Dorothy’s not the only one who got to see behind the curtain… I got to watch over 100 local stagehands and 25 touring crew as they constructed the stage set for WICKED at the BJCC Concert Hall and talk with Joe Heaton, the Assistant Stage Manager. Here’s what I found out:
WICKED Is Coming to Birmingham
Whether you’re a theatre geek who has been listening to the original soundtrack of WICKED for decades, you recently joined the bandwagon after watching part one of WICKED the movie, or you live under a rock (or should I say yellow brick?) and have never heard of this 100+ international award-winning production, this is your chance to see WICKED! The tour has visited Birmingham before, but it’s back and better than ever with Broadway in Birmingham. Here’s the schedule—pleeeenty of opportunities! But the shows sell out fast, so better snag your tickets now on BroadwayInBirmingham.com, BJCC.org or Ticketmaster.com.
GREAT NEWS! If you use the code WONDERFUL, you get $30 off each ticket!!
Valid for 9/12, 9/14 Evening, 9/16-9/19, and 9/21 Evening. Offer applies to base ticket price only. Tickets are subject to additional fees. Must use Code WONDERFUL to receive offer. Offer not valid on previously purchased tickets. Valid for Front Center Orchestra, Front Orchestra, Outer Orchestra, Mid Orchestra, Gold Circle Grand Tier, Front Grand Tier, Mid Grand Tier, Gold Circle Balcony, Front Balcony, and Mid Balcony. Discount valid 9/12/25-9/21/25 and cannot be combined with any other offers or applied to any other shows and events. Due to the nature of live entertainment dates, times, performers, and prices are subject to change. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. No exchanges or refunds.
Week 1:
- Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025 2:00 & 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 2:00 & 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025 1:00 & 6:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept. 14 & 21, 2025 1:00 & 6:30 p.m.
Weeks 2 & 3:
- Tuesday, Sept. 9 & 16, 2025 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 10 & 17, 2025 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 11 & 18, 2025 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 12 & 19, 2025 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 13 & 20, 2025 2:00 & 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept. 14 & 21, 2025 1:00 & 6:30 p.m.
Fun Fact: WICKED is older than seniors in college right now. This is its 22nd year running—the fourth-longest running Broadway show in history!
Setting the Stage
It takes 13 semitrucks to transport the 70 tons of equipment required for the show from city to city. You might be surprised by how fast they load everything: It usually takes 2 days to “set the stage” (literally!), but only 6 hours from the final curtain call to pack up and head out. “It’s a huge jigsaw puzzle,” Heaton explains. Thirty backdrops, 30 things that fly in and out, Glenda’s bubble, endless corn, and Elphaba’s flying apparatus are what fill the trucks.
Crew on the Move
The touring crew functions as the tour heads for departments like Props, Lighting, Wardrobe, Makeup, and more. For instance, there are typically 12 people who work in Wardrobe, but they only travel with three Wardrobe crew who oversee costume changes.
Fun Fact: All of the Ensemble members do their costume changes on stage because the dressing rooms are different in every theatre venue.
They also pick up eight or nine local musicians to be part of the orchestra. You won’t want to miss hearing the thrilling score in-person that includes the hits “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” “For Good,” and more.
Heaton’s favorite scenes to call are Emerald City and the opening. “I don’t have a least favorite,” he jokes.
A WICKED Good Cast
Wondering who’s performing? The national tour of WICKED currently stars Jessie Davidson (Elphaba), Zoe Jensen (Glinda), Eileen T’Kaye (Madame Morrible), Blake Hammond (The Wizard), Nicolas Garza (Boq), Ethan Kirschbaum (Fiyero), Drew McVety (Doctor Dillamond) and Jada Temple (Nessarose). While the cast has changed throughout the years, the actual stage set is the original—a testament to the quality!
Fun Fact: WICKED has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world, and has been translated into six languages.
The film sequence WICKED: FOR GOOD is set to release in November—so consider this your opportunity to get the Broadway-perspective before part two of the movie comes out.
For more information about WICKED, visit WickedTheMusical.com or follow WICKED on Instagram: @wicked_musical, TikTok: @wicked_musical, and Facebook.
