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Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, and the Broadway cast of Wicked the Musical
Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, and the Broadway cast of Wicked the Musical

Wicked Concert Hosted by Menzel and Chenoweth to Air on NBC

The musical Wicked has been a megahit since it first opened at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003. With a score by Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Godspell) and a book by Winnie Holzman, the story of the two witches of Oz based on the popular Gregory Maguire novel, will soon celebrate its 15th Anniversary on the Great White Way. As part of its celebration, NBC is set to throw a joyous Halloween party for the ages with A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway, airing Monday, October 29 at 10:00 PM ET/PT.

A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway will be a televised concert featuring songs from the smash hit. It will include an array of special guest stars who will help celebrate “the music and the magic of the show that tells the story of what happened in Oz before Dorothy dropped in.” Among the talent on-hand will be original “Elphaba” Idina Menzel and the original “Glinda” Kristin Chenoweth, who will serve as the hosts for the television special. Joining Menzel and Chenoweth are music superstars Ariana Grande and Adam Lambert, R&B and Jazz recording artist Ledisi, multi-platinum recording artist Pentatonix, the current Broadway company of Wicked, and more.

Wicked is a blockbuster musical playing all over the world and still selling out night after night after 15 years on Broadway, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Emmy and Tony-winning producer Marc Platt and the entire Wicked team to celebrate the enduring success of this show,” said Doug Vaughan, Executive Vice President, Special Programs and Late Night, NBC Entertainment.  “We’re especially excited to have Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth reunited along with big guest stars in front of an audience — in costume hopefully — to help us celebrate the Halloween season.”

A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway will be taped at Broadway’s Marquis Theater and produced by the original Wicked team, including the Tony and Emmy Award-winning Marc Platt along with Emmy Award-winners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment.  Weiss will also serve as the director.

The original Broadway production of Wicked was directed by Joe Mantello with Wayne Cilento providing the choreography. The original cast included Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Joel Grey, Norbert Leo Butz, Carole Shelly, Michelle Federer, Christopher Fitzgerald, and William Youmans.

Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals, The Disney Song Encyclopedia, and The Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs. He maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.

Learn More About Wicked