A timeline of 'Wicked' in the West End and beyond

Long before Elphaba and Glinda became Oscar-nominated Hollywood stars, they have delighted audiences in London and around the country — and the world! Get to know their full theatre history.

The brilliant Wicked movie is defying gravity with both cinema audiences and awards bodies — it’s a huge box office hit, and it’s been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo, and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande.

That makes it the perfect time to look back at Wicked’s incredible stage journey, following that Yellow Brick Road all the way from its original San Francisco tryout in 2003 through Broadway, the West End, and beyond.

Find out how this musical became so popular worldwide, thanks to Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s thrillifying creative work, and performers like Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth to make you green with envy. It’s good to see them!

Book Wicked tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

2003: Wicked has its San Francisco tryout

Schwartz and Holzman adapted Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel – a clever retelling of the Wizard of Oz story from the perspective of the misunderstood “wicked” witch Elphaba, and her opposites-attract best friend, “good” witch Glinda – into a stage show, and ran a series of workshops with Stephanie J Block and Chenoweth in the lead roles.

Menzel was then cast as Elphaba instead (although Block took the part again later!), and she and Chenoweth starred in the San Franciso tryout in summer 2003. The team made some significant creative changes, such as introducing a new song for Fiyero, “Dancing Through Life”, and increasing Elphaba’s role.

2003: Wicked opens on Broadway

Wicked had its official Broadway premiere at the Gershwin Theatre on 30 October 2003. The cast also featured Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, Joel Grey as the Wizard, Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible, William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond, Christopher Fitzgerald as Boq, and Michelle Federer as Nessarose.

The show was an immediate hit with audiences and has continued to be a Broadway staple. In fact, it’s currently the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history.

2004: Idina Menzel wins a Tony Award

Nobody in the whole of Oz is ever gonna bring her down! Menzel’s electrifying performance as Elphaba earned her the 2004 Best Actress in a Musical Tony Award – her co-star Chenoweth was also nominated.

Altogether, the show picked up 10 Tony nominations, and it also won awards for Eugene Lee’s scenic design and Susan Hilferty’s costumes. Wicked won several Drama Desk Awards as well, plus the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

2006: Wicked opens in the West End

London was calling, and Wicked flew over the pond in 2006 to make its grand West End premiere at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on 27 September. Menzel reprised her role, joined by Helen Dallimore, Adam Garcia, Nigel Planer, Miriam Margolyes, Martin Ball, James Gillan, and Katie Rowley Jones. When Menzel finished her limited engagement, Kerry Ellis became the first British Elphaba.

Wicked, which was nominated for four Olivier Awards, has proved just as big a hit with London audiences. It is still going strong at the Apollo Victoria, coming up on 20 years in the West End.

2013: Wicked goes on its first UK tour

Wicked has followed the Yellow Brick Road from London all around the country in several major UK/Ireland tours. It first went out on the road in September 2013, opening in Manchester and running until 2015 in Salford.

Further tours have followed, including in 2018-19, and in 2023-25. Wicked has played everywhere from Bristol, Birmingham, and Edinburgh to Liverpool, Dublin, Southampton, and Cardiff. Everyone is invited to visit Shiz!

2013: Wicked premieres its first Spanish adaptation

Wicked celebrated its 10th anniversary in a wonderful way: with the show’s first full Spanish adaptation. Marco Villafán translated the book and lyrics, and the 2013 production in Mexico City starred Ana Cecilia Anzaldúa and Danna Paola, alternating as Elphaba, and Cecilia de la Cueva as Glinda.

That’s not all: this global musical has also had productions in Japanese, German, Dutch, Korean, and Portuguese. Clearly its themes, such as female friendship, wanting to belong, and social injustice have resonated powerfully in numerous different cultures.

2016: Wicked celebrates 10 years in the West End

The London production marked its big anniversary with a special gala performance on 27 September 2016. The theatre owners also gave it a very stylish present: a fabulous refurbishment of the venue, returning the Apollo Victoria to its 1930s glory while upgrading facilities for a modern audience.

Stars Rachel Tucker, Suzie Mathers, Oliver Savile, Anita Dobson, Mark Curry and more (including standby, and future Elphaba, Alice Fearn) were joined at the anniversary party by Stephen Schwartz and original Broadway director Joe Mantello, who proclaimed the London production “the jewel in our crown”.

2023: Alexia Khadime and Lucy St. Louis make history

The brilliant pairing of Khadime and St. Louis marked a significant milestone when they took to the Apollo Victoria stage on 7 March: it was the first time that the London production of Wicked starred performers of colour in both of the lead roles.

West End audiences have since been treated to an incredible run of Black excellence thanks to these two super-talented actresses. St. Louis noted that getting to make history together made their Wicked experience “even more significant and special”, especially in playing the sisterhood of Glinda and Elphaba.

2024: The Wicked movie hits cinemas

Rejoicify! After years of fevered speculation, the all-star film adaption of Wicked was finally released on 3 November 2024. British musical theatre actress Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, alongside Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Dinklage, and a few familiar theatre faces...

Jon M Chu’s blockbuster adaptation is a box office sensation (it’s the highest-grossing musical film adaptation of all time), and is nominated for 10 Oscars. Even better, there’s more to come: the second part, Wicked: For Good, is due to be released on 21 November 2025.

2024: Wicked becomes the 10th-longest-running West End show

It’s a tough list to crack, with The Mousetrap (which has been going since 1952!) in the number one spot. But Wicked, like its heroine, has never accepted limits – and on 24 April 2024, it officially became the 10th-longest-running show in the West End. Executive producer Michael McCabe offered his heartfelt thanks to “the amazing audiences who have support and championed Wicked since its very first performance in 2006”.

There are more celebrations to come in 2026 when the London production of Wicked celebrates its 20th anniversary. Plus it was recently been announced that an intriguing new pairing will soon be seen in that black hat and floating bubble: Emma Kingston and Zizi Strallen.

Book Wicked tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Matt Crockett