“Wicked” also known as wicked the Broadway musical was recently released across all streaming platforms. Over the years, the musical has gained massive fame due to the innovative approach to the story of “The Wizard of Oz.” With an astonishing set and theatrical elements, changing the very essence of Broadway musical “Wicked”. The musical tells a fantastical story that captures the imagination and conveys the relevant and important ideas. “Wicked” was an instant hit after its release on Broadway over 20 years ago. Stephen Schwartz composed the music and wrote the lyrics. The Musical’s advocated primary is Novomatic who commissioned the production and edited by Rotten Tomatoes of 2023. The book was written by Winnie Holzman and was inspired by the 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire. There were countless fans from across the world looking forward to the release of “Wicked”.
Long awaited and beloved by many, the musical’s joyful phrases and meaningful themes make the audience yearn for more.
Elphaba must learn to champion her individual uniqueness if she is to attain true acceptance within the world, which is entirely reliant on the notion of self-belief. In Galinda’s case, she must choose either to disregard traditional social practices or be constantly marginalized. The society’s general outlook of frowning upon any kind of self-acceptance is a core reason for the intense rivalry between Galinda and Elphaba. Their character arcs go through a metamorphic transformation fueled by victory and overall societal acceptance.
The most dominant dilemma discovered in the depths of Elphaba’s character is that of choosing between evil and good, which ultimately answers the question ‘why is there change in the world?’. This is because fables described to mankind have always highlighted the battle between good and evil without providing an understanding of the modern age which invariably has always been a battle between self-interests. In ‘Wicked,’ Elphaba serves to center the soul of a woman whose intrinsic values haven’t been tampered with.
Plot Summary Elphaba is a girl born with green skin. In opposition, her counterpart Galinda is a blonde, self-absorbed, and obnoxious girl. Elphaba ends up being the Lateth Witch of the West while Galinda’s character evolves into Glinda the Good Witch. The entirety of the narrative chronicles the gift of friendship which ultimately transcends every social barrier of their time and serves to showcase the girl’s coming of age period.
The audience is compelled to adjust their views about the characters in this musical because this musical demonstrates that “good” and “wicked” are words that can be considered too simplistic. Elphaba’s green skin is a representation of any characteristics that cause someone to be categorized as different, which reflects the acceptance and discrimination issues.
This plot also touches on the issues of politics such as the twisted reality and the corrupted practices. The Wizard’s regime attempts to strengthen their grip through propaganda – depicting Elphaba as a villain to silence her opposition. This aspect of the story has been interpreted as a commentary on real world political dynamics, which is why “Wicked” appeals to the modern audience.
Musical Highlights
The score for “Wicked” composed by Stephen Schwartz is a combination of impressive ballads and fast tempo songs that heighten the storytelling flair. Some of the most remarkable tracks are:
“The Wizard and I”: Elphaba’s want song where she aspires to meet the wizard and dreams about being accepted.
“Popular”: A comical song in which Galinda tries to mount a makeover on Elphaba, but demonstrates her shallow understand of popularity.
Defying Gravity: The closing scene in Act I where Elphaba accepts herself and decides to confront the Wizard, embracing her metamorphosis and proving her defiance.
The song, For Good, is sung by Elphaba and Glinda in a way that touches upon the deep mark they have left in each other’s lives.
Character Development
Elphaba is cunning, passionate, and considered to be very much out of place in the society, and hence is often misunderstood. Her story is one of learning how to capitalize in self-love, as well as how to maintain resilience in a world that is dead set against her ideals.
To begin with, Glinda is depicted as a mostly mean-spirited, self-serving, and popularity obsessed girl. However, she also makes strides throughout the course of the narrative. Because of her acquaintance with Elphaba, she is compelled to alter her worldview in the most positive way possible.
This dynamic relationship is the focus of the story and how people with different world views can influence each other in unimaginable ways.
The Issue of Cultural Aspect and Its Changes
The fame associated with ‘Wicked’ has warranted productions across the globe, having a loyal fan base following. Recently, it also prompted a multitude of adaptations which includes the film adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu whose and starring Erivo as Elphaba and Grande as Glinda. There were many discussions surrounding the film adaptation of this stage musical such as possible means of adequately capturing its central ideas and how the songs will be portrayed on screen.
Final Note
‘Wicked’ offers an analysis of otherwise commonplace characters that goes right into the heart of the matter and asks the viewer to reconsider shallow perspectives on identity, morality, and friendship. It is with the help of the universal human experiences that make this particular work so popular now and in the years to come, becoming a key part in modern day musical theatre.
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