Wicked Game Extended Version

[Trinidad Baltzell]

Wickedis a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is in turn based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation. The musical is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Galinda, before and after Dorothy's arrival in Oz. The story explores the complex friendship between Elphaba (who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (who becomes Glinda the Good). Their relationship is tested by their contrasting personalities, conflicting viewpoints, shared love interest, reactions to the corrupt rule of the Wonderful Wizard, and ultimately, Elphaba's tragic fall.

Produced by Universal Stage Productions with producers Marc Platt, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone, director Joe Mantello and choreographer Wayne Cilento, the original production of Wicked premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003, after completing pre-Broadway tryouts at San Francisco's Curran Theatre in May and June of that year. Its original stars included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, and Joel Grey as the Wizard.[1]

The original Broadway production won three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards, while its original cast album received a Grammy Award. The success of the Broadway production has spawned many productions worldwide, including a long-running West End production. Wicked has broken box-office records around the world, holding weekly-gross-takings records in Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, and London. In the week ending January 2, 2011, the London, Broadway, and both North American touring productions simultaneously broke their respective records for the highest weekly gross.[2][3] In the final week of 2013, the Broadway production broke this record again, earning $3.2 million.[4] In 2016, Wicked surpassed $1 billion in total Broadway revenue, joining The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King as the only Broadway shows to do so. In 2017, Wicked surpassed The Phantom of the Opera as Broadway's second-highest grossing musical, trailing only The Lion King.[5]

A two-part film adaptation, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Galinda, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, is in the works. The first part is scheduled for release on November 22, 2024, with the second part to follow on November 26, 2025.

Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz discovered Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West while on vacation and saw its potential for a dramatic adaptation.[6] However, Maguire had released the rights to Universal Pictures, which had planned to develop a live-action feature film.[7] In 1998, Schwartz persuaded Maguire to release the rights to a stage production[8] while also making what Schwartz himself called an "impassioned plea" to Universal producer Marc Platt to realize Schwartz's own intended adaptation. Persuaded, Platt signed on as joint producer of the project with Universal and David Stone.[7]

The novel, described as a political, social, and ethical commentary on the nature of good and evil, takes place in the Land of Oz, in the years surrounding Dorothy's arrival. The story centers on Elphaba, a misunderstood, smart, and fiery girl with emerald-green skin, who grows up to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda, the beautiful, blonde, popular girl who grows up to become Glinda the Good. The story is divided into five scenes based on the location and presents events, characters, and situations adapted from L Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and its 1939 film adaptation in new ways. It is designed to set the reader thinking about what it really is to be "Wicked", and whether good intentions with bad results are the same as bad intentions with bad results. Schwartz considered how best to condense the novel's dense and complicated plot into a sensible script.[8] To this end, he collaborated with Emmy Award-winning writer Winnie Holzman to develop the outline of the plot over the course of a year,[9] while meeting with producer Marc Platt to refine the structural outline of the show, creating an original stage piece rather than a strict adaptation of Maguire's work.[8]

Following the out-of-town tryout in San Francisco in May and June 2003, which received mixed critical reception, the creative team made extensive changes before its transfer to Broadway.[13] Holzman recalled:

Stephen [Schwartz] wisely had insisted on having three months to rewrite in-between the time we closed in San Francisco and when we were to go back into rehearsals in New York. That was crucial; that was the thing that made the biggest difference in the life of the show. That time is what made the show work.[14]

Elements of the book were rewritten, while several songs underwent minor changes.[13] "Which Way is the Party?", the introductory song to the character Fiyero, was replaced by "Dancing Through Life".[15] Concern existed that Menzel's Elphaba "got a little overshadowed" by Chenoweth's Glinda,[16] with San Francisco Chronicle critic Robert Hurwitt writing, "Menzel's brightly intense Elphaba the Wicked Witch [needs] a chance of holding her own alongside Chenoweth's gloriously, insidiously bubbly Glinda."[17] As a result, the creative team set about making Elphaba "more prominent".[16] In making the Broadway revisions, Schwartz recalled, "It was clear there was work to be done and revisions to be made in the book and the score. The critical community was, frankly, very helpful to us."[16]

The citizens of the Land of Oz are celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good then appears and tells the wicked witch's backstory: her mother had an affair with a traveling salesman while her husband, the Governor of Munchkinland, was away. As a result of the affair, a daughter with green skin, Elphaba, is born. Her stepfather refused to accept her, cursing Elphaba to have a troubled childhood ("No One Mourns the Wicked"). When a man asks Glinda if it was true that she was Elphaba's friend, Glinda begins to reminisce about their past.

Many years earlier, Elphaba Thropp arrives at Shiz University with her younger sister, Nessarose ("Dear Old Shiz"), who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. The school's headmistress, Madame Morrible, assigns shy and nerdy Elphaba to share a dorm with bubbly and popular Galinda Upland. Elphaba, worried about being separated from Nessarose, uses magic to pull back the wheelchair after Madame Morrible attempts to depart with her. Recognizing Elphaba's potential, Madame Morrible decides to privately tutor her in sorcery. She also says that Elphaba has a chance to work with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, something which she has dreamed of her whole life ("The Wizard and I").

Galinda is disdainful towards Elphaba, and Elphaba grows to loathe her just as much; they clash with each other constantly ("What Is This Feeling?"). In a history class taught by Doctor Dillamond, the only Animal professor at Shiz, he begins to suffer from discrimination, even from the students. Dillamond informs Elphaba of a conspiracy to stop all Animals from speaking. Elphaba vows that if she ever meets the Wizard, she will inform him of the conspiracy and help him stop it ("Something Bad").

Meanwhile, a roguish prince, Fiyero, begins attending Shiz. Galinda is charmed by Fiyero's good looks and shallow philosophy. Fiyero arranges a party for his fellow students. Boq, a Munchkin who has a crush on Galinda, tries to invite her as his date, who in turn convinces him to instead invite Nessarose out of pity, leaving her free to go with Fiyero. Nessa becomes enamored with Boq and tells Elphaba to thank Galinda for her "help." At the party, Madame Morrible stops by to tell Galinda that Elphaba had asked her to admit Galinda into her sorcery class. Elphaba arrives, wearing a hat that Galinda gave her as a practical joke; the other students laugh at her. Galinda has a change of heart and decides to dance with Elphaba, and soon everyone joins them, finally allowing the girls to bond ("Dancing Through Life").

Back in their dormitory, Galinda decides to give Elphaba a makeover ("Popular"). The next day, Dr. Dillamond tells the class that he is leaving Shiz because he is no longer permitted to teach. Elphaba is the only student who objects. A human professor introduces the students to the technical advantages of "the cage," which is designed to prevent any animal from speaking. Elphaba refuses to contain her anger, and, in the ensuing chaos, she escapes alongside Fiyero, taking with them the lion cub that was imprisoned within the cage. Elphaba and Fiyero share a private moment; he then leaves. Elphaba laments that Fiyero could never love her as he loved Galinda ("I'm Not That Girl"). Madame Morrible arrives and tells Elphaba that the Wizard wants to meet her. Boq, Nessa, Fiyero, and Galinda say goodbye to Elphaba at the train station. Galinda tries to impress Fiyero by changing her name to Dr. Dillamond's pronunciation of it ("Glinda") but he barely notices. Elphaba invites Glinda to go with her to the Emerald City ("One Short Day").

Elphaba and Glinda meet the Wizard of Oz, who is not as scary as they expected ("A Sentimental Man"). He promises to grant Elphaba her request if she proves herself. Madame Morrible appears and explains she is the Wizard's new press secretary. She gives Elphaba the Grimmerie, a book of spells, which only the magically gifted can read. Elphaba is then asked to perform a levitation spell on the Wizard's monkey servant, Chistery. Her attempt allows him to fly, but only by making him sprout wings painfully. Elphaba discovers that the Wizard is behind the suppression of the Animals and that he is a fraudster who uses simple parlor tricks and lies to stay in power. Shocked, she flees his chamber and Madame Morrible spreads a message throughout Oz that Elphaba is a wicked witch. Glinda finds Elphaba and begs her to go back and apologize; Elphaba refuses and declares she must do what is right. She offers to take Glinda with her. Glinda declines but decides to secretly support Elphaba, who repeats the levitation spell on a broom and flies away from the Emerald City, leaving Glinda behind ("Defying Gravity").

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