The two young actresses who have secured the leading roles of Elphaba and Glinda in WICKED, which will be performed in Sydney’s Lyric Theatre from August 25, have been announced. On behalf of co-producers Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone, John Frost for Crossroads Live introduced Sheridan Adams, who will play Elphaba, and Courtney Monsma, who will play Glinda.
Sheridan Adams is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts and has performed in the ensemble of Tick, Tick… Boom! (Storeyboard Entertainment) and Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical (David Venn Enterprises). WICKED marks Adams’ first leading role. Meanwhile, Courtney Monsma, a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium, has already become a popular artist, performing in Six The Musical, Mamma Mia!, and the Australasian tour of Aladdin. Monsma’s best-known role is Princess Anna in the recent Australian tour of Disney’s Frozen, and she is currently filming the new Australian drama series Paper Dolls, in which she plays one of five aspiring singers who are pursuing pop stardom and fame.
The producers of WICKED are thrilled to have cast such strong leading performers. On the role of Elphaba, Sheridan Adams notes, “WICKED is a very special show for so many people, including me. Elphaba has been my dream role since I was young. My first experience was on You Tube, watching Idina Menzel sing Defying Gravity, and I sang it all the time. Then my Mum bought me The Grimmerie, and I finally got to see the show when I was 16. This is a dream come true.”
WICKED has been a favourite with Australians since its premiere on Broadway almost 20 years ago. It has won over 100 major awards, including the Grammy Award, the Olivier Award, six Helpmann Awards, three Tony Awards®, and six Drama Desk Awards. The musical has played in 16 countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, The Philippines, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, and has been translated into six languages. By the time of its first performance in Sydney, WICKED will have become the 4th longest-running show in Broadway history, surpassing CATS.
WICKED is based on the novel Wicked by Gregory Maguire, which has sold 5.5 million copies, with 5 million sold since 2003 when the musical opened. Long before Dorothy arrived, two young women met in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, was smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. The other was bubbly, blonde, ambitious, and exceptionally popular. They became rivals, then friends…until the world decides to call one “good” and the other one “wicked.”
WICKED is described as a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart, and courage by Time Magazine. Its production values are exceptional, according to The Australian, while The Tokyo called it “a spectacular entertainment with deep emotions and a serious message”. Audiences in Sydney are expected to love the show, which has become one of the most loved musicals of all time.
This news comes off the back of the upcoming film rendition of Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, which is highly anticipated by both fans of the musical and moviegoers alike. The fact that the adaptation will be split into two separate movies only adds to the excitement. With the first segment set to be released in November, audiences can hardly contain their anticipation.
