Wicked the musical came from the brilliant mind of Gregory Maguire. That was his second novel for adults, and it was first published in 1995.
The Wicked is a musical with song lyrics and music by Stephen Schwartz, along with a book by Winnie Holzman.
The story starts with Elphaba’s backstory of how she eventually became an evil witch, influencing her character and life path.
The first day she was born, Elphaba was born with green skin, which caused her to be rejected and scorned by her stepfather.
Her stepfather cursed her childhood, setting the stage for Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, to become evil.
As Elphaba grows up, she starts learning at Shiz University, where she meets her former best friend, Glinda, who would become the Good Witch.
Glinda and Elphaba are almost opposites of each other. Glinda is a popular, fortunate girl seen as good by many, but Elphaba is an outcast because of her skin color.
Elphaba’s powerful abilities as an outcast weren’t any better for her reputation, as they only added another reason for people to stay away from her.
As the story continues, the two friends face many challenges to their friendship as situations around them cause Elphaba to become a “wicked witch” to do what she thinks is right.
There is much to emphasize about the story that Wicked portrays, like a tragic friendship, a heartfelt backstory, and a perspective that might make viewers empathize with the infamous antagonist of The Wizard of Oz.
Wicked also teaches us about how vital opportunities are (especially those that you’re born with) and how they can make or break a person’s life path.
Wicked was produced by Universal Stage Productions. It later premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre on October 2003.
Wicked has also broken box-office records globally. In 2013, the Broadway production became record-breaking by gathering $3.2 million.
In 2016, Wicked surpassed a whopping $1 billion in Broadway revenue.
This musical has been competing with some of the most popular musicals of all time, such as The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King.
In 2017, Wicked surpassed The Phantom of the Opera, becoming Broadway’s second-highest-grossing musical.
The Wicked has performed in 16 different countries with more than 7,400 performances.
It has been nominated for numerous awards while winning three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. Its original cast album even received a Grammy Award.
The Wicked continues to receive immense support from its audience.
In 2024, the first part of the two-part film adaptation will be released, while the second part will be released on November 26, 2025.
The creation will be directed by Jon M. Chu, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero.