On October 30th, the award winning Broadway production of Wicked celebrated its’ 20th anniversary on Broadway. This is a huge feat because only certain shows get to be on Broadway for that long. Wicked joins the list alongside Broadway greats such as Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Chicago, and Les Miserables. 

What determines a show staying on Broadway is of course, how profitable it is. However, an average show can stay on Broadway for any amount of time between a few months, and 10 years. If a show is lucky enough to be on for double that amount of time, it is a very big deal. 

Wicked, a musical written by Stephen Schwartz, is a prequel story to the widely beloved movie The Wizard of Oz. It follows the story of Elphaba, later known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, later known as Glinda the Good Witch. The story goes through how these two opposite entities were actually once friends when they were younger, how the relationship unraveled as years went by, and also background on how the story in The Wizard of Oz, actually happened. 

The show opened in the Gershwin Theater on October 30, 2003 and has stayed there ever since. The original cast includes Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, and Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero (the male lead in the show). Since then, countless actors and actresses have graced the stage as these wonderful characters, not just on Broadway, but on national tours around the world. Wicked is truly such a loved show across all theater communities. 

Naturally, 20 years on Broadway is worthy of a celebration. On Monday night, people filled the Gershwin to see this special show. Wicked is now officially the fourth longest running show in Broadway history, so of course people wouldn’t want to miss this big performance. In attendance were, most notably, Menzel and Chenoweth, as well as Stephen Schwartz.

For the casual fan, you may know Wicked for being that one show based on The Wizard of Oz, or you’ve heard Defying Gravity, the climactic moment in the show, and definitely the most well known song. However, as a big theater fan myself, I can contest that this show is captivating, and unlike any other.

If you are looking to go to the theater, or just going to see a show for a good time, I’d definitely recommend taking a trip to New York City for this show. It will be well worth your time and money.