Wicked: Julia Murney, Kendra Kassebaum and Sebastian Arcelus to join Broadway cast

Julia Murney, Kendra Kassebaum and
Sebastian Arcelus are to join the Broadway musical Wicked on 9 Jan 2007, playing the roles of Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero, respectively. All three actors have played the same roles in the musical's national tour.

Julia Murney assumes the role of Elphaba from Ana Gasteyer. Murney made her Broadway debut in last season's short lived musical Lennon.

Kendra Kassebaum assumes the role of Glinda from Kate Reinders. Kassebaum made her Broadway debut in the musical Rent in 2000, she also featured in the ensemble of the musical Assassins (2004 Revival).

Sebastian Arcelus assumes the role of Fiyero from Derrick Williams. Arcelus also made his Broadway debut in the musical rent. Arcelus played Jan in Good Vibrations (2005).

Wicked opened at the Gershwin Theatre on the 3 Oct 2003 and is currently booking to the 21 Oct 2007.

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), Jayne Houdyshell (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.