A hometown return for ‘Wicked’’s longest-running cast member
Courtesy of Justin Wirick
If you haven’t heard of “Wicked” by now, you might be living under a house.
The Tony-winning musical, based on Gregory Maguire’s bestselling 1995 novel, has become a pop culture phenomenon and now ranks as the fourth-longest running show in Broadway history.
“Wicked” returns to the Benedum Center starting Wednesday and continues through Feb. 15. It reimagines what transpired in the Land of Oz before Dorothy arrived and reveals what happens when a smart, feisty, misunderstood green-skinned young woman crosses paths with a bubbly and popular blonde. Their unlikely friendship leaves audiences contemplating how heroes and villains are created.
Performing from the beginning
Uniontown native Justin Wirick has been with the musical from the very beginning and has remained in the multi-faceted track throughout his entire tenure with “Wicked.”
“My track is called the ‘tumble track’ because there are two parts in the show where I tumble,” said Wirick, who plays a flying monkey, a student, a citizen of Emerald City and an Ozian guard.
A 2006 graduate of Laurel Highlands Senior High School, Wirick’s love of performing began at an early age at the Ginny Tanner Dance Studio in Uniontown.
“I always loved gymnastics-flipping around the living room and jumping on a trampoline-when my mom came across an ad in the newspaper for an all-boys tumbling class,” he recalled.
Wirick was 6 at the time and every year after he learned a different dance genre. Before long, he was hoisting girls and partnering. “By the time I was 11, I was in ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary and entering dance competitions,” he said.
When he was 16, Wirick saw “Wicked” and yearned to be a part of it.
“It was a goal of mine and at the top of my pyramid,” he said.
At age 18, he took off for Los Angeles, a move that served him well and led him to where he is today. Wirick can’t help but feel that performing is in his blood.
“My parents always enjoyed music and karaoke and my grandmother, who passed before I was born, was a dancer,” he said.
Yet, even after thousands of performances, he still gets jitters.
“Even though I’ve performed about 5,000 times, I still get nervous before going on stage and my heart pounds,” he said.
It gets physical
Performing in “Wicked” is demanding, according to Wirick, who appears in eight shows a week, six days a week. “The only significant break was during COVID when we halted production for 15 months,” he noted, adding that it’s hard on the body, especially as he grows older. “I started this when I was 21 and am 37 now,” he said.
Wirick makes it a point to get to the production early. “A lot of it is mental and I get overwhelmed by the energy before and during the show and this enables me to have quiet, almost meditative time in the dressing room before the three-hour production,” he said.
Wirick’s role offers room for individuality, so he’s always honing his talent and it never gets old.
“There are plenty of places to add more style, so I have lots of artistic liberty,” he said.
Touring across the country
Wirick’s favorite region to tour is the West, but Uniontown still holds a special place in his heart.
“Traveling helps me appreciate what I had growing up; the Laurel Highlands is beautiful,” he said. Rather than fly, he often drives from city to city. “I love driving and being outdoors,” he said, mentioning that his parents often joined him on the road.
Wirick said that he’s looking forward to returning to Uniontown.
“We performed (in Pittsburgh) in 2011, 2018 and now 2026,” he said, adding that he’s alerted his friends and family that this may be their last chance to see him perform in the touring production of “Wicked.”
Thanks for the support
Wirick never loses sight of those who supported him along the way, from his parents Linda and Brian Wirick, to Penny Koza of the Koza and Company Dance Studio, Ginny Tanner at the Ginny Tanner Dance Studio and Dave Higinbotham-his partnering and tumbling instructor in the early years-and Kris Limbers, owner of Dynastar Tumbling.
As the longest running cast member in any “Wicked” production in the world, Wirick understands that he is in a very special place.
“For me, it’s been a dream come true. I’ve found a way to keep myself creatively stimulated in this monster of a show. It’s allowed me to have a wonderful life in the arts,” he said.