Wicked
By MADY BRAND
“Wicked” is currently showing on Broadway at Gershwin Theatre. It shares with us the untold story of what happened in The Land of Oz. When asked about the story of the musical and playing the supposed “villain” in Oz, Idina Menzel, who was in the original cast, responded, “Well how do you know which one is the good witch and which one is the bad witch?” This is a question that the musical, itself, addresses as it looks at what the well-known story of The Wizard of Oz has already told us, but in a new light. Stephen Schwartz, who has written musicals such as “Godspell” and “Pippin”, got the inspiration to write the musical from Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. We learn from “Wicked” how it feels when you’re treated like you’re different, to stand up for what you believe in, that getting to know someone can change your entire view of them, and that there are consequences when someone chooses to abuse their power.
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In the Land of Oz, there is a girl, brilliant, talented, and determined, but mostly misunderstood because she was born with green skin. This girl, known as Elphaba, attends Shiz University alongside her sister, where fate pushes her towards the vivacious popular blonde known as Galinda. At Shiz, she is taught sorcery, for she possesses great talent in magic, and is made one of two unwilling parties as she and Galinda become roommates. Their rivalry flourishes until it gets so confusing that the two end up seeing the good in one another and begin to bond.
The Wizard invites Elphaba to meet with him, something that she has wanted her whole life and especially now, as horrible things have been happening in Oz. Elphaba invites Glinda, who is now her best friend, to go with her to the Emerald City to meet The Wizard. Upon meeting him, they soon learn that he would like to recruit Elphaba, but they also learn that he is to blame for the recent atrocities. The girls find themselves in two very different positions on the matter as Glinda chooses to stay, while Elphaba chooses to stand up for what she believes in and leave, enchanting a broomstick to take her to the western sky.
For her defiance of The Wizard, Elphaba earns herself the title of “The Wicked Witch of the West” to all of the citizens of Oz. While Glinda rises to be “Glinda the Good,” protector of Oz. Elphaba returns to deal with The Wizard, who is still convinced he can win her over and almost does, until she is reminded of what she is fighting for. Then, we are prompted to recall Dorothy, the young girl from Kansas who had been dropped into Oz, and everything changes. We soon discover that there was so much that occurred during Dorothy’s visit, that we never knew when we first heard the tale of The Wizard of Oz.
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Like “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Wicked” looks at an individual who is different and has been shaped by how society has chosen to treat them. In both “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Wicked”, these individuals are faced with another, who unlike the rest of society, sees something beyond what has made them different. Like “Hamilton”, “Wicked” tells a well-known story, but through a new perspective. Both musicals show that stories can seem so different when they are told to appear in a certain light. They provide information to construct a new understanding of what really happened.
By MADY BRAND
“Wicked” is currently showing on Broadway at Gershwin Theatre. It shares with us the untold story of what happened in The Land of Oz. When asked about the story of the musical and playing the supposed “villain” in Oz, Idina Menzel, who was in the original cast, responded, “Well how do you know which one is the good witch and which one is the bad witch?” This is a question that the musical, itself, addresses as it looks at what the well-known story of The Wizard of Oz has already told us, but in a new light. Stephen Schwartz, who has written musicals such as “Godspell” and “Pippin”, got the inspiration to write the musical from Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. We learn from “Wicked” how it feels when you’re treated like you’re different, to stand up for what you believe in, that getting to know someone can change your entire view of them, and that there are consequences when someone chooses to abuse their power.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the Land of Oz, there is a girl, brilliant, talented, and determined, but mostly misunderstood because she was born with green skin. This girl, known as Elphaba, attends Shiz University alongside her sister, where fate pushes her towards the vivacious popular blonde known as Galinda. At Shiz, she is taught sorcery, for she possesses great talent in magic, and is made one of two unwilling parties as she and Galinda become roommates. Their rivalry flourishes until it gets so confusing that the two end up seeing the good in one another and begin to bond.
The Wizard invites Elphaba to meet with him, something that she has wanted her whole life and especially now, as horrible things have been happening in Oz. Elphaba invites Glinda, who is now her best friend, to go with her to the Emerald City to meet The Wizard. Upon meeting him, they soon learn that he would like to recruit Elphaba, but they also learn that he is to blame for the recent atrocities. The girls find themselves in two very different positions on the matter as Glinda chooses to stay, while Elphaba chooses to stand up for what she believes in and leave, enchanting a broomstick to take her to the western sky.
For her defiance of The Wizard, Elphaba earns herself the title of “The Wicked Witch of the West” to all of the citizens of Oz. While Glinda rises to be “Glinda the Good,” protector of Oz. Elphaba returns to deal with The Wizard, who is still convinced he can win her over and almost does, until she is reminded of what she is fighting for. Then, we are prompted to recall Dorothy, the young girl from Kansas who had been dropped into Oz, and everything changes. We soon discover that there was so much that occurred during Dorothy’s visit, that we never knew when we first heard the tale of The Wizard of Oz.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Like “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Wicked” looks at an individual who is different and has been shaped by how society has chosen to treat them. In both “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Wicked”, these individuals are faced with another, who unlike the rest of society, sees something beyond what has made them different. Like “Hamilton”, “Wicked” tells a well-known story, but through a new perspective. Both musicals show that stories can seem so different when they are told to appear in a certain light. They provide information to construct a new understanding of what really happened.
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