If you haven’t seen Rachel Tucker in Wicked yet then you must book Wicked theatre breaks soon, she’s fabulous. Here’s a video from West End Live last weekend which doesn’t do justice to the full theatre performance of Wicked by any means, but gives an idea of how talented a performer Rachel Tucker is.

Before landing the part of Elphaba in Wicked, Rachel Tucker has played both Meat and Scaramouche in We Will Rock You and before that was a finalist in the I’d Do Anything TV casting show to find a Nancy for Oliver. And here’s the backstage interview conducted by Keith Martin of Leicester Square TV with Rachel Tucker of Wicked herself:

In the interview, Rachel Tucker describes how Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Loosely based on the Wizard of Oz Wicked has a kind of twist to it. It’s the story of how the good witch and the bad witch became enemies, so Dorothy has nothing really to do with it. It’s an amazing moral story highly relevant to anybody who has ever been bullied or discriminated against just for being different.

Wicked Theatre Breaks with Rachel Tucker as Elphaba was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

Wicked is continuing to build after its most successful year ever and is bringing in not one but two new witches! Current witches Alexia Khadime (Elphaba) and Dianne Pilkington (Glinda) leave the show on a record breaking high note and will play their final performances on Saturday 27 March 2010. Bound to be a very emotional evening! (If you want tickets for this one you must act fast – Click through to see if there are Wicked theatre breaks available for Alexia and Diane’s final performance. By the way there’s a Free Hotel Offer on weekday Wicked Theatre Breaks until the end of March) Wicked

Rachel Tucker as Elphaba I’m a big fan of Rachel Tucker. I thought she had a great voice when she was in I’d Do Anything and I absolutely loved her in We Will Rock You. She was playing Meat the night I saw her but I believe she made a great success of the lead role, Scaramouche, on the few occasions she got to play it. Rachel will join Wicked as the new Elphaba and I can’t wait to hear her sing “Defying Gravity”. The voice and the song should combine beautifully and give us yet another interpretation of a great standard. So as one Nancy (Jodie) bows out the West End will see another graduate of the I’d Do Anything programme take centre stage. Perhaps this will convince the critics that reality casting shows do actually uncover worthwhile talent. Don’t hold your breath! Like Kerry Ellis, a previous much loved Elphaba, Rachel will bring her own loyal fan base to the show and no doubt to this post. Hi all
Oz Trivia – Rachel is no stranger to Oz having played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre. Louise Dearman as Glinda Louise joins the cast of Wicked as Glinda. She’s been widely acclaimed in her lead role in the touring production of Evita. It will be interesting to see what she makes of the role of Glinda and how she stamps her own personality on it. Louise’s voice is described by her agents as: pure, melting soprano voice, with a surprisingly strong belt. Having listened to a sample I have to agree, lovely! But don’t just rely on my judgment have a listen for yourself:

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Wicked Theatre Breaks Winter Offer Wicked theatre breaks - Land of Oz Wicked is always a popular choice for theatre breaks but it’s extra special at this witchy time of year. Why not book a Halloween special treat with a difference this year and try a Wicked theatre break? The Story of Wicked The story of Wicked isn’t as straightforward as you might suppose. The tale of the two witches and how one came to be evil and the other good has a few surprises for you along the way. I’m really not going to say more than that as I don’t want to give too much away! Full of spectacular special effects Wicked is a great introduction to musicals for younger fans. Some of it is quite dark and scary but then most children enjoy that anyway. Staying in London with Children It’s a bit of a nightmare trying to travel home with tired children after a long show. This is where booking a whole package really pays off but don’t fall into the trap of booking a hotel miles away from the theatre. If you look closely at the hotel listing you will usually see a distance from theatre. Go for the one nearest if at all possible. Taking tired children on the underground late at night is no fun at all and should be avoided at all costs!If you are staying further out then a black cab is the best, safest and easiest option. Special Offer on Wicked Theatre Breaks There’s a special offer on Wicked theatre breaks this winter with Show and Stay. There is £20 off  Wicked theatre breaks to be taken in October and November 2009 if you book between now and November 2nd. **  book Wicked Theatre Breaks Online **

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Wicked Theatre Breaks Alexia Khadime, Elphaba from Wicked at West End Live 2009 sings “The Wizard And I”

Wicked Theatre Breaks Anybody in London for a Wicked theatre break in the past three weeks will have had the opportunity to see Alexia Khadime as Elphaba, the green witch with the big songs. Alexia replaced Kerry Ellis who went to play the role on Broadway until December when she returns to the West End. Now Kerry Ellis was a big act to follow, having gathered a huge pack of devoted fans during her time in London, but Alexia is proving to have unique qualities which bring a fresh approach to the acting and she’s rapidly building a loyal support base of her own. The two tribes will each advocate for their favourite at any given opportunity and the result can be anything from unkind to insightful. Alexia Khadime as Elphaba Here’s the popular video from theatre breaks youTube which shows what Alexia can do, out of costume, solo and live at West End Live 2009, the popular theatre festival event in London’s Leicester Square
(it takes a few moments to get going) Click here to view the embedded video. Alexia’s a really good singer and and a really good actress, she has the best Elphaba interpretation I’ve seen. She is amazing! Cute yet powerful voice! Very well done! I am also a big fan of Kerry’s? and her! So amazing! ** Book Wicked theatre breaks in London **

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Wicked Theatre Breaks to see the new cast Wicked theatre breaks are perfect for families. This summer is likely to be a busy time for Wicked theatre breaks, especially as Show and Stay have a special offer on at the moment. Wicked Theatre Breaks from £81.50pp with Show and Stay - book now Wicked Theatre Breaks - who’s in the new cast? Wicked is one of those shows that inspire a lot of loyalty. Fans like to keep up to date with cast changes and see the show again and again. Having said “Goodbye” to Kerry Ellis,(I thought she was brilliant as Elphaba but it seems Alexia Khadime is developing quite a following too!) Wicked is ready to welcome some more new cast members.

The revised Wicked cast includes:

Alexia Khadime (Elphaba), Dianne Pilkington (Glinda), Oliver Tompsett (Fiyero), Sam Kelly (The Wizard), Harriet Thorpe (Madame Morrible) Natalie Anderson (Nessarose) Alex Jessop (Boq), David Stoller (Doctor Dillamond), Ashleigh Gray (Standby for Elphaba) Sarah Earnshaw (Standby for Glinda),

Wicked Theatre Breaks - a birthday outing Wicked theatre breaks are a great choice for family groups or , if you are feeling generous, a perfect birthday treat for your teenage or even pre-teen daughter and maybe 3 of her best mates. You might think I’m nuts suggesting taking a group of teenage girls to London but they, and you, will have the best time and they’ll never forget it! There’s no mess to clear up afterwards. She probably won’t expect much of a present. And her ‘cool score’ at school will go off the Richter Scale! (So will your cool parent score!) The show is an ideal choice for a themed birthday treat. You just have to make sure they have a cash limit for goodies from the foyer of Wicked! CDs, books, T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and even Glinda’s wand make great presents. Stock them up with fruit juice drinks and try to avoid too much popcorn, all that sugar will make it even harder for them to sleep! Talking of sleep, did you realise you could get a family room? Some of the hotels offer great deals so 2 adults could take 4 girls and just pay for 2 rooms! Just rope in another mum to lend a hand or even better (younger = more energy!) someone’s big sister and you’re set. Other things to do on a Wicked theatre Break So you’ve got your tickets, you’ve hopefully booked your train at the same time (save up to 40% that way), and you’ve unpacked. Now what? Luckily Show and Stay offer some great extras you can book at the same time as the theatre break. With teenage girls, or even pre-teens, my first choice would be the London Eye fast track. You spend far less time waiting around, the girls get to see the sights without getting bored and there’s plenty of time left for hitting the shops. Now, I know they are teenagers, or think they are, but I love Hamleys and they will too! Got to take their photos with those giant teddy bears and then head inside for some serious shopping. And you thought it was a toy shop? Did you not know it has one of the biggest collections of Hello Kitty merchandise in the country? Pah! Just make sure they save some money for Top Shop! Food, quick, all that shopping takes it’s toll! Where else but Planet Hollywood? Of course, if you are sneaky, you’ll have booked a bargain pre-theatre dinner there when you booked the show. Then it’s off to see Wicked. Afterwards if they (and you) are not too exhausted it can be worth hanging about round the stage door. The Wicked stars know their audience and they rarely disappoint them. Often programmes are signed, smiles and even the occasional chat is possible. If you are really lucky photos with cast members might be taken. Especially if they know there’s a birthday girl around. Back at the hotel try to persuade them it’s bed time. Good luck with that
Wicked Theatre Breaks - The Last Day Next morning try a stroll through Chinatown. If they’ve any money left there’s more (but possibly less authentic) Hello Kitty stuff around plus other wonderfully tacky London souvenirs that won’t break the bank.

Covent Garden’s good fun to wander round too. if you’re after a cheap and cheerful lunch, (and you’ve any money left!) the West Country Pasty shop is good value and has somewhere to sit and watch the world go by too. (You could, just possibly, leave them there and slip upstairs to the bar for a quick and sustaining G&T- did I say that? Moi?)

Then it’s off to catch your train. You might be lucky and they’ll fall asleep on the way home. After all they probably didn’t sleep much in the hotel. If not they can look at all their wonderful photos on their phones, while you doze off!

Behind the Scenes at Wicked Oliver Tompsett, who plays Fiyero, takes us behind the scenes of Wicked

Book before 15 June 2009 and enjoy an unforgettable hotel and theatre package from just £81.50pp

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Wicked is Spellbinding

Originally uploaded by Andyrob

Wicked Theatre Breaks in London can be planned right up until April 2010 now since the global hit musical has just announced an extension to the WIcked booking period at the Apollo Victoria theatre in the West End.

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