Wicked at Des Monies Civic Center

Theater fans over in Des Moines, Iowa got excellent reason to celebrate because the award-winning production of Wicked is coming to town! This season, the gravity defying epic will be taking over the Des Moines Civic Center for a limited time and it will deliver the same mind blowing story that audiences fell in love with! The highly popular and beloved showcase conquers the big stage with visually and aurally stimulating production and this will include all the mega hits like “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” “As Long as You’re Mine,” “No Good Deed,” and tons more! Based on the original story by Gregory McGuire, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the tourig production of Wicked is guaranteed to have audiences feeling a variety of emotions! It all happens at the state of the art Des Moines Civic Center, a facility known for hosting the most exciting concerts and musicals! So hurry and secure your access now before it’s too late!

Wicked Tickets

BACKGROUND

The production is recorded to be the third longest running musicals on Broadway. Wicked premiered on Broadway in 2003, following a trial run in San Francisco. The production featured music and lyrics by Stepeh Schwartz with direction by Joe Mantello. The musical’s book writer Winnie Holzmann based the story from Gregory’s epic novel Wicked. Original casting included Tony winning actress Idina Menzel who played Elphaba and Tony winner Kristin Chenowith as Glinda. In 2005, the first Wicked touring production for North America kicked off and there had been several tours across the US, Canada, and Europe. Today, Wicked stands as the second highest grossing musicals of all time with over $1 billion in gross ticket sales. Meanwhile, the musical has been viewed by over 70 million people across the globe. Now, it’s your chance to see Wicked bring the Des Moines Civic Center to life! Whether you’re catching this musical for the first time or seeing it one more time, the production is guaranteed to be worth your while!

PLOT

Elphaba is a green skinned witch who has a father that despises her. She enters the Shiz University with her sole role as a companion to her sister Nessarose, whom her father dotes on. Elphaba, however, has an immense talent for witchcraft which was noticed by the school’s headmistress, Madame Morrible. Elphaba is assigned to room with the popular and beautiful Galinda. Galinda becomes jealous of Elphaba when her new room mate is personally mentored by Madame Morrible. However, the two witches develop a beautiful friendship and go through roaring adventures and learn magic together. However, the plot thickens when the Wizard of Oz requests to meet Elphaba. Find out more when you catch Wicked at the Des Moines Civic Center! 

“This musical prequel to The Wizard of Oz addresses surprisingly complex themes, such as standards of beauty, morality and, believe it or not, fighting fascism.” – Time Out New York

A CULTURAL PHENOMENON

Over the years, numerous productions of Wicked have beens staged across the globe. There are a total of 15 official productions with 8,500 performances stemming from the Broadway show and 7,400 from the West End version. The musical has become a beloved cultural phenomenon. The music has also transcended into mainstream, earning the love of casual listeners. Hits like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” have been used in mainstream and social media. Both singles have become massive record breaking hits. Meanwhile, “Gravity” has become the biggest stage to screen music singles. 

The musical has also won numerous awards including three Tony Awards out of a whopping 10 nominations, seven Drama Desk Awards, a Drama League Award, and four Outer Critics Circle Awards. In 2005, the official soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Meanwhile, the touring production also bagged numerous prestigious awards including seven Carbonell Awards, a Helen Hayes Award, and three Touring Broadway Awards. 

“It’s safe to say that this is the most complete, and completely satisfying, new musical I’ve come across in a long time.” – USA TODAY

CREATIVE TEAM

A huge part of Wicked’s mind blowing success and longevity is its outstanding production led by the most incredible creative talents in the world of theater. Wicked’s creative team has created a heartwarming epic with a visually and aurally engaging experience. Credit goes to this team of amazing minds. The production is led by director Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. The design team includes scenic designer Eugene Lee, costume designer Susan Hilferty, lighting designer Kenneth Posner, and sound designer Tony Meola. For a complete list of the musical’s creative team, you can check Wicked’s official website. 

“To say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Wicked would understate the grin on my face” – VOX ATL

TOURING CAST

Over the years, there have been many versions of Elphaba and Galinda. The musical have always brought in a stellar cast no matter where this epic is staged. This year’s North American touring cast includes a team of incredibly talented actors and actresses. Aline Mayagoitia plays Elphaba, Claudia Bennett comes in as Galinda, Susan Celia is Madame Morrible, while Tom McGowan plays the Wizard. Ethan Kirschbaum plays the role of Fiyero, with Cristina Sastre as Nessarose. For a complete list of the touring cast, you can visit the official website of Wicked musical. 

“Broadway’s largest stage beams her way into the hearts of folks in the back row of the balcony. Magic wand not needed” – Variety

REVIEWS

The production has garnered incredible reviews from fans and critics over the years. Today, it remains to be the most visually and aurally pleasing musical of all time. Vox ATL has a writer that went to see the production for the very first time, “To say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Wicked would understate the grin on my face during intermission, and the even wider one when we stood for the final ovation.” The writer continued, “Wicked” gave me three hours of continuous enjoyment and a metaphorical broom I needed to travel and glide through the world of musicals for years to come.”

Meanwhile, a musical skeptic has all his inhibitions changed after seeing Wicked on the big stage. “What really drew me into Wicked was the story’s depth and the strength of its characters. Elphaba and Glinda are both complex characters with real emotional arcs. Their friendship, and eventual conflict, are heartfelt and relatable,” wrote Pepperbox.com.

Over at USA Today, the publication gave the musical glowing reviews, “It’s safe to say that this is the most complete, and completely satisfying, new musical I’ve come across in a long time.” 

Lastly, Variety has some great words for this epic that conquered Broadway in 2003, “There is indeed a bit of witchcraft in the way this diminutive performer, slogging through a muddled musical on what is probably Broadway’s largest stage, beams her way into the hearts of folks in the back row of the balcony. Magic wand not needed.”

ABOUT THE VENUE

The Des Moines Civic Center is the perfect setting for a multi award winning production of Wicked. The venue holds up to 2,744 attendees in its state of the art facility. Plush seating with great sightlines awaits audiences upon entry to the concert hall. But before that, they get to enjoy the venue’s grand lobby with multi level atrium entrances. The auditorium itself is equipped with cutting edge lights and sound technology. Audio is crisp and clear while lighting is a comprehensive system that provides great depth to any musical. The acoustics in this venue is top notch, you won’t miss a single beat when you see your favorite show here. Lastly, you can enjoy the food and drink offerings before, during intermission, or after the show. When it comes to top tier musicals, a great venue is the only way to see them. So the Des Moines Civic Center is surefire to provide the best setting for Wicked!

HOW TO GET TICKETS

Secure your tickets to see Wicked through Des Moines Civic Center’s official box office at the venue. If you want to book your tickets online, you can secure yours through authorized online ticket seller, Ticket Squeeze. This trusted ticket marketplace offers the most incredible seats without the skyrocketing fees. You won’t find any overpriced tickets here, just reasonably priced ones! So if you want to score great deals on tickets, go visit Ticket Squeeze or just click on the Buy Tickets link now!