Fresh Face: Derrick Williams

Age: 28

Currently: Playing Fiyero, the object of much Ozian affection--especially between a couple of witchy gals--in Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre.

Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia

The Church Lady: Williams' love of theater started when he was a kid. A member of his church introduced the young Williams to performing via community theater. "Margie Day Walker would come by in a station wagon and pick everybody up right after school," Williams recalls. "She didn't want us out there on the streets doing something stupid." By high school, Williams' days were split. Mornings, he attended academic classes. Afternoons, he was at the Performing Arts Repertory in Norfolk. Still, the natural jock also found time for sports. "My Repertory teacher allowed me to take part of the semester off to go play baseball," he says. "She was really sweet about that. She used to be the lady on Romper Room!"

Paying His Dues: It was while working at Busch Gardens that Williams traveled the seven hours up to New York for an audition. "I never thought I had it to make it in New York. But why not try," he says."Everyone else was going." The audition was for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Carousel Dinner Theater in Ohio. He got the part. Williams' second audition in the city was for a regional production of Jesus Christ Superstar. After that, Williams moved to Gotham.

Shout it Out: At the millennium, Williams made his Broadway debut, stepping into the ensemble of Swing!. His next gypsy gig, Aida, gave Williams increased responsibilities, as an understudy for the elderly father, Amonasro. Going on in that role in Aida for the first time, Williams says he learned one of the most important lessons in his stage career thus far. "They were putting me in all this makeup, trying to make me look old. And when I got onstage, I'd forgotten my microphone," he recalls with a laugh. "I was out there yelling! It was pretty bad."

Standby Me: After playing in the ensemble of the original cast of Wicked Williams went on the road with the show--breaking out of the chorus with his assignment in the role of Fiyero. While playing in San Francisco, Williams ended up getting the chance to act alongside that city's Elphaba, Eden Espinosa, with whom Williams had worked on Broadway when they were both standbys for their respective roles. Now they're both on Broadway in the leading parts. "When we found out that we were coming back to New York," Williams says, "Eden called me and we just screamed." On returning to the show in New York, Williams notes, "the difference between being on the road and being on Broadway is--you're on Broadway! That's the only difference. You walk out that stage door and you're on 51st Street and Broadway's to your right. That's an amazing feeling."

Many Faces of Fiyero: Following in the footsteps of Norbert Leo Butz, Joey McIntyre and David Ayers, Williams may not appear to be the typical actor cast as Fiyero on Broadway. Although he's not the first African-American to play the role on Broadway--Idina Menzel's husband, Taye Diggs, jumped into the part for a few weeks during Wicked's first year when Butz was out on medical leave--Williams is aware of the new direction that producers are taking with its casting on Broadway, saying, "on a personal level, that makes me feel really good." However, he'd rather talk about the issues of his character, not the issues of his race. "A lot of people have this whole rebel thing going for Fiyero," Williams says. "I think he's a little bit rebellious, but only because he feels like he knows it all. But in time Fiyero meets Elphaba, who makes him realize a few things he doesn't have a clue about."

Dancing Through Fans: Wicked is known for its legions of young fans that flock to the stage door after each performance. To Williams, the attention can be a little overwhelming. "Fans are making up your unofficial websites. It's really amazing," Williams marvels, adding, "and it's touching." The post-performance scene each night at Wicked makes Williams feel like a rock star. "The women at the stage door," he laughs, "it's pretty crazy. I personally love every bit of it. I can't lie!"