Witches, Mustaches & Elvis: Mandy Gonzalez's Wicked Elphaba Accessories

Mandy Gonzalez learned a lot about Broadway theater in her time with shows such as Dance of the Vampires, Aida and Lennon, but it was Tony-winning hit In the Heights that let her put down roots in one place for a while; the leading lady starred as neighborhood sweetie Nina from its off-Broadway opening through January 31, 2010. The laidback board-trotter moved into her biggest digs in March, however, when she assumed the role of Wicked’s Elphaba at the Gershwin Theatre. Making herself at home at Wicked has been easy. What’s been difficult is keeping the musical from following her to her Brooklyn abode at night. “There’s always a tint of green in my hairline ever since I started this show,” the star laments. “I wash so well, but it’s always there, so on a two-show day I just give up and wear the hat. My husband even bought me green towels and pillowcases so it blends in more easily at home!” Here’s a look at some of the items that don’t go home with Gonzalez after the curtain falls at Wicked.

Photo by Jenny Anderson for Broadway.com


“I’ll start with the Wicked Witch of the West doll. I was given this by [leading man] Andy Karl when I first started. He found it at a vintage shop. There’s still a $5 price tag on it. He [said he] got it because it looks like the witch, but with 'Mandy' hair.”


“These are mustaches worn by my original father in In the Heights, Carlos Gomez. He’s now on the TV show The Glades on A&E. Sometimes they would fall off in the middle of the show or he’d lose them, so when he left he gave them to me. Now they live in my dressing room.”


“This is one of my best friends, Priscilla Lopez, who was in In the Heights with me and is still in that show. When I opened with Wicked, she gave me this Statue of Liberty [figure] because it was the only other green witch in town that she knew of.”


“This is my family and my best friends. I always keep pictures of family and friends all over because I miss them. I like to keep a lot of love around.”


“This is my Elvis doll, which I take with me to every show. He’s a huge part of my life. My dad’s a huge Elvis fan—as kids, we used to watch his movies together. He represents my love of music, my father—all that good stuff.”