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Wicked Has Defied Gravity on Broadway 4,000 Times

The long-running musical, starring Lindsay Mendez and Katie Rose Clarke, celebrates the landmark moment at the Gershwin Theatre with a three-layer cake.

Wicked, Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s worldwide hit musical prequel to the classic film The Wizard of Oz, celebrated its 4,000th performance at the Gershwin Theatre on Tuesday, June 18. Before the show began, the cast — led by Lindsay Mendez, Katie Rose Clarke, and Derek Klena — and crew toasted the show’s success with an onstage dessert party. New York City bakery The Chocolate Swirl supplied the three-layer confection, complete with the show’s logo and a replication of the dragon that hangs over the proscenium arch.

Directed by Joe Mantello, Wicked opened on October 30, 2003 and is currently the twelfth-longest-running show in Broadway history. In mid-September, ninety-seven performances from now, it will surpass Miss Saigon to take the eleventh spot.

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