"WICKED" Original Cast Recording Receives First-Ever Wide Release On Vinyl

Currently the 10th longest- running show in Broadway history, the blockbuster musical WICKED will celebrate its 13th Anniversary this October 30th.

On September 9, in conjunction with this milestone, the GRAMMY® award-winning, multi-platinum Original Cast Recording received its first-ever wide release on vinyl as a double LP via Verve/UMe. Upon its release in 2003, the album became the fastest-selling Original Broadway Cast Recording in years and went on to dominate the #1 spot on Billboard's Top Cast Albums Chart for more than six years. As of this week, the album, currently at #2, has been on the chart a phenomenal 557 weeks, including 333 weeks at #1, presently the record for most weeks at #1 since the chart was established in 2006. It was certified double platinum in 2010 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album is available here: http://smarturl.it/WickedLP

With music and lyrics by composer Stephen Schwartz, the 19-track WICKED Original Cast Recording contains the songs from the Tony Award-winning musical. Recorded on November 10, 2003, with the full cast and orchestra, the album includes riveting performances by Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. The cast recording received the GRAMMY® Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2005.

The surprising tale of an unlikely friendship between two women in the Land of Oz, WICKED tells the untold story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, long before Dorothy drops in. Elphaba, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. Glinda is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. The remarkable odyssey of how these unexpected friends changed each other's lives for good has made WICKED one of the world's most popular musicals.

Since opening in October 2003, WICKED has grossed more than $1 billion solely from its Broadway Box Office, an achievement reached in a record 12½ years -- faster, by far, than any other production in Broadway history. It joins The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera as the only shows to have grossed $1 billion in Broadway Box Office.

Worldwide, WICKED has amassed over $4 billion in global sales and has been seen by over 50 million people. The musical has been performed in over 100 cities in 14 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, and Brazil) and has thus far been translated into Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The Broadway production is directed by Joe Mantello with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. WICKED is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

WICKED has been declared "A Cultural Phenomenon" by Variety and "The Best Musical of the Decade" by Entertainment Weekly.

For more information about WICKED, please visit WickedTheMusical.com

TRACK LISTING:

Original Cast Recording

Produced by STEPHEN SCHWARTZ

SIDE A

1) NO ONE MOURNS THE WICKED

2) DEAR OLD SHIZ

3) THE WIZARD AND I

4) WHAT IS THIS FEELING?

5) SOMETHING BAD

SIDE B

6) DANCING THROUGH LIFE

7) POPULAR

8) I'M NOT THAT GIRL

9) ONE SHORT DAY

10) A SENTIMENTAL MAN

SIDE C

1) DEFYING GRAVITY

2) THANK GOODNESS

3) WONDERFUL

SIDE D

4) I'M NOT THAT GIRL (reprise)

5) AS LONG AS YOU'RE MINE

6) NO GOOD DEED

7) MARCH OF THE WITCH HUNTERS

8) FOR GOOD

9) FINALE