Fans of original Wicked stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth will have a Happy Halloween indeed as the original actors of the long-running Broadway show will reunite to host and perform during NBC’s A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway .
Performing alongside Menzel and Chenoweth honoring the beloved show will include singer Ariana Grande, the acapella group Pentatonix, and the show’s current Broadway cast, as reported by Playbill .
The current Broadway cast of the musical is led by Jessica Vosk and Amanda Jane Cooper.
A Very Wicked Halloween will be taped at the Marquis Theatre in front of a live audience. The show’s producer Marc Platt will work on this production alongside Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner.
Wicked opened at the Gershwin Theatre in 2003 and has gone on to play over 100 cities in 14 countries.
Menzel and Chenoweth were the original cast members of the show, which takes a different look at the lives of the residents of Oz. They portrayed the core roles of Elphaba and Glinda.
Wicked centers on the early years of the witches, and allows the audience in on their perspective of Dorothy’s arrival in the world of Oz.
Menzel portrayed Elphaba and Chenoweth Glinda from 2003-2005. Menzel also took the show to London’s West End in 2006.
In March 2016, Wicked surpassed $1 billion in total Broadway revenue, joining both The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King as the only Broadway shows to do so. In July 2017, Wicked surpassed The Phantom of the Opera as Broadway’s second-highest grossing show, trailing only The Lion King, as reported by Playbill .
The televised event will feature songs from the blockbuster musical hit, including performances from the show’s original dynamic duo.
“ 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 in a press release, as reported by Entertainment Weekly .
“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 air October 29, the evening before the show’s official anniversary, on NBC.
