Two new witches burst into the Land of Oz in Broadway’s ‘Wicked’ cast change

As of Tuesday, Oct. 9, Stephanie J. Block and Annaleigh Ashford are joining up for the first time with the Broadway cast of “Wicked” as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch of the East, according to an article published Wednesday, Oct. 10 on BroadwayWorld.com. Although the two women are not new to the roles (Block originated the role of Elphaba during the pre-Broadway workshops and starred as the green witch during the national tour, while Ashford understudied as Glinda during the shows national tour) their debut on Broadway’s stage is still an added boost to their careers.
Coming directly from the new smash hit musical “Legally Blonde,” the 22-year-old Ashford has come a long way in the two short years since she launched her professional Broadway career. On the other hand, Block - who won over audiences with her portrayl of Liza Minnelli alongside Hugh Jackman “The Boy From Oz” -is also known for her outstanding performance in “The Pirate Queen.” In 2006, Block won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress for her role as Elphaba in the “Wicked” touring company. Now both women will grace the show’s Broadway stage with their well-mastered rendition of the two witches - whose characters are the epitomy of opposites in this heart-felt and often comedic tale of good and bad in the Land of Oz before Dorothy and Toto ever dropped in. For those who haven’t seen this show yet, now is the time to get tickets for this spectacular show that has theater critics raving. For Wicked tickets, visit Stubhub.com.

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