Louise Dearman is currently wowing audiences on the Apollo Victoria stage on the West End with her rendition of Elphaba in the hit musical; Wicked. Louise created a first for the Wicked history books as she returned to the show after a short absence not as Glinda the role she chose to leave but as Elphaba the other principal role making her the first actress to ever star as both leads in the show... in the world.
However, Wicked in the UK isn't one to let fans down and it seems that they wanted to ensure the next Elphie was able to continue the awesome legacy of the show around the world. Louise Dearman is set to hang up the pointy hat on November the 16th. (Don't miss it, cast change overs are an amazing experience for those on stage and in the audience!)
But her replacement is no stranger to the show either. Willemijn Verkaik has already clocked over 1000 shows in Holland, Germany and more recently on Broadway, making her the first actress to play the role in more than one language. Her West End Debut occurs on November 18th as she Defy's Gravity on a whole new audience.
Willemijn Verkaik said: “It has been my great honour to have played ‘Elphaba’ in Wicked in Germany, Holland and on Broadway, and to have been part of this musical's incredible international success. I am overjoyed, and sincerely grateful, that the producers have now invited me to make my West End debut playing this extraordinary role in the musical that has literally changed my life.”
Michael McCabe, UK Executive Producer said: “Since its Broadway debut 10 years ago, Wicked has become a truly global phenomenon and nobody personifies the show’s international appeal more than Willemijn, who has performed the role of Elphaba in three languages in three different countries. We are thrilled that London audiences will now get the opportunity to experience Willemijn’s incredible performance, for which she has been so justly acclaimed.”
Willemijn Verkaik made her debut as ‘Elphaba’ in the German language production of Wicked on November 15, 2007 at the Palladium Theater in Stuttgart and subsequently at the Metronom Theater in Oberhausen. She reprised the role in the Dutch language premiere production, opening at the AFAS Circustheater on November 6, 2011 and made her Broadway debut at the Gershwin Theatre on 12 February 2013. She has won multiple awards in Europe for her performance and received a Broadway.com Audience Choice Award nomination for ‘Best Takeover’. Willemijn studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory and originally pursued a career in the music industry before making the transition to musical theatre. In addition to ‘Elphaba’, she has played ‘Scaramouche' and 'Killer Queen' in the Queen/Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You; ‘Amneris’ in Tim Rice and Elton John’s Aida (Da Capo Award for ‘Best Musical Performer’); and the title role in Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay’s musical Elisabeth, based on the story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. She has made numerous concert and television appearances across Europe and can be heard on two Scott Alan albums, Live and What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up. Willemijn can also be heard on the Original German Cast Recording of Wicked and performs ‘Solang ich dich hab’ (As Long As You’re Mine) and ‘Gutes tun’ (No Good Deed) on the special 5th Anniversary edition of the Original Broadway Cast Recording.
Louise Dearman will play her final performance as ‘Elphaba’ on Saturday 16 November 2013.
.jpg)