An Interview with Blake Hammond, The Wizard

"Wicked" plays at the Tulsa PAC May 28-June 15, 2025

May 23, 2025

Tara Rittler,

Blake Hammond As The Wizard In The National Tour Of Wicked — Blake Hammond as The Wizard in the National Tour of WICKED, photo by Joan Marcus

When “Wicked” comes to the Tulsa PAC at the end of the month, actor Blake Hammond will be playing the part of The Wizard. Hammond is a seasoned actor who has performed in ten Broadway shows and multiple Broadway tours, and I was privileged to be able to speak with him ahead of the tour’s arrival in Tulsa! Previous notable roles include Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray,” Pumba in “The Lion King,” and Uncle Fester in “The Addams Family.” “I had to shave my hair for a year and a half [for that role],” said Hammond. “I loved it, actually.” While he’d have gladly kept the bald look, his agents encouraged him to grow his hair back out.

According to Hammond, he’s enjoyed “a nice, long career” as an actor and has been able to make a living as an actor for his entire adult life, since graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a theater degree. He laughed, recounting the time he played the role of a waiter in a musical called “First Date,” saying that, ironically, he was one of the few actors in the production who’d never waited tables.

Playing The Wizard

Hammond’s current role, The Wizard, is a complex one. He first auditioned for the role around a decade ago, but didn’t get it – “I think I was just too young at that point,” he explains. Two years ago, he landed the part and has been on tour for the past year now. Although “Wicked” has seen incredible success since it began its run in 2003, with multiple actors playing the various roles on stage (and screen), Hammond says the actors have quite a bit of flexibility in terms of how they portray the characters.

“The first week of rehearsal,” he says, “They gave me a ticket to watch the show. Then they asked us not to watch it any more at all. They didn’t want us to imitate that person.” While some things, like costuming and staging, are largely the same from tour to tour, the character choices may differ.

“I find The Wizard interesting because he’s a completely flawed person,” Hammond says. In brief, The Wizard in “Wicked” was granted unearned power by the people of Oz, who saw him flying through the air in a hot air balloon and assumed he was a wizard. “So people gave him all this power, but he doesn’t have any special skills,” Hammond says. “His special skills are to make people happy or to manipulate them.”

Striking a balance between an outwardly charming yet ultimately power-hungry character can be a challenge. “You have to see the reason the entire [land of ] Oz fell in love with him,” Hammond says. “Quite often, very charming, charismatic people aren’t always nice. They may seem nice, but they’re in it for themselves.”

For his own life, Hammond says, “I try to be the opposite of The Wizard. I like to take people at face value and realize that no matter who you are…whatever color you are, whatever personality you are, you deserve to be loved. And that’s something that I believe to be true. And that’s Elphaba.”

A Story of Friendhsip

Hammond says that one thing that makes “Wicked” so unique is its focus on female friendship and the recognition that, although two people may seem very different at first, they can find commonality. “[Glinda and Elphaba] are polar opposites,” explains Hammond. “But to watch them discover each other, to watch them become really great friends…that’s what I think is so great about this story. It’s about what’s on the inside; we all have that need to be loved and cared about.”

Hammond believes that Glinda and Elphaba’s story particularly resonates with young, female audience members around 12-13 years old. “They just fall in love with these two characters,” he says. Furthermore, the classroom scenes, containing both bullies and more compassionate characters, are relatable. “I think it’s something that’s so disheartening is that so many times people tell us to be quiet and not defend people for their differences in our society,” Hammond says. “You can get bullied yourself if you stick up for people who are being bullied. I don’t know that that will ever change…But to me that’s not OK.”

A Note on Taking Kids to the Theater

According to celebrityattractions.com, “Wicked” is recommended for ages 8 and up. If you’re taking younger kids to see it, be prepared for a long run time (nearly three hours, including the intermission) and a potential “sensory overload.” Hammond recommends talking to kids about proper theater etiquette before the show, and bringing earplugs if loud noises might be an issue.

“The rules are kind of the same as church,” he explains. “You don’t need to get up and talk out loud during the thing. You just need to sit still and pay attention.” But, he says, he does love seeing families at the show, particularly during the matinees, which are usually easier on the sleep schedule for younger audience members.

Advice for Young Actors

As far as advice for aspiring young actors, Hammond says, “I always look to encourage kids, not discourage them. Because even if they don’t have a career in theater or acting, the training and the classes and the preparation for doing shows – all of that builds confidence. It’s skills that they’re going to find useful in their everyday life, even if they become a business person.”

On the other hand, Hammond acknowledges the importance of having “the talent…the wherewithal, the willingness [and] the determination” to make it as an actor. “But like I said, I came from a town in Texas where I had 28 people in my graduating class,” he says. And I’ve done it. And if I’ve done it, you can, too.”