After Stuttgart closes in January the show will move to Oberhausen and reopen in March.

Source: Stage Entertainment

Beautiful city! I absolutely loved it when i went to see "Tanz der Vampire" there. How many theatres are in Oberhausen? Is Tanz staying at the Metronom? or is Wicked replacing it since its moving to Stuttgart? Kind of like switching places? lol

Oooh, awesome!! Now we only need cast info and I can try going to Oberhausen next year

Fantastic news!!

YAY!! So happy it's not closing for good! Is as Jessicasmd917 said...a swap of sorts! I'm hoping Wicked Stuttgart is on till the end of Jan and also Tanz in Oberhaussen...really wanna see when I am there late Jan! Booked yesterday!!! LOL Wicked is quite educational....never even knew of Stuttgart and Oberhaussen before...now I know how far they both are from London, Paris, Hamburg and each other in planning my trip!

It's great that they can keep Wicked running in Germany, but there goes my theory/wish that after Stuttgart, SE would move Wicked to the Netherlands.

But I really liked Oberhausen and the Metronom theatre, plus it's only 1,5 hours away

I'm kind of surprised it's transferring there; I would've thought Vienna was more likely.

Raimund Theater has Rudolf (which extended until the end of the year) and Tanz der Vampire is opening in Ronacher in September. So I'm not sure they'd have a theatre to put Wicked in.

How do people feel about the German witches? Do you think Willemijn and Lucy will transfer to Oberhausen or do you think it will be a fresh show? I have heard doubts about Lucy's involvement with the show in Oberhausen.

Surely because Willemijn has been Elphaba for so long, there has to come a time when she's so completely and utterly sick of it? Or not?

Willemijn hasn't said anything of course, but people assume she'll go to Oberhausen. It's a steady job, she likes it (as far as we know ) and Oberhausen is closer to the Dutch border making it easier for her to go home if she wants/needs to.

As for Lucy, she supposedly said to a couple of fans she's not going. If she has any other plans is unknown, but it seems the show will be moving without her.

Willemijn was asked in July/August if she would be transferring with the show and she replied that she "doesn't know yet." Personally, I'd love for Roberta or Sabrina to open up Oberhausen as lead, and Willemijn could bring the show to the Netherlands one day. (I'd love her on a Dutch CR, tbh).

Oh I wouldn't mind any of the two, but I somehow doubt Sabrina will be coming back.

(you just watch me move to Oberhausen when they announce Roberta as the new lead xD)

Prefer her to Willemijn?

I don't have the heart to say I prefer one or the other because I love them both, but I've seen Willemijn almost three times as much.

Roberta confirmed she's going to Oberhausen.

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really hope Willy will come to America or atleast London. Pure perfection!

I love Roberta as Elphaba. So she's opening the show in Oberhausen?!

What's up with this nickname, "Willy"? It's disgusting, people.

And no, she just said she's going to Oberhausen, not necessarily (and probably not) as lead Elphaba.

Valerie apparently confirmed she was going as alternate Glinda, though. Which probably means we'll be getting a new Glinda. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, lol.

Yay Valerie! Oh this casting makes me happy. I just wish I could see Will and Lucy one last time.

LOL yes you are quite right....I have used too in the past and will be more respectful in future!
You got to see at least and you will always cherish! BUT wait there's more....other faves I'm so green that you have seen...like Julia Murney Idina and Helen Dallimore AND many others....on top of most if not ALL the Australian combinations. LOL I officially submit your nomination for '#1 Worldwide Wicked Fan' missy!

Haha I just got lucky... a lot of times! So many flukes of timing. As much as I'd have loved to have seen Lucy (Scherer) again, I'm really glad I got to see Valerie as well.

Not all the Aussies - I never saw Liz!

LOL Show ain't over yet!

*does a VERY happy dance*

http://www.lifepr.de/pressemeldungen/stage...xid-135711.html

"Willemijn Verkaik ist die grüne Hexe von "Ozerhausen"
(Willemijn Verkaik is the green Witch of "Ozerhausen", for the ones who can't read one word German)

Willemijn Verkaik übernimmt Hauptrolle bei WICKED - Die Hexen von Oz in Oberhausen - Komponist Stephen Schwartz: Willemijn ist eine fantastische Elphaba - Premiere März 2010 im Metronom Theater am CentrO Oberhausen"

Oh my goodness! This is the point in time when I run to my mother and convince her to stay an extra couple of days in March.. Thanks for the FANTASTIC info.

I feel like an idiot, I spent a whole minute glaring at the word "Ozerhausen" thinking it was a typo.

LOL! I did the same thing and then I was like..."Oooohhh..."

OH MY GOODNESS. YAY.

So, Willemijn AND Roberta are going to Oberhausen? I need to see them both somehow.

I am excited!! It's crazy because only yesterday I was looking up how exactly to get myself to Oberhausen xD Which is good because now, I already know and have written down the best way. Ahhh Willemijn!! My Elphie forever

LOL I've been waiting for the announcement cause had a feeling this would be seeing as Willemijn is not closing Stuttgart and basically promoting Wicked in the Musical Gala. Happy for you lfae!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SShmL3gIDvU


^^

That is too awesome Thanks for sharing

The show opens in Oberhausen on March 8, 2010.


The new lead Glinda will be Joana Fee Würz. She's mostly been an understudy lately ("Ich" in Rebecca, Maria in WSS, Jane in Tarzan), but she's very good friends with Roberta irl so I'm really curious how that'll show on stage.


(btw, her website still says she's doing Tarzan until August 2010, but the Artinia Agentur confirmed she was doing Glinda. Maria Walter, the current Elphaba u/s, will be taking her place in Tarzan as ensemble with Jane u/s )

If the show opens on March 8th, does that mean Willemijn is not doing the last two Best of Musical performances in Frankfurt on the 9th and 10th? Also on the website March 17th is the first day you can buy tickets for? Are there previews? Im confused LOL

You're right, I have no idea. Another thing is that March 8th is a Monday and there are usually no performances on Mondays. If they're really starting on the 8th (and the announcement was official), my guess is Willemijn will do the 8th, do the final BoM performances (Frankfurt-Oberhausen isn't really that far away) and either take a break or continue on with Wicked.

As for the previews/regular performances.. Maybe SE just didn't update their site with the appropriate dates yet? God knows it wouldn't be a first, lol.

Has the lead Glinda for Oberhausen been confirmed yet?

Someone said it above: Joana Fee Würz.

It's really cool Willemijn saw Dee on Broadway!

And not to start anything again, but why is Willy a disgusting nick name for Willemijn?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=willy

Well, I guess I don't have a dirty mind because that wasn't what I thought of.

What can I say, I'm rotten.

I don't want to spam the sticky thread so here goes my frustration over Anton as Fiyero - WTFFFF WERE THEY THINKING. Spargeltarzan (asparagus Tarzan) as Fiyero, eww.

HAha love the asparagus reference! A German friend had emailed me two weeks ago with the news and I was like WTF!! I saw him in BOM while I was there and met after the show with Marc Seibert signing autographs and he just looked like a little boy next to him. Fine voice but so not the look I envisaged as Fiyero, and for the fact he would look very slight next to the girls. I will be interested to read reviews.

Not only slight, he'll look like Willemijn's son. I mean, we had such situations with younger Fiyeros already, but they were all understudies. :/

rotfl!! I'm curious to see him, you know. I enjoyed him in BoM... but yeah, he's kind of small and young and skinny and it's weird imagining him as Fiyero!

Well yeah, she's 11 years older than him. (And yes, I just looked it up)

Ah! He's a baby!! xD That's even younger than Joana too right?

I have no idea how old Joana is (she's probably Roberta's age, around 29), but I'm pretty sure Anton's younger, yeah.

Willemijn is going to leave in February

Source: her online diary, http://www.willemijnverkaik.nl/j15/index.p...d=4&lang=nl

If anyone is in desperate need of a translation I can try

Google Chrome automatically translates things so here is what it says:

"So my friends, it's now time to tell it to you:

My journey through Oz ends! As of March 2011, I retire to Holland! As soon as I say in the official release, it is a very difficult but correct decision. I have the role of Elphaba may play more than 3 years and how great was this time! Elphaba is a part of me so I have to leave now, fortunately, not really from her. Thank you now love to have your messages!
In February I will have to take my leave of you. But I have so many plans, and Holland is very close. And I have a feeling that I come back.
And anyway ... I'm not gone, we still have 3 months! So let's do something beautiful out of it, right?
See you hopefully at the theater or concerts at the backstage!

Until then,
Lief W"

It's sad she's leaving but she said she might come back I'm guessing she'll play Elphaba when Wicked opens in Holland, it'd be silly for her not to do it!

Wow, that's handy! My firefox doesn't do that, or I don't know how

Rumours are that she indeed will be Elphaba for at least the first 4 months in The Netherlands... auditions have been held, but they haven't announced anything officially yet!