When I was younger, my family listened to the “Wicked” musical on CD so often that we broke the disk. Safe to say, my family and I are big fans of the musical and are looking forward to seeing the new “Wicked” movie coming out this November.
For those unfamiliar with “Wicked,” I wanted to step back and dive into the plot of the musical so you may know what to expect from the new release.
Act I
The musical opens with the number, “No One Mourns The Wicked.” Dorthy has melted the Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba, and Glinda is celebrating with the Munchkins.
Glinda is asked about her past relationship with Elphaba, which sets the stage for the rest of the musical. The flashback begins, and the story of Glinda The Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West’s friendship begins.
The flashback starts with Elphaba’s origins, the reason that she was born green: her mother had an affair with another man. Elphaba, from the moment she was born, is different and deemed a societal outcast with an absent mother and a distant father.
Going forward some years, Elphaba attends Shiz University. The scene opens with students singing “Dear Old Shiz,” presenting a new setting. Elphaba meets with the headmistress of her hall, Madame Morrible, who has high hopes for Elphaba’s magical talents. Morrible’s confidence in her leads Elphaba to fantasize about working with Oz the Great and Powerful and receiving admiration from the people of Oz, in “The Wizard and I.”
Through a mistake, gloomy Elphaba is placed in a dorm room with her polar opposite: glittery Glinda. The two immediately loathe one another in “What Is This Feeling?” and the other students are quick to take Glinda’s side.
Elphaba and one of her professors, Animal Dr. Dillamond, a goat who can speak, discuss that the speaking Animals of Oz are slowly having their rights taken away. As the song progresses, Dillamond begins to lose his power to speak and Elphaba decides the solution is to go to the Wizard for his help.
The next song “Dancing Through Life,” a personal favorite of mine, introduces the character Fiyero. Fiyero is the typical “airhead popular guy” who doesn’t care much for school, and he and Glinda hit it off.
During this number, Glinda gives Elphaba a pointy hat as a prank, but it ends up becoming Elphaba’s signature look. Glinda also helps set up Elphaba’s paraplegic sister Nessa Rose with Boq the Munchkin. Elphaba is grateful to Glinda for what she did and a friendship begins to blossom.
As the two become closer, Glinda sings “Popular” as she attempts to give Elphaba a makeover to improve her confidence. Though little success, the scene is famous for Glinda’s Broadway actresses’ physical comedy.
The next day Dr. Dillamond is taken away by officials from Oz for being an Animal. The new teacher brings in a lion cub– who will eventually become the Cowardly Lion– for experimentation. Elphaba and Fiyero disagree with the treatment of the cub and set it free. This is when Elphaba begins to develop feelings for Fiyero.
Elphaba admits her feelings to Fiyero but it doesn’t go well, leading to “I’m Not That Girl.” Elphaba laments over the fact that Fiyero would never love a girl like her, he’s meant to be with a girl like Glinda.
Elphaba’s talent earns her an invitation to the Emerald City for an audience with the Wizard. She invited Glinda along and the two set off into the city in “One Short Day.” After sightseeing, the two girls meet with the wizard where Elphaba displays her power. In “A Sentimental Man,” the Wizard invites Elphaba to work with him.
It is revealed that the wizard has no power of his own, and he is leading the charge against Animals. Elphaba realizes her mistake in trusting the wizard, so she steals a powerful spell book and the two girls run for the hills.
Madame Morrible, who has been working with the wizard the entire time, titles Elphaba as a “Wicked Witch.” Elphaba plans to take down the wizard, and tries to convince Glinda to help her in a fan favorite “Defying Gravity.” Glinda is too worried about ruining her reputation and the two part ways as Elphaba debuts her power to fly, via enchanted broomstick.
Act II
Years have passed and Elphaba has been proclaimed “The Wicked Witch of the West.” In other news, Glinda and Fiyero announce their engagement in “Thank Goodness.”
Elphaba is on the run and she seeks refuge in Munchkinland with her sister and governess Nessa Rose. Nessa guilts Elphaba into using her powers on her, giving Nessa the ability to walk with a pair of enchanted ruby slippers. Boq, who is now Nessa’s servant, sees that she can walk and ditches her. In her fury, Nessa casts a spell on Boq with Elphaba’s spellbook, shrinking his heart and turning him into the Tin Man.
Elphaba makes her way back to the Emerald City to release the winged monkeys held captive there by the wizard, and he attempts to change her mind in “Wonderful.”
Fiyero runs into Elphaba and confesses his feelings for her. The two run off together, leaving Glinda heartbroken as she sings the reprise of “I’m Not That Girl.” The tables have turned.
Fiyero and Elphaba find themselves alone and express their love for one another as they sing “As Long As You’re Mine,” but it is cut short when Madame Morrible creates a cyclone, triggering the start of Dorthy’s story, and Nessa is crushed under Dorthy’s house.
Elphaba rushes to her sister’s aid but is captured. Fiyero sacrifices himself to get her to safety. As she escapes in “No Good Deed,” she casts a spell to save Fiyero from torture but accidentally turns him into The Scarecrow.
During “March Of The Witch Hunters” Boq rallies the people to hunt Elphaba down and Glinda finds Elphaba and tries to persuade her to let Dorthy go. As Elphaba refuses, the two sing “For Good,” solidifying their eternal friendship once again.
The mob of hunters shows up and Glinda hides. Dorthy throws a bucket of water on Elphaba, “melting her.”
We return to the scene at the opening of the show as the people of Oz celebrate and Glinda mourns her friend. But things are not as they seem. Fiyero arrives at the site where Elphaba was melted and pulls her out of a trap door. The two leave Oz for good while everyone believes they are dead in the “Finale.”
Tickets are now on sale for the release of the film “Wicked” on November 22.