SOUTH BEND – From May 8-19, WICKED bewitched more than 36,000 patrons at The Morris Theatre, broke box office records with a record gross of $2.7 million dollars and became South Bend’s most successful touring Broadway Show.

The 16 performances resulted in standing ovations from the audiences, but also had a larger impact on the local community.

Approximately 19,000 tickets were purchased by visitors from outside South Bend to see WICKED with an estimated economic impact of more than $5 million. Ticket buyers from areas outside of South Bend included Pennsylvania, Georgia, California and many other states. Local expenditures of cast and crew, marketing, production and venue staffing are estimated to be over $200,000, according to venue officials.

LePeep owner, Peg Dalton raved, “WICKED kept us very busy with a 25 percent increase in sales during the two week period. We are a breakfast and lunch restaurant so we were impacted most on the matinee days. However, the cast and crew also came into the restaurant with some frequency! Awesome two weeks!”

Carol Meehan of Fiddler’s Hearth was also thrilled at the increase in business. “WICKED kept us very busy with a 40 percent increase in sales during the run. We were full with dinner reservations throughout the time that WICKED was at the Morris Performing Arts Center. We were pleased and excited to see the crowds coming in for dinner and then going to the show.” Meehan added, “We also became the ‘home away from home’ for the cast and crew. Very nice people.”

“We are so pleased that audiences were spellbound by the show’s two week engagement and we hope WICKED’S popularity meant big business for area merchants,” said Kathy Boes, President of the Broadway Theatre League. “Our thanks to the patrons and loyal subscribers who supported this blockbuster production.”

“The success of WICKED in South Bend was unprecedented; South Benders were thrilled,” said Dennis Andres of the Morris Performing Arts Center. “When discussions were initiated over two years ago about the opportunity to bring this national blockbuster to South Bend, we dared to believe this community would respond and make WICKED the tremendous success it was. We hope this success will help pave the road for similar long term engagements in the future.”

South Bend played host to WICKED’S traveling company of 75 actors, musicians and support staff during their two week engagement. The cast and crew stayed at area hotels and dined in our local restaurants and bars. WICKED also made excellent use of local talent by hiring 100 local musicians, stagehands, hairdressers and wardrobe assistants who helped make the production a success. “Local casual production workers benefitted from the consistency of a two-week long engagement, rather than single performances,” said Dennis Andres.

WICKED was the highlight of the 2012-2013 BROADWAY IN SOUTH BEND SERIES. However, more great shows are planned for the upcoming 2013-2014 BROADWAY IN SOUTH BEND SERIES. Upcoming shows include Jersey Boys, Nov. 26-Dec. 8, Bring It On: the Musical, Feb. 7-8, Million Dollar Quartet, March 14-15 and West Side Story, May 9-10. Special engagements include Stomp, Jan. 16-17, and American Idiot on April 13.