SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) -- As "Wicked" returns to 'defy gravity' for Utah audiences, ABC4.com got a peek backstage to see how the show all comes together.
Ahead of the Broadway classic's first showing at the Eccles Theater on April 16, production crews are busy making sure every detail is perfect to capture the magic of Oz.
Steve Quinn, "Wicked" company manager, said Tuesday was busy as nearly a dozen semi-trailer trucks loaded into the Eccles theater. The team's focus was preparing the show deck, he said, with wardrobe, hair, makeup, and orchestra preparations to be added on Wednesday.
"A lot of it is local labor. When we run the show, it's about 28 locals, in addition to our 65 traveling members. There's about close to 100 people backstage at any given time," he said.
The popular show first began in 2003, detailing the story behind the Wicked Witch of West and Glinda the Good Witch. The last time "Wicked" flew into Salt Lake City was in 2014 at the Capitol Theater.
"I think Salt Lake is a very smart theater crowd," Quinn said. "I worked on the [Les Misérables] tour for many years, and a lot of the talent we have came from Salt Lake," Quinn said. "Salt Lake knows theaters. There's good regional theater here. Broadway shows love coming here. We have people that have toured with us backstage that are local here, so it's nice, we're coming home to family."
Quinn said the team is excited to return to the Beehive State, and explore the sights Utah has to offer as well.
"We're very happy to be back here, especially when we're here this time of year and for six weeks. There's so much to explore in this city and outside the city — to go to Park City, to go hiking. We have a lot of hikers and bikers in this company, so they're very excited to test the trails and test a few things outside of downtown Salt Lake."
Quinn shared that "Wicked" has been dedicated to lessening its environmental impact, including installing $4.1 million worth of LED lights into the show in July.
"We're much more economical, and we're much more green friendly. We also have a 'green team,' which means we have a team backstage that makes sure that we recycle properly and we make sure that we're not using energy wastefully, so we try to be very economical backstage as well," he said.
Quinn said that "Wicked" is a show with something for everyone — so you won't want to miss your chance to catch it as it stops in during its current North American Tour.
"It's a family show. You can bring the kids, and it's great for them, but it's also a great date night as well," he said.
Tickets can be bought on the Eccles website as the show runs from April 16 until May 25.