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By Maggie Wallace
Metropolitan areas, such as Chicago and Philadelphia,
clamor for large Broadway productions. Before this
year, Richmond wasn’t in that same league. Now with
the opening of Wicked, one of Broadway’s biggest and
most beloved shows, Richmond is in the game with the
big boys.
Wicked is the most anticipated musical production to
play Richmond. Bringing it to the city was quite a feat for
Steve Traxler, president of Jam Theatricals in Chicago.
“We had to convince Wicked to come to Central Virginia,”
he explains. “Then we had to go to the venue and
convince them to allocate funds to upgrade the Landmark
Theater.”
Traxler asked SMG, which manages the Landmark
and also the Richmond Coliseum, to talk to the City of
Richmond about the upgrades. “The support that we received
from the city was substantial,” Traxler says. Dolly
Vogt, regional general manager for SMG, agrees. “The
city really committed to Broadway staying in Richmond.”
Upgrades to the Landmark include a larger load-in area
that can accommodate multiple trucks, a new maple stage
floor and added rigging points at the top of the stage.
“Shows like Wicked and Phantom of the Opera have sets
that are very heavy,” Vogt explains. “The Landmark didn’t
have the rigging capacity. The show wouldn’t have
worked here if we hadn’t added those rigging points.”
Additional improvements included the addition of
four new dressing rooms, renovated restrooms and
new wardrobe space in the basement underneath the
stage. “The orchestra pit has also been redone and
the Fire Marshall has approved fire safety upgrades,”
Vogt says.
Traxler and Vogt expect Wicked to sell out its 24-performance
run. “This show sells out in every market it has
been in,” Vogt says. “It’s so exciting that it’s coming to
Richmond.”
Wicked, winner of 26 major awards, including a
Grammy® Award and three Tony® Awards, is the
untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy
drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz.
One – born with emerald green skin – is smart, fiery and
misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very
popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey,
how these two unlikely friends grow to become the
Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
The massive show travels with 70 cast and crew
members as well as 14 semi-trucks. Wicked has grossed
a combined total of nearly $1.3 billion for its four North American companies. The show is currently in its seventh year on Broadway.
“It’s significant to get a show like this when you look
at the number of people who will attend it,” Traxler says.
“We believe there will be a significant number of people
traveling to see the show in Richmond. This is an exclusive
area [booking]. That’s really important. It’s something
you can only see in Richmond.”
Vogt sees a lot of enthusiasm from season subscribers
of the Broadway series. “Because we got Wicked,
this will bring other Grade-A shows into Richmond if the
community embraces it,” she says. “It will open doors for
shows like Phantom of the Opera. Jam Theatricals has
really stepped it up. More eyes will be looking at Richmond
now.”
Come see Wicked at the Landmark Theater from-
March 10 - 28. Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com. |
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