Kathy Fitzgerald, with several Broadway shows to her credit, says she has made a career of playing funny women. When she was offered the role of Madame Morrible in
Wicked on Broadway, it gave her the first chance ''to play someone really horrible. She is horrible, but somebody has to be the nemesis and somebody the antagonist.'' Since spending a year and a half in the role, Fitzgerald has been busy with other projects (she guested on three episodes of the TV show
Smash) but now she's on her way to Houston in a national touring company (her first time to tour) of the blockbuster Tony- and Grammy- award winning tale of two witches – the green Elphaba and the pretty Glinda who provide the ''real'' story of the witches of Oz. ''Wicked has got this massive appeal with these two girls and their friendship. And the music (by Stephen Schwartz) is crazy,'' Fitzgerald says. Fitzgerald won't be the only Broadway vet on the Hobby Center stage. John Hillner (
La Cage Aux Folles, Mamma Mia!, Footloose and television's
Person of Interest) will play Dr. Dillamond and Jenny Fellner will reprise her Broadway role of Nessarose.
In its nine years, Wicked has brought in more than $2.9 billion in ticket sales and been seen by 36 million people (more than a couple of whom were repeat attendees). Its strength can be seen in its month-long Houston run hosted by Gexa Energy Broadway.
7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, and 2 p.m. July 11. Through August 11. Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. For information, call 800-982-2787 or visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com/Houston. $44 to $191.40.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: July 10. Continues through Aug. 11, 2013
