In light of Wicked: For Good being released this past November, I thought I would dive into the history of the original Broadway production WICKED and give some background and insight from the beloved musical.
As we all know, Wicked is basically the “prequel” to the 1939 classic film, The Wizard of Oz. It follows the characters Glinda and Elphaba, who appear in The Wizard of Oz as “The Wicked Witch of the West” and “Glinda the Good” before Dorothy arrives in Oz. What many might not know is that the musical is based on a 1995 novel titled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.
The musical itself was written by Winnie Holtzman and composed by Stephen Schwartz. It premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater in October 2003. The original cast of the show included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda, Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, and Joel Grey as the Wizard of Oz.
Wicked has been running on Broadway ever since, with many different cast members throughout the years to tell this timeless tale. Some notable songs from the musical are “No One Mourns the Wicked,” “Defying Gravity,” “No Good Deed,” and “For Good.” This musical does an amazing job at showcasing each cast member’s talent, as many of the songs featured in the production are very challenging to perform.
In November of 2024, the first half of the movie production of Wicked was released in theaters. The film starred Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, and Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard. Although I did not have high expectations for this film when I first heard about it, I was blown away when I actually saw it. Cynthia and Ariana both give amazing performances and do these beloved characters so much justice. I spent a long year waiting for the second part titled Wicked: For Good, but the wait was entirely worth it. The second part brings the story together in the most beautiful way and was exactly what I had been waiting for. As someone who had seen Wicked on Broadway before the movies came out, I believe that the movies really highlight the best parts of the Broadway production and are amazing film adaptations to the beloved musical.
Whether you’re an original Wicked fan who’s seen the production at Gershwin Theatre or have just seen it for the first time at the movie theater, everyone can agree that this musical “defies gravity” and is truly “wonderful.”
