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In this article, Rylie Revercomb celebrates the wonderful history of how Wicked came to be in preparation for the upcoming sequel.
Wicked: For Good
Wicked: For Good
By: Rylie Revercomb
By: Rylie Revercomb
I know I’m who I am today, because I knew you. It’s a heart-warming sentiment that sort of brings a tear to the eyes of anyone who hears it-- especially when the words are delivered in the form of a gut-wrenching song. For those who have been following the story of Wicked for years, whether through the original story by Gregory Maguire or the hit Broadway musical composed and written by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, these words hit harder than for anyone else. While Wicked starts off somewhat campy, with two polar opposite college students navigating their school lives at a magical campus, it quickly takes a harsh turn onto you-just-ripped-out-my-heart street. Wicked is a well-beloved story about identity, true friendship, and acceptance. But, perhaps, the true meaning of the tale is prejudice, moral ambiguity, and political corruption. While it may seem like an upbeat musical with colorful sets and worlds to imagine, catchy songs, and memorable moments, it is also an impactful and thoughtful story brought to life by talented actresses on stage, warning the world of the effects of tyranny and oppression. In celebration of the upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good, which covers the second act of the original Broadway musical, it is time to explore anything and everything Wicked. It’s going to be Wonderful.
While Wicked is mostly known through the iconic Broadway production, brought to life by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, it was originally based off of a book-- which was also based off of a book! Everyone, of course, knows the tale of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum-- the classic story of a little girl named Dorothy, who is whisked away in a tornado and carried to the magical Land of Oz. There, she meets the munchkins; befriends and helps the Tin Man, Lion, and Scarecrow; and eventually defeats the evil Witch of the West-- Thank Goodness!-- before being sent home via ruby slippers. It was even made into a movie in 1939, starring Judy Garland. Both the novel and the movie became so popular that they have become a staple for households everywhere. During Halloween, little girls tie their hair up in pigtails and don ruby slippers, Cairn Terrier dogs are named after Toto, and even adults enjoy rewatching the movie all year long. However, there was something that did not sit right with an invested fan of the franchise-- and that fan was Gregory Maguire.
Image By: TCM
Who is Gregory Maguire? Most people have not heard of him because the book adaptation is not nearly as popular as the musical. But mark my words: he is important! Maguire is the author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch, the revisionist tale of the Wicked Witch-- Elphaba. This was the first book in a series of four and, boy, is it dark. While the musical takes on a more campy retelling of the book, the original story deals with some dark and heavy topics. Elphaba’s mother, unlike in the musical, does not willingly participate in an affair with the Wizard of Oz. Instead, she was drugged and assaulted and is later horribly abusive and even dreams of drowning her daughter.
On top of this, there are many other violent scenes that were not moved into the musical-- such as the murder of Dr. Dillamond, and the violent murder of Fiyero and his wife. In the book, Elphaba becomes a raving lunatic who believes that the Scarecrow is Fiyero, her deceased secret lover reincarnate. The murder, beastiality, and sexual acts do not stop there. These details are certainly a shock to fans who read the book because of the musical. Today News quotes content creator Sara Ribeiro about her reaction: “[the book] ended up being a lot darker than I thought… my jaw was on the floor multiple times. I wasn’t expecting it to be so… graphic.” Another creator, Meredith Ammons, has a similar response, “The best way I can explain is like when your parents would hide vegetables in your food, and you wouldn’t notice it. That’s kind of what they did with the musical.” The book can best be described as focusing on Elphaba’s activism, and the blatant dictatorship and fascism that The Wizard displays as he rules over Oz with an iron fist-- whereas the musical is more focused on Galinda and Elphaba’s friendship, and the trials they go through together. Yeah, the book has certainly earned its dark reputation. However, Maguire’s take on politics and oppression, while it may be off-putting to some, is masterfully crafted and beautifully done. This is why the book became so beloved, despite the blatant and graphic depictions that Maguire illustrates.
Considering the history of The Wizard of Oz and Maguire’s original book, how did the public get a Tony award winning Broadway play? Well, it was not originally going to be that way. Before Stephen Schwartz even found out about Wicked, it was going to be picked up by a man named Marc Platt. Instead of going down the musical route, Platt has other plans for Maguire's book-- a movie. The rights to the Wicked book were owned by Universal Pictures, and the movie was set to be made quite soon. That is when Stephen Schwartz found out about Wicked. Upon reading the book, he instantly called his representative, wanting to find out who had the rights to the book so that he could get permission to turn it into a musical. Schwartz had to fight his way up the corporate ladder. The movie already had a first draft of the script and was working on a second, so he had to act fast.
A dozen meetings with various important people later, and Schwartz was meeting with Platt. It was time to sell it. A news platform called The Schwartz Scene, which is dedicated to Stephen Schwartz, quotes what he said in the meeting with Platt: “‘Look, I know you’re developing this as a film. I don’t think it’s going to work as a film and this is why… I really believe this is a theater piece. I think it needs to be a musical.” Schwartz’ reasoning for this was simple: “She was going to need to give voice to what was going on inside her.” A voice that only music can bring. While most people think of upbeat pop when the word music comes to mind, it is really so much more than that. Music is used to tell stories in ways that words alone cannot. By including intense notes, carefully thought-out dynamics, and contrast, someone can make a few simple words much more powerful than they are. Schwartz believed that music was the only way to tell Elphaba’s story-- the only way to truly bring her character to life.
Thankfully, Platt agreed to the plan. Schwartz waited for weeks to hear back and, when he did, it was good news. The musical was given the green light! Plus, on top of that, Maguire himself agreed that a musical was the best choice. Schwartz told The Guardian, “Stephen understood what the book is about… He said the first number would be "No One Mourns" the Wicked. With those words, he sold the project to me.” So, production for Wicked began. Starting in 2000, Stephen Schwartz pairs up with Winnie Holzman to help write the musical, and a series of workshops begins. After the basics of the Wicked world were created, it was time to cast the two leading ladies for the show. Kristin Chenoweth was the obvious choice for Galinda, blowing away the director Joe Mantello. However, Idina Menzel wasn’t always going to be Elphaba. For a while, actress Stephanie J. Block was going to be the first embodiment of our green-skinned heroine. Menzel showed up later in the casting stage, and even voice cracked on the high note at her audition! In an interview with CinemaBlend, Menzel recalls the fateful moment, “And I was singing beautifully the whole time! Then I got to ‘You won’t bring me-!’ (voice cracks) and I totally choked and I said the f-word so loud at the top of my lungs!” After totally botching the note, Menzel shot a look later described as “witchy” towards her accompanist, and then, “I took a breath and I went, ‘Me!' And I just, like, nailed it. And then, Joe Mantello has said that that’s when I got the role because he thought I was so evil and witchy!” This was when the role of Elphaba was recast, with Idina now in the spotlight of the show! Three years later, in May of 2003, Wicked has its first full production in San Francisco. Critics' reviews were a bit mixed, with some saying that Chenoweth as Galinda overshadowed Menzel as Elphaba. Thus, the music was tweaked and edited-- with some songs cut, and some of the songs known today added last minute. The musical premiered on Broadway that October.
Since then, Wicked has done fantastic work. Over the course of the past 22 years, it has won three Tony awards, seven Drama Desk awards, and a Grammy for the original cast. Wicked's West End production in London is ongoing, and has had over 6,700 performances, as well as North American tours since 2005. In 2011, Broadway, London, and North American touring productions all broke their records for the highest weekly gross. Wicked has been produced in 16 countries and 100 cities around the world, has hit the $1 billion dollar Broadway revenue mark, and has become Broadway's second highest-grossing musical.
Image By: Time Out
On top of all of this, Wicked has been turned into an Oscar-winning movie with a sequel upcoming on Nov. 21. Throughout the past two decades, this musical has been touching the hearts of many musical theatre enjoyers. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande themselves were huge fans of the musical long before a musical-movie was even announced. It is beautiful how a simple story about the Wicked Witch, a fan fiction really, was turned into something that has become so beloved by so many. So, watch the first Wicked movie, listen to the Broadway soundtrack, grab your snacks, and get ready for Wicked: For Good!
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