SF witches announced for `Wicked'

Some members of the Los Angeles company of Wicked (seen above) will be hopping the broomstick north when the production lands at San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre in January. Photo by Joan MarcusThe Wicked Witch is coming, so keep an eye on your little dog, too.SHN/Best of Broadway is bringing the hit Broadway musical Wicked back to San Francisco, the city that hosted the world premiere in 2003, and now we know who will be creating the magic in the cast.Teal Wicks, a Sacramento native, is playing Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who turns into the Wicked Witch of the West. Wickes played Elphaba in the long-running Los Angeles company of Wicked, and has worked on the national tour of Pippin and been seen in numerous productions at the Goodspeed Opera House.Kendra Kassebaum plays Glinda, the Good Witch (she of the famous pink bubble). Bay Area audiences saw Kassebaum play the role the last time Wicked blew through town. Kassebaum starred off-Broadway in the acclaimed The Receptionist, and has been on Broadway in Wicked, Assassins and Rent.Other cast members include Carol Kane (Taxi, Annie Hall) as Madame Morrible and David Garrison (Married with Children) as the Wizard.Performances begin Jan. 27 and are slated to continue through June 27 at the Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., San Francisco. Tickets range from $30 to $99.Call 415-512-7770 or visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.shnsf.com for information.Here's a treat from YouTube -- a battle between Glindas Kassebaum and Annaleigh Ashford (whom Bay Area audiences saw in Legally Blonde):