Derek Klena Will Return to Broadway's Wicked, 12 Years After He Left

Fellow Ozians, let us be glad. The Broadway cast of the international hit musical Wicked will welcome the return of a familiar face later this month at the Gershwin Theatre.

Derek Klena, who made his Broadway debut in the role of Fiyero in the long-running musical back in 2013, will play a return engagement as the character May 27-June 8.

Klena —whose Broadway credits also include The Bridges of Madison County, Anastasia, a Tony-nominated turn in Jagged Little Pill, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical—announced the news on Instagram, writing, "Full circle moment alert!!!! 12 years ago I made my Broadway debut as Fiyero during the 10th Anniversary of Wicked….now I’m squeezing myself back into those iconic very white (very tight ;) pants from 5/27-6/8, but this time with my boys watching from the wings 💚 2 WEEKS baby!!! Let’s do this Shiz."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Derek Klena (@derek_klena)

The New York company is currently led by Lencia Kebede (Hamilton), who is making history as the first Black actor to play the role of Elphaba full-time on Broadway, while Jenna Bainbridge (Suffs) is also leaving her own mark as the first wheelchair-using actor to play the role of Nessarose on stage, following Marissa Bode's historic screen portrayal of the character.

READ: Wicked's Lencia Kebede and Jenna Bainbridge Are Through Accepting Limits

The long-running international hit also currently features Allie Trimm (13) as Glinda, Tony nominee NaTasha Yvette Williams (Some Like It Hot) as Madame Morrible, Daniel Quadrino (The Who's Tommy) as Boq, Brad Oscar as the Wizard, Jordan Litz as Fiyero, and William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond.

Wicked began previews on Broadway October 8, 2003, with an official opening October 30. The original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as, respectively, Elphaba and Glinda. Currently the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history, the production celebrated its 20th anniversary in October 2023.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, is based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.

The Joe Mantello-helmed production features musical staging by Wayne Cilento, scenic design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Tony Meola, projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, wig and hair design by Tom Watson, music supervision and arrangements by Stephen Oremus, orchestrations by William David Brohn, and dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott. Casting is by the Telsey Office.

Wicked won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel), Best Costume Design (Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Lee). The first half of the two-part Wicked film, directed by Jon M. Chu, recently picked up two 2025 Academy Awards.

The musical, which reopened on Broadway September 14, 2021, following the pandemic shutdown, is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone.