WICKED composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz's Academy Award-winning song 'When You Believe' reached the coveted Christmas Number 1 position in the UK singles chart. The song, sung by X-Factor winner Leon Jackson, was also the fourth best-selling single of 2007 (despite only being released a few weeks before the end of the year). 'When You Believe' was originally written for the animated feature film Prince of Egypt and previously released by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
Stephen Schwartz, on being informed that his song had become the Christmas Number 1 in the UK said: "I am honoured that The X-Factor chose my song, 'When You Believe', as this year's winner's single, and I congratulate Leon and thank him for doing such a great job with the song. Reaching Number 1 is the best imaginable Christmas present."
The seven international productions of WICKED (Broadway, Chicago, Los Angeles, US National Tour, Tokyo, Stuttgart and London) cumulatively grossed an incredible $11.2 million for the week ending 30 December 2007. The London production also welcomed its 1 millionth theatregoer.
Based on Gregory Maguire's acclaimed novel, the award-winning WICKED tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz and why one came to be called 'good' and the other 'wicked'...
The London production of WICKED stars: Kerry Ellis as Elphaba, Dianne Pilkington as Glinda, Oliver Tompsett as Fiyero, Susie Blake as Madame Morrible and Nigel Planer as The Wizard.
WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman, musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by Joe Mantello. It is based on the novel, Wicked - The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire.
WICKED is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK) is Michael McCabe.
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