Wicked (musical)

Wicked is a big stage show.

It is set in the land of Oz. The story is about two girls. One girl has green skin. Her name is Elphaba. The other girl is Glinda.

They start as enemies. Then, they become friends. They live in a land with magic. The show has many songs. People all over the world love to watch it. It is a very famous show.

Wicked is a famous stage musical.

It is set in the Land of Oz. The story looks at the lives of two witches. One girl is Elphaba. She has green skin. She becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The other girl is Glinda. She is blonde and popular. She becomes Glinda the Good.

They meet at Shiz University. At first, they do not like each other. They have different views on the world. They also like the same boy named Fiyero. Soon, the two girls become friends. They must face the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard uses tricks to stay in power. He even tries to stop animals from speaking. Elphaba wants to fight his rule. Glinda chooses a different path.

Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics. Winnie Holzman wrote the book. The show first opened on Broadway in 2003. It has been a huge success. It has won many awards. One production in London has played over 7,407 times. The show has even become a two-part film.

Wicked is a famous stage musical about the lives of two witches.

It tells a story set in the Land of Oz. This story takes place before and after Dorothy Gale arrives from Kansas. The musical focuses on the friendship between Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland. Elphaba is a smart girl with bright green skin. She eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda is a beautiful and popular girl. She grows up to be known as Glinda the Good.

The show explores how these two women handle different views of the world. They also deal with a shared love for a man named Fiyero.

The story begins at Shiz University. Elphaba and Glinda are chosen to be roommates. At first, the two girls do not like each other at all. They have very different personalities and ways of acting. However, they eventually bond and become close friends.

The plot moves forward as they face the Wizard of Oz. They discover the Wizard is a fraud who uses tricks to stay in power. He even tries to stop animals from speaking. Elphaba decides to fight against his rule. Glinda chooses a different path to handle the situation. This leads to the two characters having very different destinies.

Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and the lyrics for the show. Winnie Holzman wrote the book, which is the script for the actors.

Schwartz first saw the idea in a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. He wanted to turn that book into a stage play. He worked with Holzman for a year to plan the story. They wanted to focus on the friendship between the two witches. This made the musical different from the original novel. The creators even held special readings to help develop the songs and the script.

The original production of Wicked opened on Broadway in October 2003.

It played at the Gershwin Theatre after trying out in San Francisco. The first stars were Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. The show won three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. It also won a Grammy Award for its cast album. One production in London has played over 7,407 times. In 2016, the show earned over $1 billion on Broadway. It is now the second-highest grossing musical in Broadway history.

Many people know the story of Oz from older books and movies. Wicked is based on the 1900 book by L. Frank Baum. It also uses ideas from the 1939 film. The musical gives a new way to look at the famous characters. Now, the story is told from the perspective of the villain. A new two-part film version was also made by director Jon M. Chu. The first part was released in November 2024. The second part, called Wicked: For Good, came out in November 2025.

Wicked is a major stage musical that explores the origins of two famous witches.

The production is titled "Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz." It is set in the Land of Oz during the years surrounding Dorothy Gale's arrival. The story focuses on the complex relationship between Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland. Elphaba is a smart, fiery girl with emerald-green skin who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda is a beautiful, popular girl who becomes Glinda the Good.

The musical examines how their different perspectives and a shared love for Fiyero shape their lives.

The plot follows a specific sequence of events starting at Shiz University. Elphaba and Glinda are assigned as roommates and initially dislike each other.

As they interact, they face challenges like the dismissal of Dr. Dillamond, an animal professor. This event reveals a conspiracy to stop animals from speaking in Oz. The characters eventually travel to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard. There, they discover the Wizard is a mortal man using parlor tricks to maintain power. This realization forces a choice between Elphaba's desire to fight corruption and Glinda's different path.

The musical features several distinct character arcs and plot modifications from its source material. For example, the character Nessarose is a paraplegic sister who uses a wheelchair.

In the musical, Boq becomes the Tin Woodman after a continuing love interest with Glinda. Fiyero eventually appears as the Scarecrow. The story also changes how Madame Morrible and Doctor Dillamond meet their ends compared to the novel. These changes help the creators focus on the central friendship between the two women.

The development of Wicked began when composer Stephen Schwartz discovered Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel. Schwartz saw the potential for a dramatic stage adaptation. He worked with writer Winnie Holzman for one year to create the script. They collaborated with producer Marc Platt to refine the structural outline. This process involved many developmental workshops and readings. During these sessions, actress Kristin Chenoweth joined the project as Glinda. The creators aimed to build an original stage piece rather than a strict adaptation of the book.

Production details were vital to the show's eventual success on Broadway. The original production premiered at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003. Before this, it completed tryouts at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. The creative team made extensive changes after those initial reviews. For instance, they replaced the song "Which Way is the Party?" with "Dancing Through Life." They also worked to make Elphaba a more prominent character alongside Glinda.

Wicked has achieved massive financial and critical significance. The production won three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. Its original cast album also earned a Grammy Award. The show has broken several weekly box-office records globally. In January 2011, the Broadway, London, and North American tours all broke weekly gross records simultaneously. By 2016, the show surpassed $1 billion in total Broadway revenue. It is now the second-highest grossing musical in Broadway history, trailing only "The Lion King."

The musical connects to a much larger history of Oz storytelling. It is loosely based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel and the 1939 film adaptation. The musical provides a new lens by telling the story from the perspective of the villain. This connection has expanded into film with a two-part adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu. The first film part was released in November 2024 and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. The second part, titled "Wicked: For Good," was released in November 2025.