 Closing in Melbourne August 9 , 2009 , the show transferred to Sydney 's Capitol Theatre . Previews began on September 5 , 2009 , with the official opening on September 12 . Shortly into the run , Harrison was forced to leave the role of Elphaba , so current standby Jemma Rix and Australian theatre veteran Pippa Grandison began to share the role , each appearing in four shows per week . Eventually , it was confirmed that she would not be returning to the cast . 
