Wicked on Broadway- Still a Sure Bet to Please Everyone of All Ages

I've been thinking about the upcoming 2009 Tony Awards taking place Sunday June 7, 2009 and remembering about past Tony Award winning musicals. In particular, the gigantic hit that is about 5 and 1/2 years old now is still Wicked. I remember the 2004 Tony Awards really well. That year Avenue Q won Best Musical as well as many other awards. Avenue Q is still playing, but to modest audiences these days. Wicked, however, is almost always a sell out. The show takes in easily over $1 million dollars a week, every week of the year just about. Can you believe it, and in this downward economy? Wicked is still one of my Broadway favorites. The show is based on a novel by Gregory McGuire which was turned into a magnificent musical Book written by Winnie Holzman. The shows Music and Lyrics are by the very talented Stephen Schwartz. David Stone is the shows producer. Mr. Stone has also produced one of this seasons best shows, Next to Normal, which is nominated for 8 Tony Awards in 2009. Wicked is a very unique addition to the Wizard of Oz story. In fact, you might say it is the prequel to the Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of 2 unlikely young girls attending school together who become friends, then one becomes Glinda The Good Witch (played by Alli Mauzey who was a star last year on Broadway in Cry-Baby) as well as one of the girls becoming the Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West ( played by Nicole Parker who was a star on Broadway a few years ago in Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me). Ms. Parker is best known playing in MADtv for the last 6 years. These young ladies are huge stars in the show and should have long outstanding careers on Broadway for many years to come. The show is pure excitement from beginning to end. If you need tickets for Wicked, you can call Applause Theater Service, a locally licensed New York State ticket agency that represents Wicked and all the Broadway shows playing. Applause is open seven days a week for your convenience. They enjoy talking to callers about Broadway. Although this years Tony Awards are going to be a real treat with Next to Normal, West Side Story, Hair, Billy Elliot, 9 to 5 The Musical and Shrek The Musical vying for the much coveted Tony Awards, I wonder if any of this yeas award winners will have the "staying power" of Wicked. Although this remains to be seen, if you want to see a show you'll remember forever, get yourself tickets to see Wicked.

Sincerely, Rich Gladstone Applause 311 West 43rd Street, suite 601 NY,NY 10036 local phone 212-307-7050 toll free 800-451-9930 web site