Australia's 'Wicked' theater boom

Musical brings boost to box office

By MICHAELA BOLAND

"Wicked" is leading the Oz legit boom, having notched A$7.25 million ($7 million) in advance bookings ahead of its July 12 preem at Melbourne's Regent Theater, a box office benchmark not matched in 25 years.

Producer John Frost compared ticket sales to the 1980s when blockbusters "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera" "set the box office alight."

Frost is touring a sell-out production of "Phantom" in Oz with the Really Useful Company, toplining Anthony Warlow.

"Like 'Phantom,' around 30% of our advance sales are coming from interstate: music theater lovers from Brisbane to Perth who have been hearing about the international success of the show," Frost said.