Witches' Night Off fundraiser. 7:30 p.m. March 2. $35 for regular admission;$20 tickets for students; $100 for VIP. Ferst Center, Georgia Tech, 349 Ferst Drive N.W., Atlanta. The evening of song and dance will include a special guest performance by Tony and Grammy award winner Jennifer Holliday. VIP admission includes a pre-show reception with Holliday and "Wicked" cast members, preferred seating, and a gift. Net proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Joining Hearts Inc. 404-894-9601, www.ferstcenter.org.
"Wicked." Feb. 18-March 8. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays; (1 p.m. performances also Feb. 19 and March 5). Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. Limited tickets are still available, starting at $48. 1-855-285-8499, foxtheatre.org/wicked.
Carrie St. Louis hangs from the rafters in theaters prior to every “Wicked” performance. Before she glides down in an enormous silver bubble, the actress takes a moment in the pitch black to mentally prepare herself for turning into a good witch.
But this isn’t just any good witch. Galinda, who later becomes Glinda the Good, must develop, mature and defy stereotypes over a three-hour performance.
“There is no way to say, ‘OK, here I go, I am going do my job,’” St. Louis said in a recent phone interview. “You have to be invested in this story, to tell this story, and to tell the journey. It’s incredibly powerful.”
“Wicked,” the popular musical that tells a “Wizard of Oz” back story, returns to Atlanta Feb. 18 for its fourth visit to the Fox Theatre. It will cast its spell for three-weeks; several performances are nearly sold out already.
With music by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, “Wicked” explores the transformation of Elphaba, the wicked witch, and Glinda, the good witch, from prep-school pals to the iconic roles we know today — long before Dorothy and Toto visited the land of Oz.
But what (and who) is good and bad is not so clear-cut. While “Wicked” is a super-size spectacle with flying monkeys, a thunderous wizard, splendid costumes and a giant, smoke-breathing mechanical dragon, this enduring musical is woven around universal themes of friendship, not judging a book by its cover, and accepting people who may be different, even if they are repulsive at first sight.
St. Louis plays the perky, popular, blond Glinda. In contrast, Elphaba, played by Alyssa Fox, covers herself up in drab clothes, is a social outcast, and has emerald green skin. Both are deeply misunderstood. Glinda is naive. She must find inner strength to be her own person. Elphaba, meanwhile, must decide between an easy path to power or standing up for what she believes and doing the right thing.
It’s a story about girls who seem like polar opposites and loathe each other initially, but find common ground and slowly build a bond that changes both of them — for the good.
“It’s exciting to be part of something so popular and so relatable to people of all ages,” Fox said. “Elphaba was dealt a bad hand. She didn’t choose to be green, and she had to navigate life with that greenness and that disadvantage. It’s great to see this powerful woman question authority around her.
“Elphaba just wanted somebody to love her and that’s what every one of us wants,” she added.
For Fox, one of the strongest messages of “Wicked” is stepping outside your comfort zone and being open to people who aren’t like you. “Don’t judge someone on a first impression,” she said.
The two girls “discover things about themselves in each other, and it’s the differences which bring them together,” said St. Louis, who is 25 and based in New York City. “It’s a story about kindness.”
It’s a theme playing out for both actresses on a personal level.
St. Louis, who recently took on the role as the good witch, and Fox, 28, also based in New York and playing Elphaba after spending years as an understudy, are getting to know each other.
Just like the witches they play night after night, they also are quite distinct. St. Louis is bubbly, with blond hair and blue eyes, and wears sparkles even when she is not onstage. Fox, meanwhile, wears glasses, favors dark clothes and loves quiet time alone with a book.
But, as they perform together, they are bonding. During a recent interview from Greenville, S.C, where “Wicked” was playing, Fox’s cellphone kept buzzing with texts from St. Louis, who was checking on her cast mate, making sure she was getting good rest. She also asked Fox if she wanted to join her to get her nails done. Fox said yes.
“You know what they say about art imitating life, well, I guess you could say, with us, life is imitating art,” Fox said.
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