‘Wicked’ to close next year

The Los Angeles production of “Wicked” at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre will close on Jan. 11 after 791 performances and 12 previews, its producers announced Tuesday.

The Broadway musical, a “Wizard of Oz” prequel that tells the story of the childhood friendship of Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West, opened Feb. 21, 2007, for an open-ended run. Since then, more that 1.5 million have attended the show, and it has grossed more than $90 million.

Producer Marc Platt said that although “Wicked” has strong attendance, the Nederlander Organization, which owns and operates the Pantages, needed to make room at the theater for new shows in order accommodate its subscriber base. Platt said the show’s popularity has never been dependent on casting: “We’ve always been careful just to sell ‘Wicked,’ ” he said. ---

-- Diane Haithman