Wicked is a 2003 Broadway musical, based on the Wizard of Oz. In this musical we follow the story of how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West. It also explores the notions of goodness and wickedness.
No One Mourns The Wicked – the Ozians are celebrating Elphaba’s death; Glinda tries to foster sympathy for Elphaba saying it couldn’t have been easy, being green; Elphaba’s mother had an affair with a man who gave her a green potion, which is probably the reason for Elphaba’s green skin; when Elphaba is born her father is appalled at his daughter and orders “it” to be taken away
Dear Old Shiz – an Ozian asks Glinda if she was friends with Elphaba; she dismisses this by saying they only crossed paths at school; as they school’s Alma Mater is sung, Glinda sees the past Elphaba walking around school with her father and sister
Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose is born with leg damage and has to use a wheelchair. Their mother died during Nessarose’s birth. Their father prefers Nessarose and gives her a pair of silver slippers. The headshiztress, Madam Morrible, who is also a witch, decides to take Nessarose under her wing. Elphaba is left with Galinda as her roommate.
The Wizard and I – when Elphaba tries to take her sister back she exhibits her telekinetic powers; Morrible recognizes this and wants to teach Elphaba; she convinces Elphaba to practice with her so that she may one day be able to work with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
What is This Feeling? – the song is written like a love song but it is the exact opposite but there is subtext that suggests otherwise; Elphaba and Galinda, who will become the Good Witch, dislike each other from the very beginning; this song shows how different they were brought up – Elphaba’s letter to her father is very formal while Galinda’s is cheerful
Something Bad – Dr. Dillamond, a goat, tells Elphaba that the animals of Oz are losing their ability to speak; Elphaba is certain that the Wizard will be able to help them because nothing like that could possibly happen in Oz
Dancing Through Life – Prince Fiyero begins studying at Shiz and talks about how school is pointless; he invites everyone to his orientation party; Boq, a Munchkin, invites Galinda to the ball but she is already going with Fiyero; Galinda convinces Boq that she would love it if he asked Nessarose instead; Nessarose is so excited that she asks Elphaba to become friends with Galinda; Galinda gives Elphaba her iconic witch hat as a joke; when Boq tries to tell Nessarose why he asked her, she assumes that it is because he feels bad for her; Boq cannot come out and say that he only invited her because of Galinda so he asks her to dance instead
Morrible, at Elphaba’s request, tells Galinda that she can join their sorcery class. Elphaba goes to the dance wearing the witch hat, which she gets laughed at for. Elphaba dances alone until Galinda joins her, feeling guilty. After that everyone joins them. They continue to bond back in their room, Galinda talking about her plans to marry Fiyero and Elphaba telling her about the green potion bottle that made her green.
Popular – Galinda decides to give Elphaba a makeover to make her more popular; Galinda wants to teach Elphaba how to talk to boys, be poised, and charming; although she is trying to help she still manages to insult Elphaba’s personality and looks; Elphaba gets flustered and leaves after Galinda calls her beautiful
Dr. Dillamond tells his students that he has been excommunicated. A replacement teacher arrives and introduces the students to a cage that keeps animals from being able to learn how to speak. In the cage there is a baby lion. In her fury, Elphaba casts a spell that distracts her classmates. Fiyero helps her take the lion cage and he goes off to set it free.
I’m Not That Girl – it starts to rain; Elphaba tells herself that she shouldn’t get her hopes up because Fiyero loves Galinda, not her
Morrible tells Elphaba that the Wizard has decided to meet with her. Nessarose, Galinda, and Fiyero come to see her off. Fiyero gives her a bouquet of flowers, ignoring Galinda completely. To get Fiyero’s respect Galinda changes her name to Glinda, because Dr. Dillamond always pronounced her name that way.
One Short Day – Elphaba seeing how upset Glinda is, invites her to the Emerald City with her; both girls are excited about different aspects of the city, Elphaba wants to explore the libraries and museums while Glinda wants to shop
A Sentimental Man – the Wizard is less intimidating than Elphaba and Glinda expected; he says that he feels parental towards Elphaba, which is ironic considering he is her actual father
Morrible, the Wizard’s new press secretary, shows up to give Elphaba the Grimmerie book. They ask Elphaba to perform a levitation spell on the Wizard’s monkey, Chistrey. It does not go smoothly but in the process Elphaba learns that the Wizard is the one keeping the animals of Oz from talking. Instead of staying with a fraud, Elphaba decides to take matters into her own hands and runs away. Morrible spreads the rumor that Elphaba is a “wicked witch” so nobody would believe if she told people about the Wizard.
Defying Gravity – you probably know this song, its quintessentially Broadway; this song continues to show the differences between Glinda and Elphaba; Glinda believes Elphaba could have stayed and changed things from the inside but Elphaba believes change can only happen when you fight it head on; Elphaba continues saying that she can’t go back to the Wizard when she knows how horrible he is; Elphaba asks Glinda to run away with her, which Glinda actually considers; although they are saying goodbye to each other they understand the choices the other has to make; Elphaba rides away on an enchanted broom
Thank Goodness – Elphaba has earned her title as the Wicked Witch of the West; Glinda becomes the face of the Wizard’s schemes and is known as Glinda the Good; Fiyero becomes the captain of the guards in order to find Elphaba as the Ozians panic; Morrible announces his and Glinda’s engagement; Fiyero runs off, angry; although Glinda got what she wanted, popularity, she also lost her best friend in the process
The Wicked Witch of The East – Elphaba visits Nessarose who is governor of Munchkinland after their father dies; Elphaba tries to get her sister to help her fight the Wizard but Nessarose is preoccupied with her own problems; Elphaba turns Nessarose’s silver slippers to ruby slippers that allow her to walk; Nessarose is convinced that Boq must love her now but instead he finally tells her that he is in love with Glinda; a hurt Nessarose attempts a spell on him but shrinks his heart instead, earning the name of the Wicked Witch of the East
Elphaba casts another spell to save Boq’s life, turning him into the Tin Man. While Elphaba tells Nessarose that she has to leave to set the monkeys free, Nessarose knows she only wants to see Fiyero. On her way to free the monkeys, Elphaba runs into the Wizard.
Wonderful – the Wizard attempts to get Elphaba to join him; he tries to convince her that he is just a regular guy who unexpectedly came into power
She almost gives in until she sees Dr. Dillamond, who has lost his speech. Elphaba tries to accuse the Wizard of wrongdoing but he calls the guards on her before she can. Fiyero, the guards, and Glinda arrive and Fiyero helps Elphaba escape.
I’m Not That Girl (reprise) – Glinda realizes the Fiyero is in love with Elphaba
Glinda suggest that they lure Elphaba by announcing that her sister is in danger. Morrible conjures a tornado to put Nessarose in danger.
As Long As You’re Mine – Elphaba and Fiyero are together at last; they sing about using their time wisely because it is not guaranteed that they will be together forever
Elphaba has a vision of a house in a tornado and Nessarose. Fiyero tells her about a castle that she can stay in. Elphaba meets with Glinda in Munchkinland where Nessarose has been killed by a house. Elphaba finds out that Glinda gave Dorothy Nessarose’s ruby slippers. Angry over this and Fiyero, the two girls fight. Guards arrive to arrest Elphaba but Fiyero helps her escape by holding Glinda hostage. The guards kill Fiyero for his actions even though Glinda begs them not to.
No Good Deed – Elphaba tries to cast a spell to protect Fiyero but is unable to; upset about losing everyone she has ever loved she vows to never do a good deed again
March of The Witch Hunters – the lion that Elphaba and Fiyero saved at the beginning of the musical grows up to be the Cowardly Lion since he never learned to fight for himself; Boq also has a fight to pick because he is only a Tinman because of Elphaba; the Ozians declare war on the Wicked Witch and go to find her
At Fiyero’s castle, Elphaba has Dorothy and Toto. Elphaba refuses to let them go unless Dorothy gives her Nessarose’s ruby slippers. Glinda goes to warn Elphaba about the Ozians. Elphaba won’t let Dorothy and Toto go until she gets news that Fiyero is dead. Elphaba gives Glinda her Grimmerie spell book.
For Good – both realize that they have made mistakes in the past; they acknowledge that over the course of the musical they have learned and molded each other; at the end of the song they hug for the final time
Elphaba tells Glinda to hide when the Ozians get to the castle. Glinda has to stay hidden as Dorothy pours water over Elphaba who appears to melt away. All that is left is her hat and her mother’s green potion bottle. Glinda takes the bottle back to the Wizard who realizes that he was Elphaba’s biological father. Glinda banishes the Wizard from Oz and sends Morrible to jail.
Finale – Fiyero, who was turned into the Scarecrow, knocks on a trap door which reveals Elphaba; Elphaba pretended to be dead so she could live with Fiyero; Elphaba regrets having to leave Glinda behind; the musical comes full circle to the first song