Jayne Houdyshell to play Madame Morrible

Jayne Houdyshell is to play the role of Madame Morrible in the Broadway musical Wicked from the 14 Nov 2006. Ms Houdyshell will assume the role from Carol Kane who is leaving the production to reprise her role in the Los Angeles production of the musical which begins in Feb 2007.

The musical opened at the Gershwin Theatre on the 3 Oct 2003 and is currently booking to the 26 Aug 2007.

Ms Houdyshell's was last seen on Broadway when she played Ann in Lisa Kron's comedy 'Well' (2006) for which she was nominated for the 2006 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play. Ms Houdywell also played the same role in the earlier off-Broadway production of the show for which she received Theatre World Award, an Obie, and Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Lucille Lortel Award nominations.

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.

Wicked currently features Ana Gasteyer (Elphaba), Kate Reinders (Glinda), David Garrison (The Wizard), Carol Kane (Madame Morrible), Derrick Williams (Fiyero), Jenna Leigh Green (Nessarose), Steven Skybell (Doctor Dillamond, Witch�s Father) and Logan Lipton (Boq).

Wicked has music & lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire.

The musical is directed by Joe Mantello, with choreography by James Lynn Abbott, scene design by Eugene Lee, costumes by Susan Hilferty, lighting by Kenneth Posner and sound by Tony Meola.