8 Fun Facts about the ‘WICKED’ Tour

8 Fun Facts about the ‘WICKED’ Tour

Last September, we were able to look around backstage of the “Wicked” tour, learning a lot from the stage managers and seeing gorgeous costumes backstage. Before we all head over to the theater and witness the magic on stage, check out these awesome facts that happen backstage:

1. Everything on stage is asymmetrical by design. A lot of the costumes are slightly askew, and all are unique from each other– even the Shiz University uniforms. It’s a running theme in the show that adds a bit more magic, wonder, and quirk to the world we see on stage.
   
   
2. It’s all about the details. The show’s high production value really makes it feel like the audience is transported to Oz. The company makes it happen by making every costume and set piece as detailed as possible.
   
3. Elphaba’s “black” dress from act 2 isn’t all black at all. It’s made from 50 different types of material, staying true to Gregory Maguire’s book where Elphaba makes her own dress from fabric she finds lying around. Up close, the dress is a combination of colors like reds, purples, blues, and more.
4. Each cast member has his or her own set of costumes. Whether they’re principal actors, members of the ensemble, or understudies, they all have costumes designed and tailor-fit for them. This means, when you watch an understudy or alternate go on stage, they’re not wearing other cast member’s costumes but their own.
   
   
5. Some costumes weigh nearly 20 pounds. All the little details from each costume are not lightweight. Not only do cast members have to dance, sing, act, and sometimes do stunts while wearing heavy costumes, they sometimes have to wear them one on top of the other for very quick changes (this is called “underdressing”). The fastest costume change on the show is 20 seconds! Phew!
6. All of Oz fits into 18 large containers. For the tour, 18 containers gets flown to different places around the world. This includes 300 or so costumes (not including hats, shoes, and accessories!) maintained by 6 members of the tour’s wardrobe team.
   
7. It takes a village to make “Wicked” happen. You can see up to 30 people on stage for the big ensemble numbers, but that’s only a fraction of the people who work on the Wicked tour. There’s over a hundred international and even local guys running around backstage to make sure everything runs smoothly on stage.
8. Special costumes are slightly different, depending on where you’re watching “Wicked”. If you’re a superfan that fly around the world to see different productions, then you’re in for a treat. Other than these special costumes, the wardrobe teams of all Wicked productions have a bible to make sure all other costumes are similar to other productions currently running.You can buy tickets to Wicked here.*All photos were taken by Concertus Manila.