Universal is putting both Wicked films on stage with a full symphony orchestra playing the music live. Wicked: Part One In Concert premieres at Radio City Music Hall on January 23, 2027, with a special preview in San Francisco on January 16.
The live-to-film concerts were created by Universal Film and Universal Destinations & Experiences, and they’re built to travel worldwide. Remaining tour dates and ticketing details are at wickedinconcert.com.
What happens during Wicked: Part One In Concert?
The film plays on a massive HD screen while an orchestra performs the score in sync with it. That means Stephen Schwartz’s songs, including “Defying Gravity,” “Popular” and “For Good,” plus the score by John Powell and Schwartz.
Hearing “Defying Gravity” with a live orchestra in the room instead of a theater speaker is the whole pitch, and it’s a good one.
Jon M. Chu directed both movies. Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, alongside Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum. The 2024 and 2025 releases turned Chu’s pair of Wicked films into a worldwide event and reintroduced Oz to a new generation.
Who is producing the Wicked concert tour?
Universal Film partnered with Hurwitz Concerts, the company run by Justin Hurwitz. It has toured La La Land in Concert and Whiplash in Concert since 2023, both films Hurwitz scored himself. Wicked is its first production built around someone else’s music.
“I absolutely love the live-to-film format and think the Wicked films are so perfect for it,” Hurwitz said. “It’s an honor for me to help bring Stephen Schwartz’s masterpiece musical and John Powell and Schwartz’s brilliant, cinematic score to concert venues around the world.”
David O’Connor, Chief Brand Officer at Universal Entertainment, called Wicked an enduring global phenomenon and said the format lets audiences “return to Oz and defy gravity like never before.” Gerald Raines, who runs live entertainment and licensing for Universal Destinations & Experiences, said the concerts extend the journey beyond the films.
Shark Take
If you want the premiere night, Radio City is the room and the Bay Area preview comes first. Universal says additional information regarding tour dates and ticketing can be found at wickedinconcert.com.
Source: Universal Destinations & Experiences
Discover more from Theme Park Shark
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
