Our final show in the 2025-2026 Great Southern Bank Broadway Season opens next week! From the first electrifying note to the final breathtaking moment, WICKED – the untold true story of the Witches of Oz – transfixes audiences with its wildly inventive story. We had the pleasure to hear from cast member and Ozarks native, Wayne Schroder about his time on the WICKED tour and what life on a Broadway tour is really like.

WICKED is such an iconic musical. What was your first connection to it (seeing the tour years ago, cast recording, first show you saw on Broadway, etc.)?

Many Broadway shows will have a ticket lottery before every performance. You put your name into a drawing, and if they draw your name, you can buy a couple of tickets for not very much money. A friend of mine won the lottery and invited me. I was getting ready to do another Broadway show with the woman who was playing Elphaba at the time so I was glad to have the opportunity to see it.

What excites you most about performing in WICKED every night?

I’ve been touring with Wicked for over 14 years now. That is a crazy amount of job security for an actor. I am still genuinely excited about being able to have that sort of security while doing a show that so many people love.

What’s the most challenging part of performing in WICKED?

Between Friday night and Sunday night we do five shows in about 50 hours. The challenge is to take care of yourself in a way that allows you to perform at a high level over and over and over again. It can be pretty grueling.

Touring means lots of travel. What’s your go-to way to make each new city feel like home?

When you’ve been on the road as long as I have, I’m not sure any place feels like home. You get used to waking up and not knowing where you are. I drive my car on the tour which allows me to carry more creature comforts than if I were flying. I can travel my golf clubs, my guitar, etc. Driving the tour has also let me see this whole country about three times over. It’s an amazing place.

Do you have any backstage rituals or pre-show routines that help you get ready for the show?

I have to sing to the very top of my vocal range at the beginning of the show, so I have a specific way of warming up. I also use Bromelain. It’s a pineapple enzyme that functions as a natural anti-inflammatory. It takes the edge off of the swelling in my vocal cords when I’m tired, making it a little easier to sing that high.

If you could swap roles with another character in WICKED for one night, who would it be and why?

I guess I’d have to say Elphaba. I’ve always thought it was a baritone role that just happened to be written for a woman. And the flying looks fun.

What’s one small detail in the show that audiences might not notice, but you love?

There are some little tricks built into the musical score. For example, the melody that Elphaba sings for the words “unlimited, my future is unlimited” are the same notes as “somewhere over the rainbow,” just with different rhythms.

If you weren’t an actor, what profession would you pursue?

I’d probably be a lawyer, specifically a litigator. The element of developing a specific strategy and then communicating that to a group of people appeals to me.

If you could give advice to young performers dreaming of being on a Broadway national tour, what would you tell them?

I believe if a person has a true passion for something that is the universe’s way of saying “come here, I have something interesting for you.” If you feel you have to go for a career on stage, and you wouldn’t be happy doing anything else, then by all means go for it. But there are certainly easier ways to make a living. I believe if you follow your gut you will find yourself in an interesting place. It might not be where you thought you wanted to be, but it will be interesting.

What is your dream role?

Sweeney Todd. I enjoy exploring the dark side of a character.

Tickets to WICKED are on sale now online at HammonsHall.com, by phone at 417-836-7678 or at the Hammons Hall box office at 525 S John Q. Hammons Parkway. The show is recommended for audiences ages 8+. Performances are made possible through generous support from Great Southern Bank and Color Graphics Printing, Inc.

Ticket buyers are reminded that for Juanita K. Hammons Hall productions, HammonsHall.com is the only official retail ticket outlet and the only way to guarantee that you are paying face value for legitimate tickets for all performances at Hammons Hall. Ticket buyers who purchase tickets from a ticket broker or any third party should also be aware that Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, Missouri State TIX, and/or Celebrity Attractions are unable to reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets and are unable to contact patrons with information regarding time changes or other pertinent updates regarding the performance.