Wicked: The history of the Broadway musical and movie adaptation

breeleyvanalmen
5 days ago
3 min read

The story of 'Wicked' has a very long history and has been loved for years. This story has been told in a book, a Broadway musical, and new movie adaptations. In this blog post I will tell some of the history of the fan favorite story.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The story of Wicked started with the classic book 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' which was released in May 1900, by author Frank Baum. Baum wrote 14 books in this series, and the story became very popular. After Frank Baum passed away, other authors carried on the story, and the series ended with 40 total books in the series.

Then, in 1939 the classic movie, 'The Wizard Of Oz', was released. This movie had a talented cast featuring Judy Garland (Dorthy Gale), Jack Haley (The Tin Man), Ray Bolger (The Scarecrow), Bert Lahr (The Cowardly Lion), Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz), Margret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West), Billie Burke (Glinda the Good Witch), and many more. The movie includes classic songs such as "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "We're Off To See The Wizard". As many people know, this movie has a dark past and many say the movie was "cursed". Many horrible accidents and situations happened to the actors and production crew while filming this classic. Although the history of the movie is considered dark, this movie is a classic and loved movie.

'Wicked" - the book

In 1995, this classic story took a unique twist when Gregory Maguire wrote the book 'Wicked'. The book focuses on Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) and her life before Dorthy Gale arrived in Oz. It follows the story of her life, explaining all of the trials and hardships she encountered at a young age. Maguire tells of when Elphaba attended college at Shiz University and met her roommate Galinda (later changed to Glinda). The story then follows her journey of finding and fighting the Wizard of Oz over the discrimination against talking animals. The book is considered a dark fantasy that has many adult topics and a darker tone.

'Wicked' - the Broadway musical

In 2003, the 'Wicked' story took a lighter approach and became a child friendly story. The musical follows the same story as the book by Gregory Maguire, but without a lot of the mature and dark topics. The Broadway musical had their opening night on October 30, 2003 at the Gershwin Theatre. The cast was incredible, with Idina Menzel (Elephaba), Kristin Chenoweth (Galinda/Glinda), Joal Grey (The Wizard of Oz), Norbert Leo Butz (Fiyero), Christopher Fitzgerald (Boq), Michelle Federer (Nessarose), Carole Shelley (Madame Morrible), and many more talented actors and actresses. This hit musical has many well known songs that many love. All of the songs were created by an incredible composer, Stephen Schwartz. This musical has been nominated and won many awards including Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, Eddy Awards, and Grammy Awards. For years, this musical has been performed in different states, cities, and theaters.

'Wicked" - the movie adaptions

After years of love for the story of Wicked, people wanted a movie adaptation. Rumors of a Wicked movie went on for many years. In 2012 it was announced that a movie would be made for the Broadway musical. Many fans were excited, but the movie ended up being delayed multiple times due to multiple conflicts. After many conflicts, the movie was officially in the works starting in 2016. The filming of Wicked started in 2022, with an incredibly talented cast. The cast features Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Ethan Slater (Boq), Marissa Bode (Nessarose), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), and others. An iconic moment is featured in the film with Indina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth playing two performers in the Emerald City during the song "One Short Day". The film was directed by Jon M. Chu and adapts the first act of the musical. The movie includes all of the content and songs that are in the on-stage performance. This film released on November 22, 2024 and immediately blew up. Fans loved the movie adaptation and have been waiting for part 2 to be released. Wicked: For Good (part 2) is set to be released on November 21, 2025 and will adapt the second act of the musical. Many fans have been waiting for this movie and can't wait to watch the final conclusion!