Wicked cast member Emma Kingston has celebrated the show's "sheer escapism" on its 20th anniversary playing in the West End in London. The musical will mark two decades playing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on Sunday September 27.
Now the ninth longest-running show in West End history, it has welcomed nearly 14 million people through its doors. Kingston, who plays Elphaba, explained why she thinks the stage musical has such an enduring appeal.
Relevant and relatable story
"I think what makes people come back to this show is that the story is so relevant and relatable," she said.
"I actually heard the composer Stephen Schwartz speaking about this recently on a podcast, and he almost wishes the story wasn't still so relatable because the world is the way that it is, but it is."
"So, when people come and see the show, get the sheer escapism of the lights and beauty and costumes and amazing songs and story, and yet they go away and it's thought-provoking and they think 'oh maybe something I've seen is mirroring what is going on in the world today' and they think 'maybe I need to go back and see how that plays out and is that similar to this'."
"I think that is what makes people come back and see the show and also makes them leave the show and think, how they can make their part of the world that little bit better and accepting."
Cast reactions to milestone
Zizi Strallen, who plays Glinda, added that the cast were feeling "absolutely incredible" about the show's upcoming milestone.
"I actually came and saw the show when I was 15 with the original London cast and now I can't believe I get to be the Glinda that comes down in that bubble on the 20th anniversary," she said.
"I think it's incredible that people are still coming to hear these beautiful songs and wonderful story – though it's no surprise because it's wonderful."
Speaking about playing Elphaba, Kingston said she loved her character's "raw, intense emotion". "Everything she does she leads with her gut and is unfiltered," she said. "Aside from that I love singing these songs. There is nothing quite like singing Defying Gravity while literally defying gravity – that's pretty cool."
Long-running roles and adaptations
Jordan Litz, who is the show's longest-running Fiyero, has now played the character in more than 1,700 shows. He said playing the role alongside six sets of witches had "brought something new and different" and had helped him keep his own role fresh.
Wicked imagines a backstory to characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and their complex relationship, showing how the diverging destinies of "Glinda the Good" and the "Wicked Witch of the West" are shaped. It is loosely based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire, itself a reimagining of the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum and its 1939 film adaptation.
The musical premiered on Broadway in 2003 with its original stars including Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. A two-part film adaptation was directed by Jon M Chu and starred Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard. The first part was released in 2024 and was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture, with part two Wicked: For Good released in 2025.
The musical has now been performed more than 7,500 times in London. The anniversary weekend will be marked by a special "Pink" matinee performance and "Green" evening performance celebrating all things Glinda and Elphaba on Saturday September 26, followed by a Gala performance on Sunday September 27.
