The last time it came to town, "Wicked" broke all box office records and sold out in record time.
Now the musical dubbed the most successful of modern times returns to the Hub with a seven week engagement at the Boston Opera House beginning Sept. 1.
"Wicked" has some New England connections, including that fact that it's based on the book penned by Concord, Mass., author Gregory Maguire. (And do we even need to say its title is the ultimate New England adjective?)
The show also stars Rhode Island native Richard H. Blake as Fiyero, the prince caught between the show's two main characters: Glinda, who would one day become the Good Witch of the North and Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who became the Wicked Witch of the West.
"It's real tough being the guy caught in the middle of a love triangle between two beautiful women," joked Blake.
For those who've missed the connection: "Wicked" is the untold story of the witches of Oz.
It starts out as a sort of prequel to the classic tale, which popularly became the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland. In truth, its more a parallel story to "The Wizard of Oz" and a cautionary lesson in not judging a book by the cover.
Blake hadn't seen the musical before he was cast in one of its starring roles, but he was pleased when he saw that his character, Fiyero, the "Winkie Prince" was a role that had some meat.
"For me the challenge with Fiyero is that he starts out as this callous and arrogant guy. Kind of the black sheep of the family, always trying to party instead of work," Blake said.
"He then has to grow and mature into a character with morals and a lot of integrity," he said. "For me the real key is to make that arc, and to play the real callous part of him as truthfully as possible — so that when you get to the serious stuff, the audience sees that he made that growth."
"That's the challenge of Fiyero," Blake said. "Well, that and I have to fall in love with a green girl."
Blake has some experience playing callous on stage. His previous roles include Warner in "Legally Blonde" and Glen Guglia in "The Wedding Singer."
"If you are looking for a jerk boyfriend on Broadway, I am your guy," he said, with a laugh.
Though Blake hadn't seen "Wicked" before he was cast in it, he was definitely familiar with its pedigree.
The musical has been called "a cultural phenomenon" by Variety and just named "the defining musical of the decade" by The New York Times.
"Wicked" features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz ("Godspell," "Pippin," Academy Award-winner for "Pocahontas" and "The Prince of Egypt") and a script by Winnie Holzman ("My So Called Life," "Once And Again" and "thirtysomething").
Now that he's part of the show, Blake understands why it strikes such a chord with audiences. Part of the reason is the talent behind it — from Schwartz and Holzman to its two-time, Tony-winning director Joe Mantello. The other part comes from the show itself.
"It's a really great story about the relationship between two powerful female characters," Blake said. "It's empowering, in a lot of ways."
If you go
What: "Wicked"
When: Sept. 1 to Oct. 17
Where: Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St.
How: Tickets are $38 to $98. Available at the box office, 1-800-982-2787or www.Ticketmaster.com/Wicked
