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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhere is the original cast of Wicked now? The 2003 Broadway company split into careers across theatre, film, television, music, directing, and education: Idina Menzel became Elsa in Frozen, Kristin Chenoweth became a major screen and recording star, Norbert Leo Butz won two Tonys, and Carole Shelley died in 2018.
Wicked opened at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003. The original principals were Menzel as Elphaba, Chenoweth as Glinda, Butz as Fiyero, Federer as Nessarose, Fitzgerald as Boq, Grey as the Wizard, Shelley as Madame Morrible, and Youmans as Doctor Dillamond.
![Wicked: 20th Anniversary Original Broadway Cast Recording by Stephen Schwartz – 2 Green LP [Vinyl]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51pmonHKo0L._SL160_.jpg)
![Wicked (Original Broadway Cast Recording) [CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41d8O4Q72kL._SL160_.jpg)
![Wicked (Original Cast Recording)[Deluxe 2 CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/410xu+R6pzL._SL160_.jpg)
The cast was never one permanently fixed group: performers left at different times, and a few later returned to the musical. The career summaries below use the latest consolidated retrospective located, published October 28, 2025, and do not add unsupported 2026 updates.
Key takeaways
- Wicked opened at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003, with Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda.
- The original principal cast did not leave together: Norbert Leo Butz’s initial engagement ended in November 2003, while the other principal departures recorded by IBDB ran from July 2004 through January 2006.
- Idina Menzel became internationally recognized as Elsa in Frozen, while Kristin Chenoweth built a continuing career in Broadway, television, film, recording, and arts education.
- Norbert Leo Butz became a two-time Tony Award winner for leading musical performances after playing Fiyero in Wicked.
- Michelle Federer briefly returned as Nessarose in 2009, and Christopher Fitzgerald, Joel Grey, and William Youmans continued substantial Broadway careers.
- Carole Shelley, the original Madame Morrible, died at home in 2018 from complications of cancer at age 79.
Who was in the original Broadway cast of Wicked?
The original Broadway company included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, Michelle Federer as Nessarose, Christopher Fitzgerald as Boq, Joel Grey as the Wizard, Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible, and William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond. The production opened at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003; the Internet Broadway Database record for the original production documents the principal performers and their engagements.
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The phrase “original cast” can be misleading because the company was not a permanent unit that moved in and out at the same time. The original performers departed on different schedules. IBDB records Butz’s initial engagement as ending in November 2003, while the other principal departures occurred between July 2004 and January 2006. The careers below therefore describe what happened after each performer’s original Broadway engagement, not the movements of a single reunited troupe.
| Performer | Original Wicked role | Original Broadway engagement | Later career highlights | Later Wicked connection or status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idina Menzel | Elphaba | Original opening company; departed during the original run | Frozen, If/Then, Skintight, Redwood, film and television work | Continued to be closely associated with Elphaba; no full staged original-cast reunion is established by the available research |
| Kristin Chenoweth | Glinda | Original opening company; departed during the original run | Pushing Daisies, Glee, Descendants, Hairspray Live!, solo albums, Broadway Bootcamp | Continued screen, recording, Broadway, and education work |
| Norbert Leo Butz | Fiyero | Initial engagement ended November 2003 | Tony wins for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Catch Me If You Can; Speed-the-Plow, Big Fish, My Fair Lady, screen work | Continued stage and screen work; his official biography identifies him as the original Fiyero |
| Michelle Federer | Nessarose | Original opening company; departed during the original run | Three Days of Rain, The Cottage, SMASH, Better Nate Than Ever | Returned as Nessarose for a limited engagement in 2009; married Butz in 2007 |
| Christopher Fitzgerald | Boq | Original opening company; departed during the original run | Tony-nominated work associated with Young Frankenstein, Finian’s Rainbow, and Waitress; Company, Spamalot | Continued as a frequently nominated Broadway performer |
| Joel Grey | The Wizard | Original opening company; departed during the original run | Anything Goes, The Cherry Orchard; directed The Normal Heart and Fiddler on the Roof; published a 2016 memoir | Expanded from acting into directing and writing |
| William Youmans | Doctor Dillamond | Original opening company; departed during the original run | The Pirate Queen, The Farnsworth Invention, Billy Elliot, Finian’s Rainbow, Hands on a Hardbody, Bright Star, Carousel, To Kill a Mockingbird | Returned to Doctor Dillamond on Broadway in 2023 |
| Carole Shelley | Madame Morrible | Original opening company; departed during the original run | Billy Elliot: The Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City | Died at home in 2018 from complications of cancer, aged 79 |
Where is Idina Menzel now?
Idina Menzel moved from her defining Broadway role as Elphaba into a career spanning film, television, music, and theatre. Her most internationally visible screen role became the voice of Elsa in Frozen. She also returned to New York theatre in If/Then, appeared in Skintight, and later starred in Redwood. The 2025 Broadway Direct retrospective of the original Wicked cast covers those later stage and screen chapters.
Menzel’s career illustrates how strongly the original Elphaba performance continued to follow her without limiting her to one medium. She remained connected to musical theatre while also becoming recognizable to audiences who first encountered her through animated film rather than Broadway.
Where is Kristin Chenoweth now?
Kristin Chenoweth continued combining Broadway performance with screen acting, recording, and arts education. Her post-Wicked screen work included Pushing Daisies, Glee, the Descendants films, and Hairspray Live!. Broadway Direct also lists seven solo albums released after Wicked and her annual Broadway Bootcamp program for aspiring performers.
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What happened to the original Fiyero, Norbert Leo Butz?
Norbert Leo Butz became a two-time Tony Award winner for leading musical performances after playing Fiyero. He won for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 2005 and Catch Me If You Can in 2011. His later stage work included Speed-the-Plow, Big Fish, and My Fair Lady, alongside television and film roles.
Butz’s official Broadway biography for Hadestown identifies him as the original Fiyero in Wicked and lists later screen credits and the La Jolla Playhouse production of The Recipe. Butz was also part of the original cast’s personal history: Broadway Direct reports that he married former Wicked co-star Michelle Federer in 2007.
What did Michelle Federer do after playing Nessarose?
Michelle Federer’s Broadway debut was Wicked, where she originated the role of Nessarose. After leaving the production, Federer continued working in theatre, television, and film, with credits including Three Days of Rain, The Cottage, SMASH, and Better Nate Than Ever.
Federer returned to Wicked as Nessarose for a limited engagement in 2009. Her later marriage to Norbert Leo Butz, reported by Broadway Direct, also meant that two members of the original company remained connected away from the stage.
What happened to Christopher Fitzgerald, Joel Grey, and William Youmans?
Christopher Fitzgerald continued building a Broadway career as a frequently nominated performer after playing Boq. Broadway Direct identifies Tony-nomination connections for Young Frankenstein, Finian’s Rainbow, and Waitress, and notes later appearances in Company and Spamalot. Fitzgerald’s path remained primarily rooted in live theatre, with comic and character work across major productions.
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![Wicked Original Cast Recording [2 LP]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/413c7UDGT8L._SL160_.jpg)
- Original cast recording of songs from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Wicked, with music and lyrics by composer Stephen Schwartz and book Winnie Holzman
Joel Grey expanded beyond acting after playing the Wizard. His later Broadway appearances included Anything Goes and The Cherry Orchard. Grey also directed The Normal Heart and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene production of Fiddler on the Roof, and published Master of Ceremonies: A Memoir in 2016. His post-Wicked work made directing and writing as important to his career as performing.
William Youmans remained active as a Broadway character actor after originating Doctor Dillamond. His later credits included The Pirate Queen, The Farnsworth Invention, Billy Elliot, Finian’s Rainbow, Hands on a Hardbody, Bright Star, Carousel, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Youmans returned to Doctor Dillamond on Broadway in 2023, giving one original principal performer a later return to the role.
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Carole Shelley continued working on Broadway after Wicked, appearing in Billy Elliot: The Musical and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder. Her final listed credit was the Mystery Chaperone in John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City in 2018.
Shelley died at home in 2018 from complications of cancer, aged 79, according to Broadway Direct’s retrospective. She is the original principal cast member covered here who has died.
Is the original Wicked cast still performing together?
No full staged reunion of the original Broadway cast is established by the available research. A 2025 reunion-related image or visit does not prove that all of the original principals reunited for a new production, so claims that the entire company performed together again should be treated cautiously.
The original cast’s continuing association is easier to document through individual returns and recordings. Federer returned as Nessarose in 2009, Youmans returned as Doctor Dillamond in 2023, and Menzel, Chenoweth, Butz, Grey, Fitzgerald, Shelley, and Youmans continued to be identified with the production through their original performances and subsequent careers.
How successful has Wicked been since the original cast opened it?
According to Broadway Direct’s October 28, 2025 retrospective, Wicked had been on Broadway for 22 years, reached more than 70 million people worldwide, and generated more than $6 billion in earnings. Broadway Direct is the source for those figures; they should not be presented as independently audited totals unless a separate financial source verifies them.
The scale of the production helps explain why the original performers remain a recurring subject even though the Broadway company changed over time. Menzel and Chenoweth became major crossover stars, Butz became a two-time Tony-winning leading actor, and the other principals continued careers across Broadway, screen work, directing, writing, and education.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you buy the original Wicked cast recording?
Yes. The original cast recording is the most direct way to revisit Menzel’s Elphaba, Chenoweth’s Glinda, and the rest of the opening company’s performances. The official Wicked FAQ states that the Original Broadway Cast recording and show merchandise are available at the theatre in the upper lobby beginning 45 minutes before show time, during intermission, and immediately after the show; the official FAQ also identifies the recording as available to stream.
For readers specifically interested in the performers discussed here, the Wicked Original Broadway Cast recording is a more relevant recommendation than a filmed performance: the product is an audio cast album, not a video capture of the original staging. Readers interested in the story’s source material can also look for Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West; IBDB identifies the stage musical as based on that novel.
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What is the clearest answer to “Where is the original cast of Wicked now?”
The original Broadway cast followed different professional paths rather than remaining together. Menzel and Chenoweth became the most visible crossover stars; Butz became a two-time Tony-winning leading actor; Federer, Fitzgerald, Grey, and Youmans continued substantial theatre careers with additional screen, directing, or writing work; and Shelley continued performing until her death in 2018. The latest consolidated retrospective used for these career summaries was published October 28, 2025, so the article does not claim unverified personal or employment updates after that date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was in the original Broadway cast of Wicked?
The original Broadway cast of Wicked included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, Michelle Federer as Nessarose, Christopher Fitzgerald as Boq, Joel Grey as the Wizard, Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible, and William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond. The production opened on October 30, 2003.
Is the original Wicked cast still performing together?
No full staged reunion of the original Broadway cast is established by the available research. Michelle Federer returned as Nessarose in 2009 and William Youmans returned as Doctor Dillamond in 2023, but a reunion-related image or visit does not establish that the entire original company performed together again.
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Can I buy or stream the original Wicked cast recording?
Yes. The official Wicked FAQ confirms that the Original Broadway Cast recording is available through the production’s merchandise channels and can be streamed. The recording is an audio cast album, not a filmed performance.
The Bottom Line
The original Broadway cast of Wicked went on to careers across Broadway, film, television, music, directing, and education. The company did not reunite as a complete staged production in the verified record, but several performers later returned to the musical, and the original cast recording remains the most direct way to hear the opening performances.
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