Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty Will Star in L.A. Production of Wicked

Eden Espinosa will play Elphaba and Megan Hilty will be Glinda in a new Los Angeles production of Wicked at the Pantages Theatre. Performances begin February 10, 2007. A previous, seven-week run of Wicked at the Pantages was completely sold out last summer, as was a two-week engagement earlier this year at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Espinosa made her Broadway debut as the standby for Elphaba and Nessarose in Wicked and later played Elphaba to critical acclaim in the San Francisco engagement of the show's national tour before assuming the role on Broadway. She starred in Brooklyn the Musical on Broadway and appears in the recordings of the Actors' Fund Benefit of Hair, John McDaniel Live at Joe's Pub and The Maury Yeston Songbook.

Hilty portrayed Glinda both on Broadway and in the national touring company. Other credits include the world premiere of Vanities, Café Puttanesca and Suds.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. Directed by Joe Mantello, the musical is currently being presented on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre, on a national tour and in a separate, open-ended engagement at Chicago's Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre. The London production opened on September 27 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.