Teal Wicks
Teal Wicks is an American singer and stage actress, who is best known for her performances as Elphaba in the Broadway, San Francisco, and Los Angeles productions of the musical Wicked and as Mary Barrie in the musical Finding Neverland.
In 2013, Wicks played the role of Emma Carew, Dr. Jekyll's fiancée, in the 2013 Broadway revival of Jekyll & Hyde. Wicks starred as Lady in The Cher Show at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway for the entirety of its run, from October 2018 to August 2019.
Education
Wicks attended Natomas High School in Sacramento, California. She graduated from UC Irvine in 2005 with a degree in Drama and Honors in Musical Theatre. She was active in the UCI Theatre program and had lead roles in productions including Chicago, Hair, and Cabaret. She is also a member of Kappa Alpha Theta at UCI.On May 12, 2011, Wicks was feted by the UCI Alumni Association along with other distinguished individuals during the 41st annual Lauds & Laurels ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. She was conferred the honor of Distinguished Alumna of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
Wicks serves on the advisory board of the California State Summer School for the Arts.
''Wicked''
''Wicked'' in Los Angeles
Wicks was cast as the standby for Elphaba in the Los Angeles production of the musical Wicked during the fall of 2007, after six auditions for multiple roles with several Wicked productions. She officially took over the standby role on January 1, 2008, with her first performance taking place on January 9. On May 13, 2008, she was offered to take over the lead role of Elphaba from Caissie Levy in the Los Angeles production.During her five months as Elphaba, she performed alongside Megan Hilty, Erin Mackey, and Emily Rozek as Glinda. Her final performance was on October 29, 2008; however, on that day, she left mid-performance after the train station scene because she was sick. As a result, Angel Reda, her understudy, took over for the remainder of the show. Original Los Angeles cast member Eden Espinosa replaced Wicks in the role on Halloween. Wicked Los Angeles closed on January 11, 2009, and was one of the most financially successful musicals in Los Angeles theatre history.
''Wicked'' in San Francisco
Wicked co-creator Stephen Schwartz said in a 2009 interview that his team had assembled an "all-star line-up, in terms of people who have really done a good job and scored very well in their roles in these other cities" for the newly planned San Francisco production of Wicked. Wicks was chosen to originate the role of Elphaba, and co-lead Kendra Kassebaum was chosen to originate the role of Glinda. The San Francisco production opened on February 6, 2009.Reception
The San Francisco production of Wicked received critical acclaim from audiences.The San Francisco Chronicle:
"This Sacramento native is dynamite in the talent department, with a soaring singing voice and a way of balancing her character's vulnerability and wickedness. It's the performance that really defines this particular production."
The Contra Costa Times:
"The cast, particularly Wicks and Kassebaum, is outstanding. The two leads are flat-out incredible, with voices that must be heard to be believed and acting chops that squeeze every bit of nuance out of the material created".
The San Francisco Examiner:
"Teal Wicks plays the role with incredible heart, showing with both subtlety and all-out emotion how the slighted girl born with green skin is simply misunderstood."
Further information
Wicks performed during the production with both Academy Award-winner Patty Duke and Emmy Award-winner Carol Kane, both as Madame Morrible. Wicks also performed alongside Natalie Daradich and Libby Servais and Alexa Green as Glinda. Wicks was on leave from the production from the end of March until early May 2009, during which the role was covered by Vicki Noon.The Wicked San Francisco production was seen by nearly one million people during its first year, according to The Best of Broadway, and averaged over $1.0 million in weekly grosses at the box office, according to Variety Magazine. Wicked was named "Musical of the Decade" during 2009 by Entertainment Weekly.
Wicks played her final performance as Elphaba on February 28, 2010, after performing the role over 500 times during a two-year period between the Los Angeles and San Francisco productions. Eden Espinosa replaced her a second time, the first being in L.A.
Wicks' performance in San Francisco won her many fans and inspired the San Francisco-based Wicked fan group known as "the TWickies". The TWickies were die-hard fans of Wicked in San Francisco even after Wicks' departure and remain loyal followers of her career today.
Wicks was chosen as the "Favorite Elphaba", among all the actresses who have played the role, in an online February 2010 poll with over 65,000 voters.
An online poll was conducted in December 2010 to vote for Who is the "Wicked" Personality of the Year. Wicks has been awarded after winning the poll with over 20,000 votes, leading by almost 8,000 votes.
''Wicked'' on Broadway
On February 2, 2011, Wicks made her Broadway debut replacing Mandy Gonzalez as Elphaba in Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. She starred alongside Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda for her seven-month run, which came to an end on September 25. She and Clarke were replaced by Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz, respectively, as Elphaba and Glinda.Broadway credits
''Wicked'' Broadway
Wicks appeared in the Broadway production of Wicked in the lead role of Elphaba. She made her Broadway debut on February 1, 2011, replacing Mandy Gonzalez in the role. Wicks departed the role on September 25, 2011, along with co-star Katie Rose Clarke. They were succeeded by Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz. Wicks performed the role on Broadway for nearly eight months, whereas Clarke will have appeared as Glinda for nearly two years.Wicks was named Broadway's Hottest Girl 2011 alongside Aaron Tveit as Broadway's Hottest Guy 2011 in an online poll, over 10,000 votes were cast.
''Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical''
Wicks starred as Emma Carew, Dr. Jekyll's fiancée, in the Broadway revival of Jekyll & Hyde alongside Tony-nominee and former American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis in the title role, and R&B superstar Deborah Cox as Lucy Harris. The new production began previews on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on April 5, 2013, and officially opened on April 18, 2013. It closed on May 12, 2013. ahead of its scheduled 13-week run. Prior to the Broadway opening, the show went on a 25-week national tour that began previews in La Mirada, California, on September 7, 2012.''Finding Neverland''
Teal Wicks played Mary Barrie in the musical Finding Neverland from its premiere in March 2015 until its closing in August 2016. The musical is based on the Miramax motion picture by David Magee and the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee, which followed the relationship between playwright J. M. Barrie, played by Matthew Morrison, and the family that inspired Peter Pan. The production was directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus with book by Olivier Award nominee James Graham, music and lyrics by U.K. pop sensation Gary Barlow and Grammy Award-winner Eliot Kennedy, and choreography by Emmy Award-winner Mia Michaels. It starred Emmy Award-winner Kelsey Grammer as Charles Frohman, Olivier Award-winner Laura Michelle Kelly as Sylvia Llewlyn Davies, and Tony Award-nominee Carolee Carmello as Madame Du Maurier.''The Cher Show''
In April 2018, it was announced that Wicks would join Stephanie J. Block and Micaela Diamond as the three actors to play singer Cher in The Cher Show. The show had a pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago at the Oriental Theatre, beginning on June 12, 2018, and running through July 15. The production then opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on December 3, 2018, and played its final performance on August 18, 2019.Off-Broadway credits
''The Blue Flower'' - Second Stage Theatre Production
Wicks reprised her role as Maria in an Off-Broadway production of The Blue Flower at Second Stage Theatre in the fall of 2011. Previews began on October 14, 2011, and the production opened on November 9, 2011. Costarring in the show were Meghan McGeary, who also reprised her role, Marc Kudisch, Sebastian Arcelus, Joseph Medeiros, Julia Osborne, Graham Rowat, and Aaron Serotsky. The show ran until November 27, 2011.Reviews:
Back Stage:
"Wicks soars on the moving Act 1 closer, "Eiffel Tower," in which Maria deals with Franz's death"
"I particularly loved an icy, regimented Charleston danced by a grieving black-clad Maria"
Variety:
"Teal Wicks, a replacement Elphaba in Wicked, is a wonderful find as Maria; she closes the first act with an exquisite solo, Eiffel Tower, and combines well with Arcelus for Love."
The Official Blog of the Arts Initiative at Columbia University:
"I have to say, though, as far as singing goes, Teal Wicks absolutely stole the show with this virtuosic performance. Overall, head voice, chest voice & mix are each beautifully developed in Ms. Wicks, but the truly impressive part is how effortlessly she weaves back and forth between them. Sometimes I heard elements of all three registrations at different points within the same word. She has truly mastered the many facets of her voice, and it is that facility that allows her to be as expressive as she is. With an instrument as refined and capable as hers, she can fully embody musical phrases with all the subtext and emotion of the composer & lyricist's intentions. She has a myriad of vocal tools at her disposal and is a true virtuoso with each one. It is not every day that I see singers with such versatility and mastery of the subtleties of the human voice. I'm certain we can expect many more great things from Ms. Wicks in the future."
New York Times:
"Teal Wicks, as Maria, sings with an expressiveness and richness of tone that enchants"
Time Out New York:
"Wicks is poised to emerge as a major star"
History News Network:
"The strength of The Blue Flower is the talented ensemble cast of Sebastian Arcelus, Marc Kudisch, Meghan McGeary and Teal Wicks. They are good actors and good singers. Wicks sings a soulful ballad at the end of act one, from on top of the Eiffel Tower, that's dazzling....
The songs have a familiar ring to each other, but Wicks' act one sendoff is a gem, as are a few powerful ballads in act one."