WICKED Returns to PPAC This March

The witches of Oz are heading back to Weybosset Street this spring. After nearly a decade away, WICKED returns to the Providence Performing Arts Center for a three-week run from March 4–22. The Broadway hit anchors the Taco and The White Family Foundation Broadway Series and invites local audiences to revisit the story behind Oz’s most famous friendship.

This marks the fourth time the musical has played Providence. It last appeared at PPAC in 2016. In the years since, the production has only grown. Now in its 22nd year on Broadway, WICKED ranks as the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history and remains one of the most successful stage productions ever mounted.

The musical draws from Gregory Maguire’s novel, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It looks at life in Oz long before Dorothy’s arrival. At its center stand two young women: one brilliant and outspoken, born with emerald-green skin; the other charming, ambitious, and blonde. As their friendship deepens, the world casts one as “good” and the other as “wicked.” The story explores how labels take hold and how perspective shapes truth.

Audiences can expect a soaring score that includes “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” and “For Good.” Critics have called it “the defining musical of the decade,” and NBC Nightly News once described it as “the most successful Broadway show ever.” The production has earned more than 100 international awards and reached over 72 million people in 16 countries.

WICKED will also headline PPAC’s Annual Gala on Saturday, March 21 at 7pm. Gala patrons will receive premium seating, complimentary parking, and admission to a post-show reception featuring food from several Rhode Island restaurants and catering companies. Proceeds will support the theater’s Community Outreach Initiative. For showtimes and ticket information, visit ppacri.org. To purchase Annual Gala tickets, contact Stephanie Santos, Director of Ticketing, at ssantos@ppacri.org.