Wicked: Stephanie J. Block and Annaleigh Ashford are Broadway's new witches.

As previously announced Stephanie J. Block and Annaleigh Ashford portray Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in the Broadway production of the musical, Wicked, starting this evening (9 oct 07).

Block and Ashford assume the roles from Julia Murney (Elphaba) and Kendra Kassebaum (Glinda) who played their final performance on 7 Oct 2007.

They will lead a cast which also includes Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible, Lenny Wolpe as The Wizard, Sebastian Arcelus as Fiyero, Cristy Candler as Nessarose, Logan Lipton as Boq, and Steven Skybell as Dr. Dillamond.

Stephanie J. Block was involved in the development of Wicked when she played the role of Elphaba in the musical's original L.A. workshops. She was also the original Elphaba in the show's national tour, for which she received the 2006 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. She recently starred on Broadway in the leading role of Grace O'Malley in the musical 'The Pirate Queen' (2007).

Annaleigh Ashford recently made her Broadway debut originating the role of Margot in Legally Blonde, directed by Jerry Mitchell. She understudied the role of Glinda in the national tour of Wicked.

Wicked opened at the Gershwin Theatre on the 30 Oct 2003, following previews from 8 Oct 2003, and is currently booking through to 1 Jun 2008.

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 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.