Things better left unsaid

Wicked Playbill Will Go Green for Oct. 30 Anniversary Performance

By Andrew Gans
October 17, 2008

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Broadway hit Wicked on Oct. 30, the trademark yellow masthead of the musical's Playbill cover will be printed green for one performance only.

The green Playbill banner will mark the first time in the publication's history that the color has been changed for a particular production.

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PBS to Air Chess in Concert, with Menzel, Pascal and Groban, in 2009

By Andrew Gans
June 6, 2008

Chess in Concert, the two-night, star-studded event that was presented at London's Royal Albert Hall May 12-13, will be aired on PBS stations across the country in 2009.

The concert will air as part of the 2008-2009 Thirteen/WNET NY's "Great Performances" season. A spokesperson for "Great Performances" told Playbill.com that the concert of the Benny Anderson-Tim Rice-Björn Ulvaeus musical will air in 2009. BBC-TV is also expected to broadcast the program.

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Legat Will Be Boq in London Wicked in June

By Andrew Gans
April 10, 2008

The London production of Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre will soon boast a new principal cast.

As previously reported, Harriet Thorpe will become the new Madame Morrible April 14, and June 9 will welcome Alexia Khadime as Elphaba and Desmond Barrit as The Wizard.

June 9 will also see the arrival as Jeremy Legat as Boq and the ascension of ensemble member Caroline Keiff into the role of Nessarose. Ashleigh Gray will become the standby for the green-faced Elphaba that day as well.

Current cast members Dianne Pilkington (Glinda), Oliver Tompsett (Fiyero), Andy Mace (Doctor Dillamond) and Sarah Earnshaw (standby for Glinda) have all extended their contracts.

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So half of the AFA Benefit Concert can be reprised, while two Elphaba's take the stage opposite each other...

Pascal and Ellis Will Join Menzel and Groban in London Chess Concerts

By Andrew Gans
04 Feb 2008

Additional casting has been announced for the upcoming Chess concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall.

According to the official Royal Albert Hall website, Broadway favorite Adam Pascal, who starred in the Actors Fund of America's Chess benefit concert, will repeat his work as Frederick Trumper for London audiences, and British actress Kerry Ellis — of Wicked fame — will play Svetlana. Pascal and Ellis join the previously announced Idina Menzel and international recording artist Josh Groban, who will play, respectively, Florence and the Russian.

The concerts, scheduled for May 12 and 13 at the famed London venue, will be introduced by Chess co-creator Tim Rice. Show time is 8 PM.

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Not f-locked because this is a BBC2 performance...

So.

Kerry Ellis at the BBC2 Radio's Friday Night Is Music Night performance -- 2007.10.26. Without pings.

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