By Jonathan Williams

As you’ve probably heard by now, there’s a lot more to The Wizard of Oz than we’ve been led to believe. At least that’s what the hit musical Wicked, which gives an alternative perspective and additional background to characters such as Glinda the Good Witch Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, tells us. Currently playing at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, one of Wicked‘s newest stars is Stefanie Brown, who plays Nessarose, the Wicked Witch of the East whose ruby slippers are taken by Dorothy after Dorothy’s house falls on her. As she prepares for Our Wicked, Wicked Ways, a charity cabaret featuring members of the Wicked cast tonight, Brown talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about her career in Oz and elsewhere.

Your first stage role was as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz when you were eight. You have since played Glinda in Wicked as an understudy and now you’re playing Nessarose. Seems like you’re destined to spend your stage career in the wonderful world of Oz.

It’s true. It’s all come full circle, which is kinda fun. When I first joined the tour, I was an understudy for a year and a half. I went on almost 70 times. I was originally in the ensemble, then the understudy, then I left the company and came back as the principal Nessarose. Now that’s solely what I do.

It’s crazy because I was one of those weird children that just knew what I wanted to do since I was eight. I wanted to be an actress and it’s just crazy that I’m actually living my dream and getting paid to do so. Not everyone gets that opportunity, so I feel very lucky.

How does this production of Wicked compare to the version that came to Atlanta a few years ago?

There have been no revisions to the actual show at all. However, the cast is pretty much completely different as far as the principals go. So every person brings something new to each character and the portrayals of the characters kind of changes a little bit. Besides that, I’d say nothing is different with this run of the show. It’s still a spectacle.

You’ve played two of the major characters, which are two of the characters we see a very different side of in Wicked. Those two characters are also very opposite from one another. What’s it like for you as an actress to play these very extreme roles and having to portray these characters in such different ways?

It’s exactly what every actor dreams of, to span the range of emotions and take two completely different journeys. It’s great. One of my favorite days on tour – and this was when I was an understudy, about a year and a half ago – but I remember going on for Glinda in the matinee and going on as Nessarose at night. That was really fun to have to completely switch gears in the middle of the day. And it was definitely one of my most memorable experiences on tour.

It’s also really exciting because there’s such a turn of events and when The Wizard of Oz characters come out you can here the audience’s response of, “Oh!” With Nessarose, when the Tin Man appears you can always hear an audible response, which is really fun.

Tonight you get to have a slight change of pace with Our Wicked, Wicked Ways cabaret show. What will be happening there?

It’s really exciting. We do these on occasion to benefit certain charities and it’s such a fun event. It’s a cabaret performance, so it’s us singing different material from the show. It’s a fun event where people can hear us do different material, see us in a different venue and it’s fun for them and us because it’s something different to do.

Will you be in costume?

We just dress up in casual-formal attire and the audience can come as you will. We just want them to have a good time.

Is this an event where the audience has a chance to meet some of the cast?

Yes, definitely. There’s a silent auction that’s run by some of the cast members. After we perform, there’s a reception where there will be food and drinks and we can mingle with the audience members. We also offer VIP admission where, before the show starts, those who purchased VIP tickets get an intimate introduction to the girls who play Elphaba and Glinda.

You’ve done several other roles regionally, ranging from similarly fantastical stories like Beauty and the Beast to more realistic shows like Hair. Do you prefer one over the other?

As a girl, I grew up watching the Disney movies saying, “I want to play that.” So that’s always exciting. And some of those shows are written so beautifully that it’s a great opportunity to play those roles. But I also love the realistic side of characters. I would love to do more plays like Shakespeare, and there are a lot of things I haven’t done that I’d like to accomplish. I do like the real juicy stuff, I guess.

Our Wicked, Wicked Ways. $35-$75. 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26. 14th Street Playhouse, 173 14th St. NE, Atlanta, Ga. 404-733-5000. www.thebestarts.com/wickedbenefit, www.14thstplayhouse.org.

Wicked. $36-$150.65. 8 p.m. Sept. 27- Oct. 1, Oct. 4-9; 2 p.m. Oct. 8; 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2, 9. The Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, Ga. 404-881-2100. www.wickedthemusical.com, www.foxtheatre.org.