Broadway at the Marcus Center presents: WICKED

WICKED, Milwaukee’s most popular musical, will return to the Marcus Performing Arts Center July 30–August 17, 2025 as the final show of the 2024/25 Johnson Financial Group Broadway at the Marcus Center Season.

Mary Boyle

I was rather shocked to see that it has been a decade since WICKED has been to Milwaukee, because it doesn't feel like it's been that long since I've seen it; however, with the explosion in popularity of the 2024 film starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Milwaukee's most "popular" musical will undoubtedly be a sold out affair and the perfect finale to the 2024/25 Johnson Financial Group Broadway at the Marcus Center Season.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED the musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, recently celebrated 21 years on Broadway, making it the 4th longest-running show in Broadway history.  This Grammy and Tony Award-winning production tells the orgin story of the Wicked Witch of the West from the story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a novel by L. Frank Baum, which was also made into a Broadway musical way back in 1902, but is more widely recognized by generations of people as the 1939 film starring Judy Garland as Dorothy.

Before she was ever branded as wicked, Elphaba (Jessie Davidson) was accustomed to being stared at because of her emerald green skin, but when she arrives at Shiz University to assist her wheelchair bound sister, Nessarose (Jada Temple), she not only shocks all of the students, she manages to make an instant enemy of Glinda (Zoe Jensen), the most popular girl in the school. Madame Morrible (Sharon Sachs), the Dean of Sorcery Studies, sees the potential power in Elphaba and offers to take her on as a private student, selecting Glinda as Elphaba's new roommate and promising that Elphaba will be able to meet The Wizard (Blake Hammond) if she works hard. When a notorious bad boy, Prince Fiyero (Ethan Kirschbaum), arrives at Shiz, Glinda instantly falls for him, but she needs to shake off her persistent admirer, Boq (Nicolas Garza), which she accomplishes by asking a favor of him: invite poor Nessarose to the dance.  Glinda's inadvertent favor wins Elphaba's thanks, sparking an unlikely friendship, but trouble begins when their History teacher, Dr. Dillamond (Drew McVety), is removed from the University.  As Elphaba works to get to the bottom of the injustice, she discovers that Oz isn't all she believed it to be.

Directed by Tony Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento, WICKED is a musical with timeless messages about friendship, love, and freedom that are more important now than ever. In all honesty, I think that the 2024 film is the best version of the story, so far, combining the best of the book and the musical to make a more comprehensive tale (though it remains to be seen what they do with part two).  That being said, there is no substitute for seeing and hearing “Defying Gravity” and “Popular”  performed live on stage and surrounded by an audience full of fans, and Jessie Davidson and Zoe Jensen deliver with the soaring vocals and beautiful harmonies audiences expect from these iconic roles.  

I have no notes on this production.  Fast-paced, stunning costume and set designs, and a perfectly selected cast, WICKED will not disappoint.  Walking out of the theatre after the show, I overheard a young girl gushing to her mother about how much power she has over her friends because she had all the spoilers!  I, of course, won't spoil it for anyone: you can either wait until Wicked II hits the theaters (scheduled for release on November 21, 2025) or you, too, can be ahead of the crowd and see the musical to find out how the story ends; either way, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

WICKED runs through August 17, 2025, at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, located at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. To purchase tickets, visit  www.MarcusCenter.org, call 414-273-7206, or visit the MPAC Box Office at 929 North Water Street, Milwaukee. Groups of 10 or more can secure their seats by calling 414-273-7207.

About Marcus Performing Arts Center

A mission-based non-profit organization located in downtown Milwaukee, the Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC) brings high-quality arts and cultural programming to Southeastern Wisconsin. MPAC strives to act as an energizingforce that connects the community to the world through collaboration, innovation, social engagement, and the transformative power of the performing arts. Through multiple performance series, community events, andeducational experiences, MPAC brings a diverse range of celebrated artists to the region. A fixture in Milwaukee for over 55 years, MPAC is proud to be part of the Milwaukee Theater District, as well as a dedicated War Memorial facility. Learn more at www.MarcusCenter.org.

Johnson Financial Group, with offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota, is a privately owned financial services company offering banking, wealth and insurance solutions through its subsidiaries, Johnson Bank, Johnson Wealth, and Johnson Insurance Services.   For more information visit  johnsonfinancialgroup.com.

Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office, and Broadway Brands. Led by 22-time Tony-winning theater producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 48 markets with over 450,000 subscribers. Presentations include Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton. Current productions include & Juliet, Hadestown, Hamilton, Hell’s Kitchen, MJ: The Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Outsiders, and Stereophonic.