Lee Mead announced as Fiyero

WICKED is pleased to announce that Lee Mead is to play Fiyero at the Apollo Victoria Theatre from Monday 10 May 2010.

Lee Mead is currently playing the title role in Oscar Wilde's Lord Arthur Saville's Crime on UK tour until 24 April 2010. The enormously popular winner of the BBC series Any Dream Will Do, Lee went on to the play the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre to critical acclaim, winning the 2007 Variety Club Award for 'Outstanding New Talent'.

Lee Mead said in a statement: "I'm really excited to be returning to the West End in this incredible musical. Fiyero is a fantastic part and I'm looking forward to joining Rachel Tucker, Louise Dearman and the brilliant new cast at the Apollo Victoria Theatre".

WICKED Executive Producer Michael McCabe said: "With a wealth of musical theatre experience already under his belt, Lee was, from the outset, the one to watch in the BBC's 'Any Dream Will Do'. His much deserved win and subsequent performance in 'Joseph...' proved that he was an outstandingly talented leading man. I am really delighted that he has now chosen to make his return to the West End as Fiyero in Wicked alongside a fantastic new cast that will take us into our fifth year".

Julie Legrand (Madame Morrible), Clive Carter (The Wizard), Cassandra Compton (Nessarose), Julian Forsyth (Doctor Dillamond), George Ure (Boq) and Nikki Davis-Jones (Elphaba Standby) also join the previously announced Rachel Tucker (Elphaba) and Louise Dearman (Glinda) as part of the new London cast from Monday 29 March 2010. Original London cast member Sarah Earnshaw continues as GlindaStandby.

Lee Mead plays Fiyero from Monday 10 May 2010. From Monday 29 March 2010 until Saturday 8 May 2010, the role will be played by Lewis Bradley.

A Few Forum Comments

Having had a glance at some random online comments on our new Elphaba, I thought it worth sharing a few. These ones are from the 'Dress Circle' message board.

I particularly agree with the person who praised 'Love Shine A Light' -- that has to be one of Rachel's best ever performances.

''Rachel was my favourite. This is great news.''

''great news, she can really belt a song, her performance of "love shine a light" at "theatremad west end eurovision" was amazing, even katrina who performed it originally said that she would "never hear it performed so well as long as she lived" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLt5y9zjFhc
and louise dearman as well. what a great piece of casting she was simply outstanding in "Evita"

''I loved both Rachel and Sarah Lark on I'd Do Anything so it's nice to see them having gone on to do well, in different ways.''

''Louise Dearman and Rachel Tucker together should be great - nice casting! Certainly making me want to make a return visit.''

Update From Elphaba!!!!

Hi everyone! Rachel here. I just want to say how overwhelmed I am at the massive amount of support and wonderful messages I've received over the past few days. Thank you so much for your interest and encouragement.

I know how adored the show 'Wicked' is by its thousands of loyal fans (i know because i am one of them) which is why I'm honored, as well as beside myself with excitement to be taking on this extraordinary role.

It has been my dream part since watching the show on Broadway, Christmas 2004 when I begged my mum and sister to go to New York; them thinking it was for a shopping trip, but really it was to see this show that everyone was talking about! so to have it come true is just, well. . . . WICKED!- Sorry about the pun!

I begin rehearsing 1st March and open on the 29th-WOW!-that gives me the shivers just typing that! AND I'm thrilled to say that I'll be working along side the extremely talented Lou Dearman who will be playing Glinda! The amazing thing is we met for the first time last March working on Gary Lake's musical pastiche 'So Jest End', where we actually played these parts! Lou as Glinda and I as Elphaba! neither of us knowing it was to happen for real a year later!!!

Well theres a lot to be done before the 29th March and a break before hand is definitely on the agenda! Happy new year to you all and blog soon I hope. xrx

Ps just would like to say a massive congratulations to Karen and Richard on their beautiful new baby girl! x

Rachel Praise

As you'd expect, many sites have been featuring Rachel's news today, most of them merely variations on the press release, but I thought it worthwhile to post this little article from the London Theatre Breaks Blog.

One thing's for sure -- there will be a lot written about Rachel in 2010. Let's hope it's all as nice as this:

'I’m a big fan of Rachel Tucker. I thought she had a great voice when she was in I’d Do Anything and I absolutely loved her in We Will Rock You. She was playing Meat the night I saw her but I believe she made a great success of the lead role, Scaramouche, on the few occasions she got to play it. Rachel will join Wicked as the new Elphaba and I can’t wait to hear her sing “Defying Gravity”. The voice and the song should combine beautifully and give us yet another interpretation of a great standard. So as one Nancy (Jodie) bows out the West End will see another graduate of the I’d Do Anything programme take centre stage. Perhaps this will convince the critics that reality casting shows do actually uncover worthwhile talent. Don’t hold your breath!

Like Kerry Ellis, a previous much loved Elphaba, Rachel will bring her own loyal fan base to the show and no doubt to this post. Hi all

Oz Trivia – Rachel is no stranger to Oz having played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre.'

Elphaba -- It's Officially Official!!!

Certainly no doubts this morning as the Daily Mail, Broadway World and Whats On Stage all run with the new 'Wicked' leads.

WOS feature this 2009 'So Jest End' photo of Rachel & Louise with Jon Boydon -- article below.

For those who have been asking, Rachel's opening night will be Monday 29th March at 7.30pm. Tickets are (at the moment) still available.


'Former I’d Do Anything finalist Rachel Tucker, who followed her reality TV success with a West End stint in We Will Rock You for which she was nominated in last year’s Whatsonstage.com Awards, is set to take on the role of the green-skinned Elphaba in Wicked at the West End’s Apollo Victoria theatre.

According to today’s Daily Mail, she’ll start performances on 29 March 2010, opposite a new “good witch” Glinda, Louise Dearman. Coincidentally, the two have previously appeared on stage together as Elphaba and Glinda, spoofing the competitive nature of the hit musical’s two leading ladies in the regular satirical sketch show, Jest End (See Photos, 24 Apr 2009).

Wicked tells the “untold story” of the Witches of Oz - popular blonde Glinda, aka the Good Witch of the North, and her spin-victim friend Elphaba – who were both immortalised in the 1939 film classic The Wizard of Oz. The musical has a book by Winnie Holtzman, based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. It’s directed by Joe Mantello.

Opened in 2003 on Broadway, Wicked received its West End premiere on 27 September 2006 (previews from 6 September). The current London company is led by Alexia Khadime as Elphaba and Dianne Pilkington as Glinda and also features Harriet Thorpe (Madame Morrible), Oliver Tompsett (Fiyero) and Sam Kelly (The Wizard).'

Just To Clarify

Click here:

OZMOPOLITAN NEWS NEW CAST ANNOUNCEMENT

For anyone who may be wondering why the blog and Facebook group are featuring the Rachel & Louise casting, while the mainstream media have yet to 'catch up', I'd just like to explain exactly what happened.

Yesterday, issue number 61 of the 'Ozmopolitan Newsletter', which is available via the official Wicked site www.wickedthemusical.co.uk was leaked online. The text of the announcement featured in our post; 'Elphaba It's Official' (below) was taken directly from that Ozmopolitan newsletter, which we were entirely unaware had been leaked early.

By the time the newsletter was removed, presumably by the Wicked site, we had published the story and messaged all the Facebook group members.

I want to point out that we published the story entirely in good faith, that to the best of our knowledge all details are correct, and that the problem lies with the 'Ozmopolitan Newsletter'.

Although no-one has complained, I just want to state that we were in no way trying to 'jump the gun' with this announcement.

To fully clarify, the article below is taken from the 'Examiner.Com' site, giving full details of what happened.

''According to a leaked version of "Wicked" London's online newsletter, the "Ozmopolitan," Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman will be taking over as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, starting on March 29, 2010.

The 61st issue of the newsletter, which has not yet been officially released, was discovered when fans altered the URL from December's "Ozmopolitan," which can be found here. Changing the "60" at the end of the URL to "61" revealed the new issue, which contained an announcement that Tucker and Dearman would be joining the cast.

Shortly after fans made this discovery, the new issue was removed from the web.

Tucker was a finalist on the BBC's television program "I'd Do Anything" in 2008, a talent competition to find the West End's next Nancy for "Oliver!" Most recently she played the character Meat, in the West End Musical "We Will Rock You."

Dearman is currently in a pantomime of "Cinderella," and other credits include "Evita" and "Guys and Dolls."

In 2009 they performed together in "So Jest End," which included a "Wicked" parody featuring Tucker as Elphaba and Dearman as Glinda.

They will be replacing Alexia Khadime (Elphaba) and Dianne Pilkington (Glinda), who will give their final performances on March 27, 2010.''

Elphaba -- It's Official!!!!!!

It's official -- the Wicked UK site have announced the new cast and guess who is stepping into Elphaba's shoes?

Here's the full article -- more, MUCH more to come.

In the meantime we just want to say a MASSIVE MASSIVE congratulations to Rachel and also to Louise who has been announced as Glinda.

www.wickedthemusical.co.uk article:

It is with great excitement we can reveal that from Monday 29 March 2010, Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman will be taking over the West End’s most sought after leading lady roles as WICKED’s brand new Elphaba and Glinda!.

Irish WICKED fans may recognize Belfast born Rachel Tucker from her time co-presenting BBC Northern Ireland’s The Friday Show with Eamonn Holmes. But Rachel is no stranger to the world of musical theatre, having just finished playing Meat in the Queen/Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre and also reaching the semi-finals of the hugely popular BBC1 series I'd Do Anything!

Louise Dearman will be joining WICKED fresh from her much acclaimed portrayal of Eva Peron in the UK national tour of Evita. Louise's new role playing Glinda will mark her return to the West End having previously appeared in Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre. Louise has also recently finished playing opposite musical theatre legend Mickey Rooney in the title role of Cinderella!

Amidst all the excitement of welcoming Rachel and Louise, we will also be bidding a much beloved farewell to our current leading ladies and celebrated Women of the Future Awards winners, Alexia Khadime (Elphaba) and Dianne Pilkington (Glinda). The ladies will be playing their final performance on Saturday 27 March 2010 so CLICK HERE to join us for what we’re certain will be a very emotional performance!

Stay tuned for additional cast changes to be announced very shortly... And don't forget that OZMOPOLITAN will be there every step of the way as WICKED London's 2010-11 cast prepare to take the show into its fifth and most exciting year yet!

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and that 2010 will be a top year for Rachel and all our readers!