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EXCLUSIVE: A Peek Behind the Curtain - Going Backstage at Wicked

By Olin Meadows

Approaching 15 years since its inception, the Broadway musical Wicked remains a magical triumph in the history and tradition of L. Frank Baum himself. The musical -which travels with 13 trailer trucks from city to city, and carries nearly 300 pieces of sets, lights and special effects - is in the middle of its second trip to Austin.

Austin On Stage Magazine was able to go backstage for a sneak peek at the process required by the 90-man team to load in and setting up each leg of the national tour. The touring team for this "Munchkinland Tour" said they are glad to be able to stay in one place for three weeks, since the production one of the three largest touring shows currently on the road - sharing the title of "Largest Touring Show" with Disney's The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera.

It all starts with Norbert the Dragon, which is the first thing that audience members see upon entering the theatre. The massive mechanical dragon is the centerpiece of the proscenium that frames the stage of the $14 million production. Each Wicked tour has two dragons, according to Erica Norgaard, the "Munchkinland Tour" Company Manager. Each dragon takes two-and-a-half days to assemble and install in each theatre where the national tour plays, and both are exact replicas of the original dragon on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre. So while one show is on stage in one city, the twin dragon is on its way to the next stop of the tour, to be installed before the cast arrives.

With a wing span the size of a small airplane, Norbert is quite intimidating when you are staring at what appears to be a giant metal contraption hanging over your head. In reality, the dragon is created from foam and plastic and undergoes a fantastic paint job that would make most car makers jealous.

Hanging below the dragon is the front curtain for Wicked - a giant glittering map of the Land of Oz - that opens to reveal the 13 trailer trucks worth of sets, costumes, lighting and special effects that all share a part in telling the story of the witches of Oz. Justin Klynsma, Head Carpenter for the Wicked tour, says that everything a patron would see on Broadway will be seen during the tour stop at Bass Concert Hall. Klynsma has been with the show from the beginning, starting his career with Wicked as a carpenter for the original show at the Gershwin Theatre. He built the set currently on tour.

Wicked travels with 75 people - including the cast, crew and management - and employs an additional 90 people in each city where the show plays. During our backstage tour, the 25 crew members who travel with the show - plus an additional 50 local men and women - were unloading trucks and recreating an entire city on stage.

Company Manager Norgaard has her hands full, as she not only handles the bills, payroll, venue agreements and media request, but also has to secure housing and accommodations for the 75 people that travel from city to city with the tour. But being a seasoned pro when it comes to the world of theatre management, Norgaard is an expert in her field. She previously worked on Broadway with shows such as Fiddler on the Roof, Hairspray and A Bronx Tale, and has been with Wicked for seven years.

Norgaard shared a few of the more challenging aspect of the show, include a note about the semi-trailer trucks worth of costumes, which are all managed by three costume assistants on the road. Those assistants train 10 people in each city on how to dress the cast for each performance. The real nail biter is that those local dressers don't get an opportunity to run the show - or experience all of the costume changes - until opening night.

Tickets for Wicked start at $38.50 for the performances that will run Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., through Sunday, February 12th. Bass Concert Hall is located at 2350 Robert Dedman Drive on the University of Texas campus. Tickets will be available at the Bass Concert Hall box office, all Texas Box Office Outlets - including most H-E-B stores - by phone at (512) 477-6060 or online at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com/Austin.

(Photos by Olin Meadows)