Wicked is a Broadway musical that premiered in October 2003. It is touted as the untold story of the witches of Oz and is loosely based on the best selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The musical features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman. With musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento, Wicked is directed by 2003 and 2004 Tony winner Joe Mantello.
The musical is both a prequel and a sequel to L. Frank Baum's classic book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and is also heavily influenced by the iconic 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz. Set in the days prior to Dorothy's arrival from Kansas, the story explores the idea that the infamous antagonist we call the Wicked Witch of the West was misconstrued and victimized. Her alleged evilness was merely retaliation against a charlatan wizard's corrupt government. At Shiz University, the intelligent green-skinned woman, Elphaba Thropp, meets beautiful and ambitious Galinda Upland (who changes her name to Glinda during the course of the play and later becomes Glinda the Good) when the two become room mates. Their lives intertwine and throughout the show, their friendship struggles to endure extreme personality differences, opposing viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, and of course, Elphaba's eventual tragic fall from grace.*
Current Broadway cast
Principals (in order of appearance)
*Copy credited to www.wikipedia.org
