PHOTO COURTESY OF JOAN MARCUS

MIAMI — After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2010,Wicked, Broadway’s biggest blockbuster returns this week to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County’s Ziff Ballet Opera House.

Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Magu and winner of numerous awards, Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One – born with emerald-green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

“We’re excited to welcome Wicked – a new classic – back to the Arsht Center,” said John Richard, president and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “In 2010, Broadway’s biggest blockbuster broke our box office records with a complete sold-out engagement. It’s a thrill to once again be able to offer Miami theatergoers the opportunity to experience this magnificent musical – be it for the very first time or 10th time!”

Wicked has been declared “a cultural phenomenon” by Variety and “the best musical of the decade” by Entertainment Weekly. Wicked currently has productions around the world including New York, London, Japan, U.K, South Korea, and North America.

Since its New York premiere a decade ago, Wicked has grossed over $3.4 billion worldwide and seen by more than 42 million across the globe.
Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 13 countries around the world, and has thus far been translated into five languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, and Korean.

Performances for Wicked  are 2 and 8 p.m. today, Saturday, March 21, and March 28; 8 p.m. Friday, March 17-20, 24-27; 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 15, 22 and 29 at Ziff Ballet Opera House, Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Tickets start at $49, and can be purchased by visiting www.arshtcenter.org or calling the box Office at (305) 949-6722. Groups of 15 or more should call (786) 468-2326.