Wicked Never Looked so Good!
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Elphaba of Oz
Elphaba Thropp is the green skinned protagonist in the popular book titled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by author Gregory Maguire published in 1995.
Elphaba is also the main character of the very successful Broadway Musical of the same name. Rather book or stage adaptation the story itself is a much more mature version of the first American Fairytale; The Wizard of Oz, which combines many key elements from both the iconic 1939 movie by MGM and the original book titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by children's author L. Frank Baum published in 1900. The story is not seen through the eyes of Baum's original Oz protagonist, the Kansas farm girl known as Dorothy Gale, who is neither the hero nor villain here. Dorothy is just a mere outsider, unwillingly thrown into a world she knows little to nothing about.
Instead, everything that happens in Wicked's version of the magical land of Oz revolves around the social outcast and tortured soul named Elphaba, aka "Elphie". The plot follows her life journey, focusing on her thoughts, trials, tribulations, her meaningful relationships and eventual decent into Wickedness and how it changed the land of Oz forever. Despite being the protagonist to the reader of the novel or viewer of the play, Elphaba eventually becomes viewed as the antagonist who rebels against the repression in Oz. Her strength to stand up for what she believes in leads to her being viewed by many people throughout Oz as "Wicked," thus, ultimately leading to her tragic demise. Despite her sad fate, and tarnished reputation due to the matter of Dorothy, Elphaba becomes known by many others as an underground legend and iconic activist for Animal rights in Oz long after her tragic death.
Author Gregory Maguire payed homage to Baum and formulated Elphaba's unique name out of L. Frank Baum's name, taking the phonetic pronunciation of his initials: hence, L.F.B became El-pha-ba.
The Orgins of Elphaba Thropp of Oz
Novel...
Map of Wicked's Oz
...she was up and running in an ungainly way, and her three goofy companions followed in a mounting panic. As the first few drops of rain fell, the Witch caught sight, not of the girl's face, but the shoes. Her sister's shoes! They sparkled, even in the darkening afternoon. They sparkled like yellow diamonds in the sun, embers of blood, and thorny stars... -introduction to Wicked (1995)
Willemijn Verkaik as Elphaba Thropp
Elphaba Thropp was born in Rush Margins, a rural area of Munchkinland in the Land of Oz. Unlike any other Ozian, she was mysteriously born with florescent bright green skin. In addition to the green skin, she has a strange scientifically inexplicable allergy towards H20, which causes it to painfully burn her to the bone like acid. Since she cannot bathe like normal people, Elphaba must sponge bathe herself in private with a special type of liquid oil to keep clean instead. Regardless of her bizarre skin condition, Elphaba seems to be a very normal young lady in all other aspects. She is highly intelligent, ambitious, cynical, an independent thinker and a tomboy at heart. Due to her family's noble blood, she is tall, unlike most diminutive Munchkinlanders who are little.
Elphaba was the biological daughter of Melena Thropp , the Thropp 2nd Descending and 2nd heiress to the title of Eminent Thropp, and of Oscar Zoroaster Diggs, who would one day become The Wizard of Oz. However, years before he took over all of Oz and had Oz's imperial capital aka Emerald City built, Diggs seduced and drugged Melena with a green "Miracle Elixir" and so Melena did not recall the experience and Elphaba grew up believing her stepfather, the Unionist minister Frexspar, was her biological father. It is hinted that the green potion is what caused Elphaba's skin condition and that her Earthly lineage is what allows her to read the Grimmeire, due to Oz having a different writing system. This eventually allowed Elphaba to practice the book's magic spells that no one else in Oz could understand.
Early Life
Elphaba would only live in Rush Margins of Munchkinland for the first couple of years of her life. Shortly after her birth, Melena turned into a alcoholic and called on the aid of her childhood nanny to help care for Elphaba. When Elpahaba was a toddler, her parents were acquainted with Turtle Heart, a Quadling glassblower, who would later become lover to both. When Elphaba was about three, her family was apparently run of Rush Margins and forced to flee to her mother's childhood home of Colwen Grounds, where the glass blower named Turtle Heart, who was the lover of both Elphaba's parents was sacrificed to Clock of The Dragon to relieve a drought on the same day that Melena gave birth to her handicapped but beautiful daughter named Nessarose. As both her daughters are disfigured, Melena believes this is punishment from the "Unnamed God" for her infidelity.
Growing up, Elphaba is a social outcast, not by choice though. Her mother, embarrassed by her green skin, never lets her come in contact with other children. Eventually, Nanny convinces Melena to allow her daughter to play with others, hoping this would allow Elphaba to form some sort of armor to protect her and make her stronger later in life. The local children are cruel and bully the green girl mercilessly. Along with social pressures and hardships, Elphaba is growing up in a time period taking a turn for the worse economically and socially for the land. With the Wizard as ruler everything is drastically changing as Oz is becoming segregated and racist, especially between the people and talking Animals who once lived comfortably hand in hand in Oz. Now Animals are being treated poorly due to the Wizard's government system which has created a structure for Oz that parallels the events of the Nazi Germany's Holocaust and the turmoil of the Great Depression. This explains why there are no talking Animals ever seen in the Emerald City. In L. Frank Baum's original story there where no animals in Emerald City either. In Wicked this is because Animals are strictly not allowed. (Animals should be seen and not heard)
The guilt over Turtle Heart's death led Frex and Melena to become missionaries to southern quadrant of Oz known as the Quadling Country. When Elphaba was eight, her mother died giving birth to her little brother Shell, who would one day become Emperor of Oz. Since Melena died, Nanny took on the role of mother to the Thropp children. Elphaba later relates that she used to sing to the converts her father visited. At the age of 15, she is accepted to Crage Hall, the female college of Shiz.
Shiz University
Elphaba with Dr. Dillamond
They wrote a very good collection of songs after being accepted to Crage Hall, Elphaba is paired off to room with Galinda, a beautiful privileged girl with golden hair who is spoiled and of noble blood. At first Galinda is repulsed and uncomfortable around Ephaba, due both to her green skin and lack of social standing. Elphaba slowly grows to like Galinda and concludes that she isn't such an unpleasant roommate after all, one who is more crafty and gifted than she is credited for. Elphaba also meets Boq, a former playmate from Rush Margins who soon becomes a close friend. During the first summer, Elphaba works as an assistant to Dr. Dillamond, a Goat professor who is trying to find the difference between Animals and humans. She assisted by Boq, and Boq's friends, Tibbett and Crope, who help her get information from Briscoe Hall's library. During this time Nessarose shows up to attend school with everyone else as well. Nessarose is the ideal daughter, being ridiculously pious she is pampered and favored by her father much more than Elphaba was. And to reward his daughter for attending school, Frex sends her a special gift which is an authentic pair of dazzling handmade slippers made of glittering glass beads that are beautifully painted with a special gloss to give them shine. This allows the shoes to change colors according to the lighting.
At the end of the summer, Elphaba travels to visit Galinda at her summer home, only to discover it to be a prank by one of Galinda's friends. At the start of the second year, Elphaba's life turns dramatically when Dillamond is murdered and Glinda's chaperone, Ama Clutch, is incapacitated, forcing Elphaba to call Nanny to replace her, and Nessarose to begin school there early. The accident also brings Elaphaba closer to Galinda (or Glinda as she is now known) and allows Elpahaba to form a circle of friends. Elphaba continues to believe Dillamond was murdered, despite official claims he died accidentally, and this is confirmed by Ama Clutch on her deathbed. After Clutch is buried, Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Crage Hall, calls Elphaba, Glinda and Nessarose to her office and offers them to the chance of becoming Adepts of Magic, who would serve the Wizard, though she casts a spell on them so that they will not remember the offer until she speaks to them again. After this, Elphaba takes Gllinda and goes to Oz's imperial capital called Emerald City to show Dillamond's work to him. After a disappointing meeting, she parts ways with Glinda, telling her she will not return to Crage Hall, and later becomes a member of the resistance against the Wizard and his prejudice laws.
City Life
Five years later, Elphaba is a fully grown woman and resistance member of the Emerald City. The city is indeed an elaborate establishment. But even though the majority of the city is very prosperous and beautiful, filled with many gardens and consisting of elegant palaces made of green marble decorated with real emeralds, Elphaba lives in an abandoned building in a rather isolated section of the city. Her home is in a district neighborhood that is considered as the slums of the Emerald City, where the residents are mostly prostitutes, pimps, homeless people, thieves and drug dealers/addicts.
One day Elphaba unexpectedly runs into Fiyero, an old friend from college. She tries to avoid him, but he catches her and they begin to meet in secret, which eventually becomes a love affair in which they both fall deeply in love. The secret relationship lasts for several months. On Lurlinmas Eve, she is assigned to assassinate Madame Morribel, but fails. At the same time, her apartment is raided and Fiyero is brutally killed out of spite to hurt Elphaba.
Mauntery Life
Severely traumatized by the murder of her secret lover, Elphaba has a mental breakdown and as a result she stops speaking entirely. She eventually makes her way to a mauntery (monastic convent). She falls into a deep sleep which lasts for a year. During this time, she gives birth to her son, Liir. Though she is never told about this and would never realize it. After recovering, she works as a maunt under the name of Sister Saint Aelphaba and takes a vow of silence. She spends most of her time cleaning floors by hand and working with dying patients. One day she meets the dying Tibbett, whom she befriends and is touched by and who encourages her to speak again and live her life. Tibbett's death also propels her to leave the convent after years of being verbally and emotionally shut down.
Kiamo Ko
Elphaba sets off for Kiamo Ko to seek forgiveness for the death of Fiyero from his wife, Sarima, who welcomes her and allows her to stay at Kiamo Ko along with Liir, who the maunts had sent along with Elphaba. She also introduces Elphaba to her sisters and three children. On the journey to Kiamo Ko, Elphaba encounters a number of animals, including an orphaned snow monkey who she calls Chistery and a wolf-dog called Killyjoy. Though Elphaba had only intended to stay at Kiamo Ko until she received Sarima's forgiveness, Sarima refuses to listen to her story and she resigns herself to living in the castle indefinitely. As Elphaba refuses to give her name, Sarima calls her 'Auntie,' although her children end up calling her Auntie Witch behind her back a name she eventually gives in to, even though she resents it.
While living at Kiamo Ko, Elphaba discovers the Grimmerie (a book containing vast magical knowledge) in the attic of the castle. Elphaba begins the study the book and practice magic. She begins to realize she has latent magical ability, having frozen a lake to save Chistery and made an icicle fall with her mind that kills one of Sarima's children.
One day, troops led by Commander Cherrystone come to Kiamo Ko, claiming they are on an exploration mission and need shelter, though Elphaba suspects they have more sinister motives. One day, she sees Fiyero's daughter, Nor, surprisingly riding on the broom she was given by the maunts and begins to learn to ride it herself. With the broom, she pays a visit to her family in Colwen Grounds, where Frex proposes that she and Nessarose work together to rule Munchkinland, now that it had seceded from Oz. However, she rejects the proposal and returns to Kiamo Ko, only to discover everyone but Nanny (who had come to live there after Nessarose's ascension) and Liir had been captured and taken away. She then makes it her mission to save them.
Tides to The Wizard of Oz 1939 film and/or 1900 book
One day Elphaba receives word of her sister Nessarose' s (who is now unofficially known as the Wicked Witch of the East) death. When Elphaba finally arrives in Munchkinland, she sees her father and Galinda again. Galinda now goes by simply "Glinda" and is known as the Good Witch of the North. She has mastered the art of small magic and tells Elphaba about Dorothy Gale. Glinda explains that she gave the lost girl Nessarose's slippers and cast a spell upon them as protection to keep the girl and her pet dog "Toto" away from any possible harm and to get them out of the way from being pulled into all of the political chaos. This outrages Elphaba, who is determined to get them back as it is the only thing that she will have left of her sister.
Remember, the magic shoes in Wicked are not exactly Ruby Slippers like the MGM musical, nor are they exactly made of silver like in L. Frank Baum's book, but something more in between, like something that has never been seen before. They are not called any specific color or gem, instead they are described like this:
"From a pile of ash shavings she withdrew a shoe, and then another. Were they silver? – or blue? – or now red? – lacquered with a candy coat of shell brilliance of a polish? It was hard to tell and it didn't matter; the effect was, was....it was dazzling!" (2.3.4.20)
The character Turtle Heart probably describes their symbolism best:
"To look in glass," said Turtle Heart, pointing to the roundel he had made as a toy for Elphaba, "is to see the future, in blood and rubies." (1.8.46)
The shoes are the one thing the Witch wants above all else, both in the musical and Baum's book strictly for the pairs mysterious powers. But Elphaba wants the shoes for slightly different reasons than her movie counterpart.
While in the MGM movie and Baum's book, the shoes were symbols of power and authority. In Maguire's reinvisonment the shoes are symbols of what Elphaba has secretly craved all her life; love, respect, acceptance, and family. Above all else, Nessa's shoes represent Elphaba's need to be accepted and considered important, particularly to her father.
The shoes aren't just related to themes of family and acceptance, though. They also, as in the movie, represent power. Interestingly, though, that becomes more of an excuse for Elphaba to justify her obsession with getting the shoes from Dorothy:
"Should she pursue Dorothy, should she snatch those shoes away – and what were her real motives? Was it to keep them out of the hands of the Wizard ... Or was it to snatch back some small shred of Frex's attention?" (5.10.1)
Ultimately, other than considered dazzling, the shoes really don't have much power at all really. Elphaba is the one who turns the shoes into something more than they actually are.
"Grimmerie? I don't know what your talking about. I am all alone in this strange land, don't make me do this!" Cried the girl. "I would give you the shoes, if I could. But they won't come off! I think Glinda put a spell on them, I've been trying to get them off for days and days. My socks are so sweaty it's not to be believed!" -Dorothy Gale in Wicked (1995)
(Gregory Maguire combines elements from the 1939 film and paying homage to the 1900 book by Baum by making the slippers both ruby and silver while adding his own twist to his own version of the classic Oz tale.)
After Elphaba learns Dorothy has the shoes, this causes Elphaba and Glinda to have a falling out and as a result they never speak again. Shortly before Nessarose's funeral, she meets with The Wizard, who reveals he has Nor. To Elphaba's horror she sees that Nor has been held captive all these years, stripped of her independence and has been beaten into submission and kept as a slave by the Wizard who then asks Elphaba for the Grimmerie to be given to him. Elphaba refuses unless he gives up Nor, but he claims she is his protection against her.
After this, Elphaba sets out on her flying broomstick to find Dorothy who is oblivious that the Witch is after her. Dorothy is now following the yellow brick road and having her own set of adventures while she is on her way to see the Wizard. Elphaba then meets up with Boq once more and they discuss the matter of Dorothy who spent the night at Boq's estate when passing through Munchkinland. Eventually Elphaba finds Dorothy who is by this point accompanied by three oddball companions: a straw man, a shiny woodman and a giant cat. She eavesdrops to the group gossip about her when she sees her sisters shoes sparkling on Dorothy's feet. Just as Elphaba attempts to retrieve them it begins to rain, thus letting Dorothy get away while Elphaba takes cover under a tree to avoid contact with water. Afterwards Elphaba decides to go to Shiz with the intention of killing Madame Morrible. To Elphaba's dismay Morrible has already died of old age seconds prior, so Elphaba could only bash the dead woman's head in with a marble trophy. Nevertheless, she claims to be Morrible's killer while paying a visit to a dinner party held by Avaric, though she is not taken seriously as a murderer until much later. On the way back to Kiamo Ko while drunk, she meets the crew of the Clock, who put on a show revealing Elphaba's true parentage, which reveals to be none other than Elphaba's worst enemy, the Wizard. Elphaba does not believe it to be true.
A Melted Reflection
Back in Kiamo Ko, she finds the Miracle Elixir in Nanny's possessions and begins to drink it. However, she begins to have strange dreams and begins to drink a potion to avoid sleeping. However, the lack of sleep and paranoia over the Wizard starts to take a toll on her mental health. When she learns Dorothy is on her way, being sent by the Wizard himself, Elphaba notices the girl is still accompanied by the three oddball comrades from earlier, who are helping Dorothy on her task to kill the Wicked Witch of the West in exchange for Dorothy to be sent back to her native homeland. Since the people in Oz are a superstitious bunch, no one in Oz dares to harm Dorothy due to the meaning of her name which means "Goddess of Gifts" and her coincidentally having the same last name as the Wizard's soldiers known as the "Gale Force". Added with the fact she also wears Nessrose's shoes, this makes Dorothy nearly untouchable.
However, Elphaba believes the Scarecrow may indeed be Fiyero in a costume, coming back to her in a disguise. It also could be Fiyero's spirit inside, possessing the scarecrow and giving it life. To find out if Fiyero is indeed still alive by any miracle, Elphaba then immediately sends out her animals to try to lead Dorothy to the castle. However, Elphabla's attempt backfires and all her pets are killed except the flying monkeys, who bring Dorothy and The Lion while Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are left behind. After a uncomfortable and disastrous meal, Elphaba pulls Dorothy into a tower in the castle and demands the girl to give her the slippers, but the pair are somehow magically locked on Dorothy's feet, most likely due to Glinda's protection spell to keep them from falling into the wrong hands. In the middle of the confrontation, Elphaba becomes stunned by Dorothy's honest pleas for forgiveness, which was what Elphaba never got the chance to do with Sarima.
Elphaba's last moments before being liquefied by Dorothy Gale.
Throughout the argument, Elphaba finally becomes "Wicked" right after she realizes that Dorothy reminds her of herself, as both Elphaba and Dorothy are outsiders. Just then the Lion barges in and comes to defend and rescue Dorothy. He threatens the Witch to not harm the girl. Elphaba drags Dorothy up the tower to the top room where she locks the door. The two of them are alone after Elphaba realizes the Lion was the same baby cub she rescued herself once from being tested on at Shiz. With Dorothy begging for forgiveness, all this is too much for Elphaba and causes her to finally snap and go insane, believing Dorothy is her soul coming to claim her soulless body.
"You’re my soul come scavenging for me, I can feel it,” said the Witch. “I won’t have it, I won’t have it. I won’t have a soul; with a soul there is everlastingness, and life has tortured me enough!"
In a state of insanity and psychological defeat, Elphaba accidentally sets her own robes on fire by not paying attention to her surroundings. A frightened Dorothy quickly grabs a bucket near by that is filled with collecting rain water. Dorothy throws the water at a panicking Elphaba to put out the fire and save the Witch but instead it ultimately kills her as she melts away before Dorothy's very eyes. Dorothy is declared a Hero for evermore and Elphaba's death is celebrated by many throughout Oz. Her story makes history, being turned into a mere myth, so far fetched from what really went down the night of the melting Elphaba is made out to be a monster and it is believed Dorothy did everyone a favor by ridding Oz of the two "Wicked" Thropp sisters. Glinda is guilt ridden by Elphaba's demise and has a private candlelight vigil for Elphaba at midnight. She is the only one who pays her respect for the deceased Wicked Witch of the West.
The novel ends stating that there is no happy ending for a Witch, as no one mourns the "Wicked".
Gone But Not Forgotten
The bucket splash that killed the Wicked Witch of the West connects to the fable of Saint Aelphaba, for whom Elphaba is named after, who was said to disappear beyond a waterfall, and never return. This in turn ties Elphaba to the stories Sarima tells her children about a wicked witch who disappears into a cave. At the end of the story, the children always ask if the witch ever comes out, to which Sarima replies "not yet". At the end of the book, this dialogue is repeated, suggesting that Elphaba will eventually rise again. Just before being absorbed into the Grimmerie in A Lion Among Men, the oracle known as Yackle also claims that "She's coming back-", although to whom this refers is never made explicitly clear. In interviews, Maguire has stated that a witch may die but will always come back, no matter what. This very well hints that Elphaba is the subject of Yackle's prophecy. Though, it is likely the prophecy was referring to the long lost Ozma, who returns in the final book. However, in the final book, Nanny claims to have seen Elphaba the other day and Glinda is freed from her jail sentence by someone who she calls "wicked" and who she says "took her time". However, this could easily be Elphaba's granddaughter, Rain, who inherited her green skin.
In the Musical
Act I
Elphaba Thropp, the daughter of the governor of Munchkinland, who is ostracized for her electric-green skin attends the university of Shiz in the magical land of Oz. When Elphaba arrives she is mercilessly shunned for being different. Soon She meets Galinda Upland, the rich and spoiled girl who becomes her roommate. The two young girls take an immediate dislike and loathe for each other. Not even Elphaba knows why she is green but it is explained that Elphaba was born with green skin because her mother drank green elixir on the night Elphaba was conceived. In a moment of anger, trying to help her sister Nessarose, Elphaba reveals an innate magical talent, which impresses Madame Morrible, the "Head Shiztress" of Shiz; she notes that Elphaba's talents may be of use to the Wizard of Oz, and promises to ask him for an audience. Galinda and Elphaba, meanwhile, espouse their mutual loathing in a duet (What is this Feeling).
Elphaba at Shiz
Elphaba meets Dr. Dillamond, the Goat that teaches History at Shiz. He confides in Elphaba that things in Oz are not what they seem to be; something is causing the Animals of Oz to lose their powers of speech and become animals (Something Bad).
Galinda, while preparing for a party arranged by a carefree student named Fiyero, discovers a black pointed hat in a box and gives it to Elphaba as a “present”; Elphaba arrives wearing the hat, only to be ridiculed. Defiant, she proceeds to dance alone and without musical accompaniment. Feeling guilty, Galinda joins her on the dance floor, marking the start of a new friendship between the two. After the dance, Galinda and Elphaba talk in their room; Galinda decides to give her new friend a makeover and to make her (Popular ).
The next day, Ozian officials take away Doctor Dillamond. The new history teacher arrives with a caged lion cub (who will turn out to be the Cowardly Lion) as the subject of an in-class experiment, revealing that Animals that are kept in cages never will learn how to speak. Outraged, Elphaba's magical abilities show themselves, and she and Fiyero are able to rescue the cub themselves. The two realize that they may have feelings for each other, but Fiyero leaves, embarrassed. Elphaba takes refuge under a bridge and states that it would be impossible for someone like Fiyero to have feelings for someone like her (I'm Not That Girl ). It begins to rain, and Madame Morrible finds her and announces that she has been granted an audience with the Wizard. Morrible stops the rain, in order to keep Elphaba from getting too wet(for she will melt), announcing that weather is her specialty. At the train station, Galinda and Fiyero see Elphaba off to the Emerald City. In an attempt to impress Fiyero, Galinda announces that she will change her name to "Glinda" in honor of Doctor Dillamond's persistent mispronunciation. Fiyero seems not to notice, focusing his attention instead on Elphaba, and Elphaba, feeling bad for Glinda, invites her along to see the Wizard.
Defying Gravity
After a day of sightseeing in the Emerald City, Elphaba and Glinda meet the Wizard. Eschewing the special effects that he employs for the benefit of most visitors, he invites Elphaba to join him. As a test, he asks that Elphaba give his monkey servant, Chistery, the ability to fly using the Grimmerie, an ancient book of spells. Elphaba demonstrates an innate understanding of the lost language, and successfully gives Chistery wings. Showing her how powerful she really is, the Wizard reveals a cage full of winged monkeys, and remarks that they will make good spies to report any subversive Animal activity. Realizing that she has been used and that the Wizard has no power of his own, Elphaba runs away with the Grimmerie, pursued by the palace guards.
Elphaba and Glinda run into the tallest tower, where they hear Madame Morrible declaring to all of Oz that Elphaba is a "Wicked Witch" and is to be distrusted. Elphaba enchants a broomstick to fly and tries to convince Glinda to join her in her cause, but Glinda cannot resist the call of popularity and refuses. Leaving Glinda behind, Elphaba flies off, promising to fight the Wizard with all of her power and Defy Gravity (Defying Gravity )
Act II
A few years pass, and Elphaba's exploits have earned her the title "The Wicked Witch of the West". Elphaba arrives at the governor's residence in Munchkinland seeking refuge; Nessarose, now the governess, criticizes Elphaba for not using her new-found powers to help her sister. Guilty, Elphaba enchants Nessarose's jeweled shoes, enabling her to walk. Boq, Nessarose's servant, is summoned and reveals that his affection for Nessarose was put on and his heart lies with Glinda. Furious, Nessarose miscasts a spell from the Grimmerie, accidentally causing Boq's heart to shrink. While Elphaba attempts to save him, Nessarose reflects on how her obsession with Boq has led her to oppress the Munchkins. Elphaba saves Boq by turning him into the Tin Woodman; horrified, Nessarose lays the blame with Elphaba.
Elphaba with the Wizard
Elphaba returns to the Wizard's palace in order to free the rest of the winged monkeys. The Wizard attempts to regain her favor by agreeing to set them free. Upon discovering a now-speechless Doctor Dillamond among the monkeys, Elphaba rejects his offer and attempts to escape, but runs into Fiyero. Confirming his true love for Elphaba, he runs off with her.
Glinda, in a fit of jealousy, instructs Madame Morrible and the Wizard of Oz to spread a rumor about Elphaba's sister. They both agree a rumor is not enough, and once Glinda is gone, Madame Morrible decides a "change in the weather" would suffice.
In the middle of the woods, Elphaba and Fiyero profess their love for each other. They are interrupted when Elphaba hears strange noises and sees houses flying through the air. She leaves, and goes off to find her sister.
She arrives in Munchkinland, to meet Dorothy Gale and Toto as the 1939 The Wizard of Oz movie implies. Once Dorothy is gone, Glinda falls to her knees and places flowers near where Nessa had been crushed by the house.
(In a few versions of the play, Dorothy makes one single appearance. At the beginning of the second act, Dorothy is actually seen with Toto skipping off the stage now wearing Nessarose's shoes.)
Suddenly Elphaba appears, and soon finds out that Nessa's death was no accident. She and Glinda get into a fierce fight, and the Gale Force guards intercede, grabbing Elphaba under the Wizard's commands. Elphaba can't believe Glinda would use such a trick to capture her, and Fiyero arrives, telling the guards to "let the green girl go." They do, and Fiyero convinces Elphaba to leave without him. He is taken out to a distant field, and it is implied he is beaten viciously and killed. Then placed on a pole to represent turning into the scarecrow that Dorothy Gale will soon encounter.
Elphaba and Fiyero
Elphaba is in Kiamo Ko, Fiyero's castle, and she searches frantically through the Grimmerie trying to find a spell to help save Fiyero. She reflects on all of her past actions, and on how they have affected the people she has loved. She finally discovers that it is not worth trying to do good anymore and she is wicked.
As Elphaba yells at Dorothy who is heard crying while Elphaba looks down into a dungeon door that leads into the ground, she tells the girl to give her the slippers if she wants to see her Aunt and Uncle again. Glinda arrives at her castle to persuade her to let the little girl go and her dog, whom she incorrectly refers to as "Dodo" go as well. But Elphaba refuses and continues to harass Dorothy about the shoes. After receiving a note, she finally realizes what she has done wrong and how to fix it. She makes Glinda promise not to clear her name and to take charge in Oz, and the two confirm a true friendship. As the mob arrives at the castle, suddenly a shadow that distinctly represents Dorothy runs through all the chaos and throws a bucket of water on Elphaba, 'melting' her. Elphaba's voice is heard shrieking and her shadow then shrinks away into the floor and disappears in a cloud of smoke.
Fiyero, whom Elphaba had accidentally turned into the Scarecrow when trying to save him, opens a trapdoor in Elphaba's castle. Elphaba, very much alive, emerges and the two are happily reunited, and leave Oz forever.
Book to Musical Differences
In the musical Wicked, Elphaba is more beautiful, less cynical, more likable, and far more sympathetic than the novel.
The Oz characters by L. Frank Baum known as King Pastoria who was the last king of Oz before the Wizard took over, and the Fairy Queen Lurline who is responsible for making Oz the enchanted realm that it is, are both mentioned in the book as well as Pastoria's baby daughter and heir to Oz's throne, princess Ozma. However, in the stage adaptation, these three Oz characters are not seen nor mentioned.
Also, the Oz character by L. Frank Baum known as "Tik-Tok", the mechanical copper man of Oz who serves as Oz's Royal Army, makes a brief appearance in the book but is never mentioned nor seen in the play. However, L. Frank Baum's characters known as the Hammer-Heads from the original Oz book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, are seen in the play instead.
Jemma Rix as Elphaba
counterpart. In the book, Elphaba virtually goes mad, and genuinely becomes "wicked", though understandably so; however in the musical, she tries not to hurt anyone and just wants to help the Animals and the people she cares about. Liir, Sarima and her children are not present in the musical, instead, a love triangle with Fiyero, Elphaba and Glinda is formed. The young Elphaba shows interest in sorcery as soon as her powers are revealed, as opposed to having it thrust upon her as in the book. Elphaba is explicitly shown to survive at the end, and goes to live a life beyond Oz with Fiyero, where in the book her impending resurrection is only hinted. Elphaba is also the creator of the Tin Woodman (through a spell to save Boq, who had had his heart shrunken to apparent non-existence by Nessarose), the Scarecrow (through a spell with which she attempts to save Fiyero from being tortured to death on her account) and the Cowardly Lion (the Lion Cub she rescued from the class after Doctor Dillamond's removal); in the book the first is a result of an axe bewitched by Nessarose, and the scarecrow's existence has nothing to do with Fiyero, other than her slight suspicion that he might indeed be her love coming back to find her, which just proves to be a paranoid delusion. Elphaba also has a less significant vendetta with Madame Morrible in the musical than in the book: In the novel, Elphaba relentlessly attempts to kill Morrible, but in the musical, Elphaba has virtually nothing to do with her after the conclusion of the first act. Her relationship with Glinda (called "Galinda" until she renames herself in the latter part of the first act in honor of Doctor Dillamond) is a central feature of the musical. As in the novel, the two initially despise each other, but eventually develop a strong friendship. For a while, Elphaba goes along with Glinda's attempts to make her popular, but her rebellious and revolutionary nature ultimately forces her to reject both social and political popularity in favor of doing what she knows to be right in fighting to save the Animals. Just prior to Elphaba's supposed melting, the two confess that each has been changed by their friendship: Elphaba admits that Glinda was the only friend she ever had, and Glinda replies that Elphaba was the only friend she has ever had who really mattered.
Kerry Ellis as Elphaba
Elphaba demonstrates a natural talent in the field of sorcery early in the musical, and is selected by Madame Morrible to be tutored personally. She progresses quickly, and is eventually called before the Wizard of Oz himself, with a view to becoming his "magic Grand Vizier". However, when she learns that the Wizard is in fact a powerless fraud, Elphaba steals the Grimmerie from him and sets herself up as a rebel. In retaliation, the Wizard has Madame Morrible spread the rumor that Elphaba is a "Wicked Witch", to turn the public against her. She becomes the subject of national hatred thereafter, and her attempts to convince the people as to the Wizard's corrupt rule are regarded as slander. As more and more of her friends turn against her, Elphaba gradually comes to accept her reputation as a villain, and the supposed death of Fiyero is what finally causes her to embrace it completely. However, when she realizes that Fiyero has in fact survived, Elphaba acknowledges the mistakes she has made in her life, and decides to get a fresh start outside of Oz.
In the musical, Elphaba's aversion to water is no more than one of several ridiculous rumors started by those who fear her. Elphaba uses this to her advantage by disappearing when Dorothy throws a bucket of water at her, fooling everyone into believing she has been killed, even though she just went down a trapdoor and lives to the end.
Songs
Solos
- I'm Not That Girl
Japanese "As Long As You're Mine."
- No Good Deed
Solos (In A Duet)
- The Wizard and I (Madame Morrible)
- Something Bad (Dr. Dillamond)
- Wonderful (The Wizard)
- As Long As You're Mine (Fiyero)
- For Good (Glinda)
Solos (In A Group Number)
- What Is This Feeling? (Glinda and Students of Shiz)
- Dancing Through Life (Fiyero, Glinda, Boq, Nessarose, and Students of Shiz)
- One Short Day (Glinda and Citizens of the Emerald City)
- Defying Gravity (Glinda and Company)
- The Wicked Witch of the East (Nessarose and Boq)
- Finale (Glinda and Company)
Others
- Dear Old Shiz (Glinda and Shiz Students)
Trivia
- The idea for Elphaba's Act 2 dress was as if she was from the center of the Earth.
- The fabric for Elphaba’s Wicked Witch bodice is not actually one fabric. It is as many as 20 different fabrics, cut into pieces no bigger than 3” and quilted, cut, stitched, and quilted together.
- The ruffles in the skirt of Elphaba’s Wicked Witch dress require 40 yards of fabric to complete.
- It takes one person 2 weeks to sew the entire Act 2 dress together.
- The Act 2 dress is said to weigh around 25 lbs.
- The Act 2 dress is worth anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.
- The Act 2 dress has a zipper down the back that can be easily replaced.
- There are 20 shades of Elphaba green skin (although the production only regularly use a few).
- It usually takes about half an hour (depending on actress experience) for Elphaba to “greenify” every night.
- The most famous actress to portray Elphaba is Idina Menzel.
- There are two almost identical dresses, one's the Shiz dress; the other is tighter for the party at the Ozdust.
- In the musical, the wig for the second act is different from the first. It's longer with dark red or brown in it (it really depends on where the show is taking place).
- On matinee days (days where there are two shows) the actress who plays Elphaba has to de-greenify herself in-between shows because between acts the green skin becomes more defined.
- The fastest time for applying Elphaba's green make up was 7 minutes.
- Idina Menzel returned to the role of Elphaba in the original West End cast in 2006
- Most actresses playing Elphaba are mostly mezzo-sopranos ( a soprano in a lower range or an alto in a higher range)
- Danna Paola in the Mexican production is the youngest actress to play Elphaba at 18 years old.
- Idina Menzel won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role (Musical) for her role as Elphaba in 2004
- Idina Menzel was the original actress to play the role of Elphaba.
- Stephanie J. Block read for Elphaba in the workshops for Wicked.
Portrayers
Broadway
- Idina Menzel (2003-2005)
- Shoshana Bean (2005-2006)
- Eden Espinosa (2006)
- Ana Gasteyer (2006-2007)
- Julia Murney (2007)
- Stephanie J Block (2007-2008)
Lindsay Mendez as Elphaba
- Kerry Ellis (2008)
- Marcie Dodd (2008-2009)
- Nicole Parker (2009)
- Dee Roscioli (2009-2010)
- Mandy Gonzalez (2010-2011)
- Teal Wicks (2011)
- Jackie Burns (2011-2013)
- Willemijn Verkaik (2013)
- Lindsay Mendez (2013-2014)
- Christine Dwyer (Current)
- Emma Hunton (2014-Current)
Broadway Standbys
- Eden Espinosa (2003-2004; also Nessarose u/s)
- Shoshana Bean (2004-2005; also Nessarose u/s)
- Saycon Sengbloh (2005-2007)
- Lisa Brescia (2007-2008)
- Julie Reiber (2008-2009)
- Jennifer DiNoia (2009-2011; temporary 2012; Current - temporary)
- Donna Vivino (August 2011-October 2012; November 2012-November 2013)
- Carla Stickler (November 2013; temporary)
- Christine Dwyer (2013-2014)
- Anne Brummel (February 2014-August 2014)
- Lilli Cooper (Current)
- Emmy Raver-Lampman (2014-Current)
Broadway Understudies
- Kristy Cates
- Brandi Chavonne Massey
- Caissie Levy
- Maria Eberline (temporary)
- Chelsea Krombach
- Stephanie Torns (2010-2011; June 2014-July 2014; August 2014)
- Caroline Bowman
- Jennifer DiNoia (temporary)
- Anna Eilinsfeld (temporary)
- Vicki Noon
- Carla Stickler (Current)
- Stephanie Torns (2014-Current)
1st National Tour
- Stephanie J. Block (2005-2006)
- Kristy Cates (2005; temporary)
- Eden Espinosa (2005; temporary)
- Julia Murney (2006)
- Shoshana Bean (2006)
- Victoria Matlock (2007)
- Carmen Cusack (2007-2008)
- Donna Vivino (2008-2010)
- Jackie Burns (2010-2011)
- Dee Roscioli (2011)
- Mamie Parris (2011-2012)
- Nicole Parker (2012)
- Dee Roscioli (2012-2013)
- Alison Luff (2013-2014)
- Emma Hunton (Current)
1st National Tour Standbys
- Victoria Matlock (2006)
- Coleen Sexton (2007)
- Donna Vivino (2007-2008)
- Merideth Kaye Clark (2008-2010)
- Marriand Torres (2010-2012)
- Carla Stickler (2012-2013; also u/s Nessarose)
- Laurel Harris (2013-2014; also u/s Nessarose)
- Emmy Raver-Lampman (Current)
1st National Tour Understudies
- Jenna Leigh Green (also Nessarose)
- Maria Eberline (also u/s Nessarose)
- Marcie Dodd (also u/s Nessarose)
- Merideth Kaye Clark
- Stephanie Torns (Current)
- Carla Stickler (also u/s Nessarose)
- Ashley Dawn Mortensen
- Shayla (Osborn) Beck (also u/s Nessarose)
Chicago Production
- Ana Gasteyer (2005-2006)
- Kristy Cates (2006)
- Dee Roscioli (2006-2008, 2008-2009)
- Lisa Brescia (2008)
Chicago Standbys
- Kristy Cates (2005-2006)
- Dee Roscioli (2006)
- Carmen Cusack (2006-2007)
- Jennifer DiNoia (2007-2009)
Chicago Understudies
- Courtney Corey
- Jennifer DiNoia (also u/s Nessarose)
- Dan'yelle Williamson
- Vicki Noon
- Anne Brummel (Final)
West End (London) Production
- Idina Menzel (2006-2007)
- Kerry Ellis (2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2014)
- Alexia Khadime (2008, 2009-2010)
- Rachel Tucker (2010-2012)
- Louise Dearman (2012-2013)
- Willemijn Verkaik (2013-2014)
- Jennifer DiNoia (Current)
- Emma Hatton (upcoming-2015)
West End Standbys
- Kerry Ellis (2006)
- Shona White (2007)
- Cassidy Janson (2007-2008)
- Ashleigh Gray (2008-2010; temporary 2013 & 2014)
- Nikki Davis-Jones (2010-2012)
- Hayley Gallivan (2012-2013)
- Emma Hatton (Current)
West End Understudies
- Cassidy Janson (2006-2007; also u/s Nessarose)
- Ashleigh Gray (2007-2008)
- Shona White (emergency cover-2009)
- Sabrina Carter (2008-2010)
- Stevie Tate-Bauer (2010-2011; also u/s Nessarose)
- Jennifer Tierney (2011; also u/s Madame Morrible)
- Gemma Atkins (2011-2012; also u/s Nessarose)
- Michelle Pentecost (2011-2013))
- Katie Rowley Jones (2012-2013)
- Natalie McQueen (2013; 1st u/s)
- Jacqueline Hughes (2013-2014; 2nd u/s)
- Laura Emmitt (upcoming; 2nd u/s)
Los Angeles Production
- Eden Espinosa (2007; 2008-2009)
- Caissie Levy (2008)
- Teal Wicks (2008)
Los Angeles Standbys
- Julie Reiber (2007)
- Caissie Levy (2007)
- Teal Wicks (2008)
- Marcie Dodd (2008; also u/s Nessarose)
- Vicki Noon (2008-2009)
- Felicia Ricci ( 2010)
Los Angeles Understudies
- Courtney Corey
- Marcie Dodd (temporary; also Nessarose)
- Angel Reda (Final)
Stuttgart Production
- Willemijn Verkaik (2007-2010)
- Roberta Valentini (2010)
Stuttgart Alternates
- Sabrina Weckerlin (2007-2008)
- Roberta Valentini (2008-2010)
- Melanie Gebhard (2010)
Stuttgart Understudies
- Roberta Valentini
- Melanie Gebhard
- Maria Walter (Final)
Melbourne Production
- Amanda Harrison (2008-2009)
- Jemma Rix (2009; temporary)
Melbourne Standbys
- Jemma Rix (2008-2009)
- Carmen Cusack (2009; temporary)
Melbourne Understudies
- Patrice Tipoki
- Zoe Gertz (Final; also u/s Madame Morrible)
Japan Production
- Hamada Megumi(Original)
- Higuchi Asami
- Imai Minori
- Kimura Chiaki
- Ebata Masae
- Miyahara Kei
San Francisco Production
- Teal Wicks (2009-2010)
- Vicki Noon (2009; temporary)
- Eden Espinosa (2010)
- Marcie Dodd (2010)
San Francisco Standbys
- Vicki Noon (2009-2010)
- Merideth Kaye Clark (2009; temporary)
- Dee Roscioli (2009; temporary)
- Carrie Manolakos (2010; temporary)
- Felicia Ricci (2010)
San Francisco Understudies
- Angel Reda
- Felicia Ricci
- Alyssa Fox (Final)
2nd National Tour
- Marcie Dodd (2009-2010)
- Vicki Noon (2010-2011)
- Anne Brummel (2011- April 2012)
- Christine Dwyer (May 2012-March 2013)
- Jennifer DiNoia (2013-2014)
- Laurel Harris (Current)
2nd National Tour Standbys
Alyssa Fox as Elphaba
- Carrie Manolakos (2009-2010)
- Anne Brummel (2010-2011)
- Christine Dwyer (2011)
- Stephanie Torns (2011-2012)
- Alyssa Fox (2012-Present)
- Lilli Cooper (temporary)
2nd National Tour Understudies
- Natalie Weiss
- Anne Brummel
- Christine Dwyer
- Laurel Harris (also u/s Nessarose)
- Anna Eilinsfeld (2012-2013; also u/s Nessarose)
- Lilli Cooper
- Madeline Trumble (Current)
- Shayla Beck (temporary)
- Kennedy Caughell (upcoming)
Tokyo Revival
- Okamura Minami (Current)
UK/Ireland Tour
- Nikki Davis-Jones (2013-2014)
- Ashleigh Gray (September 2014-)
UK/Ireland Tour Standby
- Jemma Alexander
- Michelle Pentecost (temporary)
- Jacqueline Hughes (September 2014-)
UK/Ireland Tour Understudy
- Zoë George (also 2nd cover Nessarose)
- Natasha Ferguson (also 1st cover Nessarose)
Mexico City
- Ana Cecilia Anzaldúa
- Danna Paola
Mexico City Understudies
- Edén Pintos
- Viviana Barrera
Seoul, South Korea
- Oak Joo Hyun
- Park Hye Na
- Kim Sun-Young
Seoul Understudy
- Kim Ga Hee
Sydney Production
- Amanda Harrison (2009)
- Jemma Rix (2009; temporary)
- Jemma Rix / Pippa Grandison (2009-2010)
- Jemma Rix / Patrice Tipoki (2010)
Sydney Standbys
- Jemma Rix (2009)
- Jennifer DiNoia (2009; temporary)
- Patrice Tipoki (2009-2010)
Sydney Understudies
- Zoe Gertz (2009-2010; first understudy; also u/s Madame Morrible)
- Justine Puy (2010; second understudy)
Australian Tour
- Jemma Rix (2011)
Australian Tour Standby
- Laura Bunting (2011)
Australian Tour Understudy
- Zoe Jarrett (2011; also u/s Madame Morrible)
Oberhausen Production
- Willemijn Verkaik (2010-2011)
- Roberta Valentini (2011)
Oberhausen Alternates
- Roberta Valentini (2010-2011)
- Anna Thorén (2011)
Oberhausen Understudies
- Melanie Gebhard
Scheveningen (Dutch) Production
- Willemijn Verkaik (2011-2013)
Scheveningen Alternate
- Renée van Wegberg (2011-2013)
Scheveningen Understudy
- Bettina Holwerda (2011-2012)
- Suzanne de Heij (2012-2013)
Asian Tour Production
- Jemma Rix (Original)
Asian Tour Standbys
- Zoe (Gertz) Jarrett (Original)
- Jennifer DiNoia (May 2012-October 2012)
Asian Tour Understudies
- Gretel Scarlett (also u/s Nessarose)
Helsinki City Theatre Production (non-replicated version)
- Maria Ylipää (2010-2011)
Helsinki Understudy
- Raili Ruutu
Copenhagen Production (non-replicated version)
- Maria Lucia Heiberg Rosenberg (2011)
Copenhagen Understudy
- Christina Elisabeth Mørkøre (1st u/s)
- Caroline Glomnes Johansen (2nd u/s)
Australia Revival
- Jemma Rix (2014-Present)
Australia Standby
- Ali Calder (2014-Present)
- Lilli Cooper (temporary)
Australia Understudy
- Sophie Wright (2014-Present)