Zeroing in on the witches from the classic tale “The Wizard of Oz,” “Wicked” is one of Broadway’s most successful productions, with countless Tony Awards (and even a Grammy) under its belt. The hit musical stands as the fourth-longest-running play in the Great White Way’s history and shows no signs of slowing down. It is currently being adapted for the big screen for a two-part adaptation with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo playing the leads.
While the new film versions are gaining, should we say, popularity, Broadway’s “Wicked” still produces packed houses night after night. Therefore, it’s a great play for actors to get their own taste of stardom.
For those who long to one day join—or even become!—one of the iconic witches of Oz, have no fear, for we have all the magical insight you need. In this guide, we’ll explore what it takes to get cast in “Wicked,” including a behind-the-curtain peek at the musical’s casting process and foolproof audition tips from the show’s biggest stars.
JUMP TO
Based on “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” the novel by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked” the musical follows the stories of two unlikely friends and their inevitable downfall. We first meet Glinda the Good Witch, originally known as Galinda Upland, who’s reminiscing about a time long gone as the Land of Oz celebrates the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Through Glinda's retrospective, the audience learns of her old friendship with Elphaba Thropp (the eventual Wicked Witch of the West), an outcast, thanks to her unusual green skin. While the blonde, popular Glinda and the shunned, misunderstood Elphaba develop a tight bond, their clashing personalities, differing views of the Wizard of Oz himself, and interest in the same man ultimately tear the two apart, leading to Elphaba’s fall from grace.
Broadway’s current cast includes:
- Alyssa Fox as Elphaba
- McKenzie Kurtz as Glinda
- Michele Pawk as Madame Morrible
- John Dossett as the Wizard
- Jordan Litz as Fiyero
- Jake Pedersen as Boq
- Kimber Elayne Sprawl as Nessarose
- William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond
- Mary Kate Morrissey as Elphaba (standby)
- Allie Trimm as Glinda (standby)
Craig Burns of The Telsey Office currently serves as the casting director for “Wicked” on Broadway. With experience casting for film, television, and theater, Bernard Telsey—founder of the eponymous company—once told us there’s nothing more satisfying than changing his mind about an actor. “We change every day,” Telsey shared. “The actor who isn’t right today is the one you want tomorrow. He goes in one room, and no one wants to hire him, and he goes in the next, and everyone wants him.”
The CD continued: “I love when I see an actor in a show, and I change my mind. Sometimes it takes a performance you saw that person do, and you think, Wow, I didn’t know that actor had that in them! I have a whole office of many casting directors here, and I’m the first to say, ‘You know that woman I said I didn’t want to see anymore? Now I can’t wait to see her!’ ” So, don’t count yourself out yet if an audition doesn’t go well—you might just impress someone when you least expect it!
Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba in “Wicked,” nearly botched her audition when she tried to hit the high note in “Defying Gravity,” one of the musical’s biggest showstoppers.
“I learned ‘Defying Gravity,’ and I was so excited to do it because I just fell in love with the song, and it would make me cry at home all the time,” she told Vogue. “I practiced the really high note, and I got to that part where you go, ‘You won’t bring me down.’ And I was singing beautifully the whole time, then I got to, ‘You won’t bring me—’ and I totally choked. I just said the F-word so loud at the top of my lungs, and I looked at the accompanist, like, ‘Don’t you start to play on or cut me off,’ and then I took a breath, and I went: ‘Me.’ And I just nailed it!”
As Menzel noted, it was at that moment that the show’s director, Joe Mantello, knew she would make the perfect Elphaba. “He thought I was so evil and witchy,” she added.
For Brittney Johnson, however, becoming the show’s first Black Glinda was a more arduous process. “I graduated college and got my agent, and they were like, ‘What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘Wicked,' ” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter. “But then I wasn’t able to get an audition—they never called me in.”
But when Johnson finally did land an audition, she immediately got cast as the Good Witch’s understudy and, in 2019, she got the chance to step into Glinda’s bubble. However, it was not until her February 14, 2022 debut that Johnson officially made history as the show’s first Black full-time Glinda. "You know, this was always one of those dreams that was just, it seemed kind of far away in the distance. I was never able to get an audition just for the show in general because I wasn’t really [a] dancer…so I’ve been in four other Broadway shows before…this one,” she told CBS News. “But as soon as I got the audition for this, I was so excited.”
Johnson continued: “Dreams are an interesting thing because sometimes you can only dream what you’ve seen and you can’t imagine something that you don’t know exists… I hope that me being in this role pushes out the…boundary now of what people can dream, and they can imagine other things for themselves.”
“Wicked” isn’t currently casting, but when the musical was looking for talent, it turned to Backstage. From Broadway and its national touring company to London’s West End and the U.K. tour, there’s been no shortage of opportunities. “Wicked” also held a casting call in late 2022 to fill the show’s primary roles: Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, the Wizard, Madame Morrible, Nessarose, Boq, and Doctor Dillamond. As the listing advised, performers were asked to prepare “16–32 bars of a contemporary musical theatre song; sopranos may sing 16 bars of a traditional legit musical theatre song.” With a piano accompanist on hand, actors needed to bring their sheet music, as well as a photo and résumé stapled together, though professional experience wasn’t required.
To stay up-to-date on the latest production news and opportunities, bookmark our main casting call page. For more audition advice, you can always check out our “how to get cast on Broadway” guide for insider tips.
Ignore the naysayers: For Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda in “Wicked,” acting has always been a learning experience—even to this day. That’s especially true when it comes to those who want to tear you down. “When someone hurts your feelings, it’s probably not even about you. Don’t sweat it,” she said. “If someone is unkind or says something nasty about you, it’s usually about their fear. Some people call this narcissism. I couldn’t get that when I was young. In fact, I’m still learning that lesson. So, good news, kids: You’ve still got to learn.”
Instead, focus your attention on listening to the little voice that talked you into acting in the first place. “If you can see yourself doing anything else and being happy, by all means, go and do it. But if you cannot, if you cannot see yourself doing anything else, then you should go for it and not let anybody tell you no,” she added in a separate interview. Words might hurt in the moment, but never let them hurt your career ambitions.
Find comfort in who you are: As the musical’s first Black lead, Johnson’s Glinda paved the path for those to come. But for years leading up to her star-making role, Johnson acknowledges that she presented a certain front, learning to code-switch along the way in an effort to shatter stereotypes about people of color in the industry. After all, as she told The Hollywood Reporter, “you can’t change minds” unless you “coexist and try to move up to just have a little access.”
“At the beginning of my career, it was like, ‘I’m only going to present this version of me because this is the version of me that people can palette and that I see people responding to,’ though I still heard so many no’s,” Johnson explained. “Now I feel like, ‘All right, let me take off my coat and get comfortable,’ because now that I’m no longer making a first impression, that I’m not existing as a stereotype but a full person, we can start having some of these conversations.”
She added, “There’s a specific way that as a Black person you learn to present and handle yourself, because there’s always people, whether they want to admit it, who are seeing you through some kind of filter or some kind of preconceived stereotypes.” But as she also noted, there’s power in finding comfort with who you are in all you do. “I want to be an inspiration that you can be different in how you look and how you act and how you present yourself to the world.”
Respect your fellow actors: When asked her best tips for actors in training, Rachel Tucker, who played Elphaba both on Broadway and in the West End, shared a gem that applies to everyone in the business no matter their experience level. “Your fellow actors around you: Use them, respect them,” she explained to the Momentum Performing Arts Academy. “Everyone seems to be in it for themselves, which to a certain extent, we are. But we are a community, at the end of the day. We are unlike any other type of business, and I need my fellow actor as much as I need myself.” Even during the audition process, you must step back and admit that the person who’s truly best for the role will earn the part. Success begets success, and the right scene partner will ultimately make the entire cast shine.