Wicked | Musical, Broadway, Wizard of Oz, Plot, & Facts

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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-21T00:00:00CST" >Nov 21, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wicked/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/1228261/8bc4f5778f8921ee48f75b64f9a80bba" rel="nofollow">When others ran from the musical, Jon M. Chu and 'Wicked' embraced it</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 21, 2024, 4:57 PM ET (AP) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/1228261/3c0b66081dfeb14f5010245ea5176a3c" rel="nofollow">What to stream: 'The Piano Lesson,' 'Wicked' album, 'Spellbound' and 'Cruel Intentions' TV series</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 18, 2024, 12:11 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/1228261/26a69a719e3b81bf9f7936ace465452e" rel="nofollow">Ethan Slater landing the role of Boq in 'Wicked' has an element of magic to it</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 12, 2024, 4:47 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/1228261/4cf8acc526dd4630d9f5328e2ee78df1" rel="nofollow">Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets misprint on 'Wicked' dolls packaging that links to porn site</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 11, 2024, 11:08 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1319576"></span>Wicked</strong>, stage <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/musical" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">musical</a> by American composer and lyricist <span id="ref1319583"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-Schwartz" class="md-crosslink ">Stephen Schwartz</a> and librettist <span id="ref1319582"></span>Winnie Holzman that serves as a prequel to the events from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/L-Frank-Baum" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">L. Frank Baum</a>’s original novel <em><span id="ref1319581"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Wonderful-Wizard-of-Oz" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</a></em> (1900) and its film <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="adaptation" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptation" data-type="MW">adaptation</a>, <span id="ref1319580"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Wizard-of-Oz" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>The Wizard of Oz</em></a> (1939). <em>Wicked</em> is a revisionist retelling of the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and is an intricate tale of friendship and acceptance set against a backdrop of authoritarianism and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="propaganda" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda" data-type="MW">propaganda</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em>Wicked</em> made its <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Broadway-street-and-district-New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Broadway</a> premiere on October 30, 2003. Despite an initial lukewarm critical reception, the musical went on to become a huge commercial success with a devoted fan base. The original production of the show garnered ten <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Tony-Awards" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tony Award</a> nominations and won three, and in April 2023 it became the fourth longest running Broadway show, behind <em>The Phantom of the Opera</em>, the 1996 revival of <em>Chicago</em>, and <em>The Lion King</em>.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Based on <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gregory-Maguire" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Gregory Maguire’s</a> 1995 novel <em><span id="ref1319579"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wicked-The-Life-and-Times-of-the-Wicked-Witch-of-the-West" class="md-crosslink ">Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West</a></em>, the musical largely takes place before the events surrounding <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dorothy" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Dorothy’s</a> arrival in the Land of Oz. The show follows the lives of green-skinned, ostracized Elphaba and blonde, popular Galinda as they go from enemies to friends and eventually become the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Wicked" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Wicked" data-type="EB">Wicked</a> Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch, respectively. The show also features other characters with significant roles in <em>The Wizard of Oz</em>, including the deceitful Wizard, the musical’s main antagonist; Nessarose, Elphaba’s younger sister, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East; Fiyero, Elphaba and Galinda’s shared love interest, who becomes the Scarecrow; and the munchkin Boq, who becomes the Tin Man.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Directed by Joe Mantello, the original Broadway cast included <span id="ref1319578"></span>Idina Menzel as Elphaba and <span id="ref1319577"></span>Kristen Chenoweth as Galinda, as well as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joel-Grey" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Joel Grey</a>, Carole Shelley, Norbert Leo Butz, Michelle Federer, and Christopher Fitzgerald. Although critics were unimpressed by the songs and plot of the show, Menzel’s and Chenoweth’s performances received praise. The show garnered the most nominations of any production at the 2004 Tony Awards, including nominations for best book of a musical, best choreography, and best musical. It won three awards: best scenic design of a musical for Eugene Lee, best costume design of a musical for Susan Hilferty, and best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical for Menzel, a category in which Chenoweth was also nominated.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 2005 <em>Wicked</em> launched its first national tour and an extended-run production opened in Chicago; the Chicago production closed in 2009. In 2006 Menzel <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="reprised" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprised" data-type="MW">reprised</a> her role as Elphaba in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/West-End" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">West End</a> production of the show. <em>Wicked</em> has also toured internationally, with performances throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of Asia. The musical has been seen by nearly 65 million people and generated more than $5 billion in ticket sales worldwide.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="320945" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/264241-050-1E658A68/Cyntiha-Erivo-Ariana-Grande-Publicity-still-wicked-musical-movie-2024-Elphaba-Glenda.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1228261/320945"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/264241-050-1E658A68/Cyntiha-Erivo-Ariana-Grande-Publicity-still-wicked-musical-movie-2024-Elphaba-Glenda.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/264241-050-1E658A68/Cyntiha-Erivo-Ariana-Grande-Publicity-still-wicked-musical-movie-2024-Elphaba-Glenda.jpg?w=300" alt="From stage to screen" data-width="1600" data-height="1341" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/264241-050-1E658A68/Cyntiha-Erivo-Ariana-Grande-Publicity-still-wicked-musical-movie-2024-Elphaba-Glenda.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1228261/320945">From stage to screen</a><span>Ariana Grande plays Galinda and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in the 2024 film adaptation of the Broadway show, <em>Wicked</em>.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">After years of development, a feature-length film adaptation was officially announced in 2016, with an expected release date of December 2019. However, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Universal-Studios" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Universal</a> delayed the release, opting instead to give the initially scheduled slot to a film adaptation of <em>Cats</em>. In 2022 it was announced that the film, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ariana-Grande" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ariana Grande</a> as Galinda, would be split into two movies. The first film was released in November 2024, and the second is scheduled to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="debut" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/debut" data-type="EB">debut</a> a year later.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/contributor/frannie-comstock/12954478">Frannie Comstock</a></span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":1228261,"pageLength":547,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Wicked | Musical, Broadway, Wizard of Oz, Plot, & Facts | Britannica