Shoshana Bean to Play Green Girl Elphaba in Wicked Starting 1/11

Current Elphaba standby Shoshana Bean will assume the role of Wicked's misunderstood green girl on January 11. She is taking over for Tony winner Idina Menzel, who departs two days earlier.

"I am so excited," Bean told Broadway.com. "It's like one of the greatest female roles ever written. I am totally humbled and flattered that they have entrusted it to me. And I am humbled not only because of the greatness of the role, but to be taking over for Idina, who is so amazing."

Bean has gone on as Elphaba over a dozen times and also serves as the understudy for Elphaba's sister, Nessarose, in Wicked. She was an ensemble member of the original cast of Hairspray understudying and going on in the lead role of Tracy Turnblad many times and was seen on the New York stage in the off-Broadway revival of Godspell, which features music and lyrics by Wicked's Stephen Schwartz.

"I love the music in this show," Bean gushed. "Stephen Schwartz knows how to write music for women. [The character] is also great--this is going to sound so corny--because of her journey. The coolest part is that she starts from one place and ends up in someplace completely different."

In addition to her Gotham credits, Bean was featured on a national tour of Leader of the Pack and starred in mountings of Once On This Island, Babes in Arms, The Hot Mikado and Rags at her alma mater, University of Cincinnati.

Wicked will continue to star Jennifer Laura Thompson, George Hearn, Carole Shelley and Michelle Federer. Menzel, Joey McIntyre and Christopher Fitzgerald are scheduled to depart on January 9. David Ayers is taking over for McIntyre and Jeffrey Kuhn is set to replace Fitzgerald--both will begin performances with Bean on January 11.