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tonys. Entertainment Weekly named it "The Best Musical of the Decade," and Variety called it "A Cultural Phenomenon.

There's a 2024 film adaptation too, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, which became the highest-grossing movie musical of all time, earning $750 million worldwide. On stage, Elphaba's green transformation uses MAC PRO Chromacake in Landscape Green, a shade created specifically for the show. You can catch it at the Straz Center, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602, from February 3 through February 28.