green is universal

By Metro.net

Metro is partnering with the hit musical WICKED in a campaign entitled "When traffic gets WICKED, Go Metro!" This will be the first time that the Broadway production of WICKED has partnered with a government entity, and it will allow for the subway and train system to reach the large audience of Broadway's biggest blockbuster with an attractive promotion.

Metro will be offering its riders a 20% discount to see WICKED on Tuesday evening performances at the Pantages Theatre. Metro riders can redeem the discount by simply presenting a valid Metro Pass or Metro Rail ticket at the Pantages box office, directly across the street from the Metro Red Line's Hollywood/Vine Station. The discount can also be redeemed online with a password, which is available to Metro riders.

Metro Board chair Pam O'Connor said, "When WICKED opened at the Pantages Theatre our first response was to begin discussions about working with the show, since we knew it would be extremely popular and just across the street from one of our stations. The show presents us with a forthright, beautiful, strongly principled heroine, who is green - who would be ideal in our general message of environmentalism, while the title of the show gave us an easy tagline for the promotion. When WICKED was willing to work with us, we realized we had a win-win for Metro and the public."

Marc Platt, producer of WICKED said, "Partnering with Metro is exactly the kind of activity that our show should be pursuing during our long run engagement of WICKED at the Pantages. One of our greatest priorities is to be a part of the community we are in. Helping to motivate people to ride Metro is a great way to support caring for the environment and we are pleased to be putting our show into campaigns that support riding public transportation in Los Angeles.

"This campaign will include images of our heroine, Elphaba, riding Metro to escape the traffic. This is the first time we've allowed a character to be depicted outside the stage world of the show - but the cause of public transportation was worth our breaking new ground with our show."

To promote the offer, Metro will distribute brochures on its buses and trains, send out e-blasts to its riders and businesses that support the "Going Metro" program, place information on its website, create a Public Service Announcement and podcasts that will air on cable and regular television, produce artwork for buses and trains - both interior and exterior - that feature the "Elphaba" character riding Metro, launch a publicity campaign, and directly reach out to its employees. WICKED will include a Metro message in some of its advertising and on its popular website, www.wickedthemusical.com/la.

About WICKED
The Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles is home to a new production of WICKED, the smash hit musical that the New York Times called, "one of the most successful shows in Broadway history." Winner of 15 major awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, WICKED is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

Riders can receive the Wicked Tuesdays promotion in person at the Pantages Theatre Box Office at 6233 Hollywood Blvd. or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information www.metro.net (search CNG) or call 1-800-COMMUTE.