Hi, I'm new to this but I'm graduating next year with a degree in English and I will be teaching theater.

I know the rights to wicked aren't available however I want to start preparing for it now as i feel a high school production will require months, if not years of preperations.

Does anyone know where I could research and possibly find pricing for a lift of some sort for defying gravity?

It's a simple cherry picker, but I wouldn't count on rights being available for several several years. I mean, like 10, depending on how long the show lasts. Rights won't be out while it's still on Broadway. Plus, I wouldn't count on being able to find high school students who can sing that score well.

Well the rights and vocals weren't really the issue of the thread. I was just asking about the lift.

But yeah, I realize it'll be a while and its hard to find talent. Hopefully I will

In this persons defense, most highschools dont have the talents to do any show nevermind wicked, but that isnt the point of the show is it?

The lift they use in Wicked cost about $250,000 each.

^^^ Yeah because its controlled by a computer. Its VERY expensive lol

Sorry, you're right. Just the reflex reaction to the idea of any high school kids trying to sing the score.

Anway, very expensive but not anything "special." Just a cherry picker.

Actually the rights could come out while it's still on broadway. Look at Beauty and the Beast.

BUT that's Disney- and they tick differently from the rest of the world

Wow...I didn't know it cost that much for the lift..lol

I think high school students could do a good job...it's just a matter of the audience not expecting it to be a Broadway performance. A local high school here put on Les Miserables, School Edition and it was absolutely incredible! It's just like any other show that currently has the rights released. - of course the high school show won't be the same quality as the Broadway show but that doesn't mean it's not doable.

Well, there is already a high school version of Rent. Angel is a strictly female character, Maureen and Joanne are just friends (think "everyday, who's by your side" instead of who's in your bed, lol).... A total perversion of Larson's original play, but sort of neat, to be able to bring that into high schools, and thereby bring more attention to Rent as a whole.
As far as the score, most of the professional Elphabas have a hard time getting through Defying Gravity. There was that performance of a show choir doing DG on youtube-- it was pretty neat. They had a soloist for the "So if you care to find me..." And they had the "...Tell them how I..." part get all soft and quiet, and I think that really could work. Just do some tweakings like that...
As far as the lift, there are plenty of things high schools can do instead-- I mean, there are hs productions of Peter Pan abounding everywhere. Have her run up a set of dark stairs with mist around it, and wave her broom around.
My boyfriend is involved with an organization that does sort of a local high school version of the Tonys here, going around to all the different schools, so I see A LOT of productions they're doing nowadays.... Sure, Wicked would be hard to pull off, but I'd love to see some school try.