With all the hype surrounding the new Wicked movie, your friendly musical theater nerd is here to clear up some things you may find “confusifying” about the franchise.
What is Wicked about?
The musical Wicked is mainly about the relationship between Glinda the “Good Witch” and Elphaba, the “Wicked Witch” from the Wizard of Oz. This movie covers the first of two acts of the stage musical it is based on. The second movie, which will be released on November 21, 2025, will cover the second act. The first movie follows Glinda (called “Galinda” during the first movie) and Elphaba’s time at Shiz University, and how they go from enemies to close friends. Elphaba is outcasted and mocked by her peers due to her green skin, while Galinda is polished and popular. Elphaba’s fiery temper clashes with Galinda’s seemingly shallow personality when they are forced to be roommates amidst a darkening political backdrop in Oz.
What is Wicked’s relationship to The Wizard of Oz?
The musical Wicked is an adaptation of a book by Gregory Maguire. Wicked takes place over several years, and the plot of The Wizard of Oz happens over a few weeks within that timeline. The first Wicked movie (covering Act I of the musical) is set when Galinda and Elphaba are students at Shiz University, before the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz storyline will play out in the second Wicked movie (Act II of the musical.) Think of the first Wicked movie like a Wizard of Oz prequel, with some of the characters in the first movie becoming Wizard of Oz characters in the second movie. You should watch The Wizard of Oz (1939) before seeing Wicked to get the references, but you don’t need to have read the Wizard of Oz book or the Maguire book.
This movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes long. When should I go to the bathroom in the theater?
There are two answers to this question, and it depends on whether you know the plot of Wicked or not. As much as it pains me to say it, if you are new to the storyline, go at the beginning of Dancing Through Life. As it’s mostly a big dance number, this is really the only time you can miss part of the movie and still understand what’s going on. Don’t be gone too long, though, or you’ll miss the Ozdust dance scene (in my opinion, one of the best parts of the movie!) However, if you are confident you know the story, go during Something Bad. I love Dr. Dillamond, but this isn’t the most captivating scene in the movie.
Why is Wicked so big in pop culture right now?
Apart from its massive marketing campaign, there are a few reasons why Wicked seems to be everywhere. First of all, while the musical has been out since 2003, most of its fans have been confined to the theater world. The release of the Wicked movie containing big names such as Ariana Grande and Johnathan Bailey has launched the story into the mainstream spotlight. It’s as though the theater world is colliding with mainstream pop culture, inviting a new community of fans to recognize the power of musical theater. The second reason is that the story’s themes are incredibly relevant to our society. Many people are relating to Elphaba’s feeling of being an outcast or the pressures on Galinda to be perceived a certain way. Wicked is causing people to reexamine how we think about history as well as the people around us. It demonstrates the gray area between “good” and “wicked” and how our choices have consequences.
