Wicked's Carl Man makes Broadway history as its first full-time Fiyero of Asian descent

Wicked on Broadway has a leading man from Margate. Carl Man, who has played Fiyero at the Gershwin Theatre in New York since 3 March 2026, is the first actor of Asian descent to play Fiyero full time on Broadway. He is also the first actor to play the role both in London and on Broadway, and he does it with his own British accent.

His story is told in an interview with Andrew Gans for Playbill, published on 23 October, which traces a route that runs from the West End ensemble to a UK and Ireland tour, a full-time London run and finally Broadway.

From Margate to the West End ensemble

He grew up in Margate, where he was always doing dance and voice lessons. He did not take the usual route through drama school, and told Playbill that he developed his technique on the job, learning from the people he worked with. He honed his acting at the Matthew Corozine Studio in New York, where the work is based in the Meisner technique.

He first joined Wicked in 2018, in the ensemble of the West End company at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. He went on to understudy Fiyero as part of the musical's 15th anniversary company there. His other West End credits include & Juliet, Death Note and the one-night-only concert presentation of If/Then.

Fiyero on tour and in London

He then took on the role for the 2023 to 2025 UK and Ireland tour, which opened at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 7 December 2023 with Laura Pick as Elphaba and Sarah O'Connor as Glinda. The tour visited Bristol, Birmingham, Bradford, Southampton, Liverpool, Dublin, Sunderland and Cardiff before finishing at the Palace Theatre in Manchester in January 2025.

Weeks later he returned to London as Fiyero, playing the role full time from 25 March 2025 opposite Emma Kingston as Elphaba and Zizi Strallen as Glinda. He played his final West End performance in February 2026 before crossing the Atlantic.

Why this casting is a first

Playbill describes him as "the first actor of Asian descent to play Fiyero full time on Broadway". The official production biography adds that he makes history as the first actor to play Fiyero on both Broadway and the West End. Playbill also notes that his British accent in the role is another first.

"Being the first actor of Asian descent to play Fiyero is really special because I'm representing people that don't necessarily get to see themselves on Broadway a lot, especially as the romantic lead," he told Playbill.

He also spoke about a question his late father asked him before he died: "Do you think you will go to Broadway?" A month later, the offer came. Of the accent, he said he loves that his Fiyero is different to everyone else's, because on Broadway this is the first time Fiyero has had a British accent.

His Broadway company

He made his Broadway debut in the role, playing opposite Keri René Fuller as Elphaba, Emma Flynn as Glinda, Jenna Bainbridge as Nessarose, Daniel Quadrino as Boq and William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond.

The move was part of a transatlantic swap of sorts. Playbill points out that New York's previous Fiyero, Jordan Litz, joined the West End company in May.

Wicked, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, is based on Gregory Maguire's novel and tells the story of the witches of Oz before Dorothy arrived. Fiyero is the carefree prince who arrives at Shiz University and finds his life changed by Elphaba and Glinda.

Seeing the show in London

In London, Wicked continues at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it has played since 2006. For help planning a visit, read our guide to seeing the show at the Apollo Victoria.

Our Wicked page has dates and tickets for the Apollo Victoria Theatre.

Header image: Carl Man as Fiyero in Wicked in London, 2025. Photo: Matt Crockett.