Wicked the Musical is based on the popular 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." Much like John Gardner's book "Grendel", which reimagined the epic Beowulf, Maquire's Wicked is an extension of the Wizard of Oz narrative that re-examines the ethical position of the various characters in the original story.

Wicked was developed into a musical by Stephen Schwartz, a winner of many awards for his other musical and cinematic works including Godspell, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Prince of Egypt. Schwartz was awarded a Grammy for the cast recording of Wicked. Wicked the Musical started its longstanding Broadway run in 2003, where it has continued through more than 1000 performances.

While Wicked can be fun for all ages, it is not quite as broadly appealing as the original Oz stories. Younger viewers may not appreciate the significance of how the stories are being retold and the sympathy the musical generates for the 'Wicked' witch Elphaba. The colorful costumes, elaborate scenery, and special effects should keep young viewers entertained though, even if they don't comprehend the full meaning of the narrative.

We highly recommend that you view the original Wizard of Oz movie or read the Oz books by L. Frank Baum before viewing the musical to fully appreciate the twist that the musical is adding.

There are performances for Wicked at the Oriental Theatre from Tuesday through Sunday.

Performances on Tuesdays and Thursdays are only in the evening at 7:30 pm.

On Wednesday there are two performances including a matinee at 2pm and an evening show at 7:30 pm.

Friday only offers one evening performance at 8 pm.

On Saturday there are two performances at 2 and 8 pm.

On Sunday, there is only a matinee performance at 2 pm.

If you need tickets to a particular performance, check out our page with advice on getting Wicked tickets in Chicago.

Wicked is a fairly long play, taking on average just under three hours to complete. The first intermission comes halfway through at about one and a half hours in.

Wicked tickets can often be expensive and difficult to find. We therefore suggest the following tips to help you find something that fits your budget.

1. Pick the right performance.

Some performances of Wicked are very hard to find tickets for, especially weekend performances. During the week it is much easier to find tickets, and there are both evening and matinee performances to choose from. Check out the Wicked Chicago Schedule to see if there is a weekday performance that works with your schedule.

2. Check the box office first

Here is the current cast of the Chicago production of Wicked the Musical. (Updated February 2007).

Erin Mackey is playing Glinda. At 20 years of age, Erin is the youngest actor to have held the principal position in this role.

Elphaba (Wicked Witch of the West) is played by Dee Roscioli.

Heidi Kettenring plays Nessarose, Elphaba's spoiled younger sister. Her love interest Boq is played by Adam Fleming.

Don Richard and Neka Zang play the Witch's father and mother respectively.

Rondi Reed plays Madame Morrible, with Gene Weygandt playing the Wizard.

Derick Williams plays Fiyero.