Lauren Samuels to play Elphaba in Wicked US tour

Lauren Samuels, who has West End credits including Grease and We Will Rock You, has joined the north American tour of Wicked. 

Taking on the role of Elphaba, she will join Austen Danielle Bohmer, who appeared in Diana on Broadway, who plays Glinda.

The news comes as part of a major recast for the show, with the company also set to include Xavier McKinnon (Aladdin and Rent national tours) as Fiyero, Alex Vinh as Boq, Blake Hammond as the Wizard, Aymee Garcia as Madame Morrible and Kingsley Leggs as Doctor Dillamond.

Samuels will play her first performance on 7 May 2024 in Hartford Connecticut, with the show also visiting Grand Rapids, Toronto, Denver, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Wicked continues to play in the West End, on Broadway and on a UK and Ireland tour, with a two-part film version releasing its first half later this year.

The show, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, offers a unique perspective on the characters from L Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It has been seen by over 12 million spectators in London alone, and last year became the 11th longest-running production in West End history.

Wicked, which has received over 100 global awards, features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, with the book by Winnie Holzman. Wayne Cilento handles musical staging, and Joe Mantello directs.