Broadway musical WICKED has returned to its Australian roots, captivating audiences at Melbourne’s iconic Regent Theatre.
More than 20 years since its premiere on Broadway, WICKED continues to reign as one of the world’s most successful and beloved musicals.
Among the ensemble gracing the stage is Epping’s own talent, Olivia Castagna.
She is part of the ensemble, and will perform many roles in the WICKED production.
For Olivia, being part of WICKED is a dream come true, and after being inspired by the show as a child, she said it’s a great honour to get to perform in front of the next generation of fans and I first saw the show when it first came to Melbourne.
“I had just turned 10 years old, I was really young and I didn’t know what I wanted to do yet, but when I saw the show I was like wow, oh my god, this is amazing, I’d love to do that one day,” she said.
“Just the whole story, the connection to the Wizard of Oz, the singing, the dancing, the characters, it was like probably a life changing moment watching WICKED for the first time.”
As WICKED continues to cast its spell on Melbourne audiences, Olivia and the cast have enjoyed sharing the untold story of the Wizard of Oz, blending hard-hitting emotions with upbeat numbers and magical surprises.
The cast is extremely busy, performing eight shows every five days, but Olivia said they are driven by the honour of playing at the famous Regent Theatre.
“It’s amazing because we all grew up as budding actors and dancers and performers,” she said.
“We all used to see every show that would be at the Regent, so to do it again now in that same theatre, it’s very sentimental.
Gerald Lynch
