All You Need to Know About Wicked If You Haven't Seen the Musical

MsMojo

Prepare to be spellbound! Join us as we unveil the enchanting secrets of "Wicked: Part 1" for those who haven't seen the Broadway sensation. From confusifying language to CGI animals, we're diving into the magical world of Oz like never before. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to the Emerald City, this guide will have you defying gravity in no time!

Transcript

00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks

00:10for everything one should know about Wicked Part 1,

00:13if you have yet to see the Broadway mega-musical.

00:16Before we get started, consider this your official spoiler warning

00:19if you haven't seen either version.

00:20If you think that's something to see, wait till you see this.

00:26Number 10.

00:27This is not a Wizard of Oz prequel.

00:40Long before Wicked the musical was lighting up Broadway,

00:43it was a page-turner.

00:45Written by Gregory Maguire, Wicked, the life and times

00:48of the Wicked Witch of the West, was published in 1995.

00:52The novel is the first in Maguire's The Wicked Years series,

00:55which follows the characters of L. Frank Baum's

00:57The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

00:59Are there any evils, evil characters in children's books?

01:03And immediately, a vision of Margaret Hamilton

01:06arose up in front of me, saying,

01:08I'll get you and your little dog!

01:11And I thought, Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

01:13I've just had a vision, and it isn't the Virgin Mary

01:15coming down out of the clouds, it's Margaret Hamilton,

01:18and she has something to say to me.

01:19Unlike the family-friendly musical adaptation,

01:22Maguire's novel is actually quite bleak.

01:25Described by some as graphic, the book is filled

01:28with dark subject matter and adult content.

01:31Let it be known that little Ozians may want to steer clear

01:34of the source material.

01:36Oh, they're completely not for children.

01:38And one of the ways that I tried to let people know that

01:42is, you know, for any grandmother who was picking it up,

01:45thinking, oh, my little Samantha loves to be Dorothy

01:49at Halloween, I'll get her this book for Christmas.

01:50But if she read up to page 14.

01:53Number nine, yes, the language is confusifying.

01:57Encouragerize, disgusticified, hideodeus,

02:00these are just a few of the tongue-twisting words

02:03that make up the wonderful world of Wicked.

02:05Ah, the nightlife, the hustle and bustle.

02:09It's also, whoop, osmopolitan.

02:13While watching the film or listening to the soundtrack,

02:16one may find themselves wondering if they heard right

02:18when it comes to the unique Ozian lingo.

02:21Rest assured, they're not mistakes.

02:23For Govinda forced to reside with someone so disgusticified.

02:29The mythical land of Oz has its own distinct lore and culture.

02:33And thus, its citizens have their own heightened

02:35and fancified vernacular.

02:37It just might take a second to decipher what

02:39they're saying or singing.

02:41These things are sent to try us.

02:49Number eight, the flashback to Elphaba's childhood.

02:51You want to see something wonderful?

02:54Yeah.

02:55Like many other stage-to-screen adaptations,

02:57the movie version of Wicked takes the opportunity

02:59to flesh out the story.

03:01One way it does this is by flashing back to Elphaba's childhood,

03:04which does not happen to this extent in the musical.

03:07While audiences do get to see her birth on stage,

03:10the story then moves forward to when she arrives at Shiz University.

03:15You're green.

03:19I am.

03:20However, in the movie, we're treated to the sight of Elphie

03:22and her sister Nessa Rose as children.

03:24Played by emerging actors Karis Mongole and Cecily Colette Taylor,

03:29the scene is sweet and heartfelt and helps provide additional context

03:33to Elphaba's backstory.

03:34Go with her.

03:35What?

03:36If anything should happen to her.

03:38She'll be fine.

03:39Number seven, CGI animals.

03:42There was a time before you were born

03:45when life in Oz was different.

03:48One of the biggest visual changes between the film and stage version

03:51of Wicked are the special effects.

03:53Case in point, the portrayal of Dr. Dillamond.

03:56On stage, Glinda and Elphaba's wise professor

03:59is played by an actor who walks upright,

04:01wearing prosthetics, hooves, and a furry coat.

04:04The film, however, aims to make him look closer to a real goat,

04:07thanks to computer-generated imagery.

04:09In fact, the film features many more animal characters than the musical.

04:13Additions include Elphaba's deer and sweet nanny Dulcibear,

04:17as well as Dillamond's peers and the band that plays at the Ozdust Ballroom.

04:21Sugar glider stands unite.

04:23Animals are a culture that is deeply embedded in the land of Oz.

04:28They have opened up schools.

04:29They have helped educate people of Oz.

04:33And they're in their own natural state.

04:35Number six, Fanny and Shenshen.

04:38Welcome, new students.

04:40And congratulations for having been accepted to Shiz.

04:44Being the most popular student at Shiz University

04:47means Glinda has amassed quite an entourage.

04:50Right by her side are her two closest, so-called besties, Fanny and Shenshen.

04:55Played by Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James,

04:57these two are the Karen Smith and Gretchen Wieners

04:59to Glinda's nowhere-near-as-mean Regina George.

05:02You should join us tonight.

05:04And don't tell me you have nothing to wear.

05:06Because you could wear this.

05:08Gossipy, snooty, and snobby,

05:10they're given more fleshed-out roles than they ever had in the musical.

05:14Interestingly, the role of Fanny was gender-swapped in the film.

05:18In terms of new characters, Miss Cottle,

05:20played by theater powerhouse Keala Settle,

05:22is also a new face at dear old Shiz.

05:25Good luck and welcome to Shiz.

05:32Number five, Fierro and Elphaba get a different first scene.

05:36I'm Fierro.

05:38Winky country.

05:40When Fierro and Elphaba meet, it's hardly love at first sight.

05:44In both the musical and film versions of Wicked,

05:46these two don't get off on the right foot,

05:48but each adaptation has a different way of introducing them.

05:52In the movie, Prince Fierro arrives at Shiz late at night on horseback,

05:56running into Elphie after she visits Dr. Dillamond.

05:59Is this how you go through life?

06:00Just running amok and trampling anyone in your path?

06:03He is a prince and therefore charming.

06:06Once again, the responsibility to corrupt my fellow students falls to me.

06:11On stage, Elphaba is similarly almost run over by Fierro's carriage,

06:15but it happens at the university and quickly leads into his song,

06:18Dancing Through Life.

06:20No matter how they meet, she is less than impressed, at least for now.

06:24Glinda is the absolute prom queen to his prom king,

06:27and they do have a very easy natural chemistry,

06:30but then when he sees the vulnerability of Elphaba,

06:33it strikes in him, I think, a compassion and a curiosity

06:38that's probably always been there.

06:39Number four, Defying Gravity homage.

06:42It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leave.

06:49As one of the most thrilling first act closers in musical theater,

06:52Defying Gravity is the definition of a crowd pleaser.

06:55Elphaba soars over Oz, declaring her newfound fearlessness.

06:59Thanks to some theater magic, a lift and fabric,

07:03the actress is lifted above the stage, creating the illusion that she's flying.

07:07I'm flying high, defying gravity, and soon I'll match them in renown.

07:17Director John M. Chu pays homage to the iconic moment

07:20by framing Cynthia Erivo in a similar position

07:23with her long black cape flowing behind her.

07:27Whether one is experiencing the scene on stage or on screen,

07:30it is heart-pounding and exciting,

07:32reminding us all that everyone deserves a chance to fly.

07:36I'm not afraid.

07:40It's the wizard who should be afraid of me.

07:47Number three, Wicked didn't win the Tony for Best Musical.

07:57As the fourth longest-running Broadway musical to date,

08:00Wicked has been a part of the theatrical zeitgeist since 2003.

08:04The mega-musical has spawned international productions,

08:07tours, shattered box office records,

08:09and captured the hearts of audiences for over 20 years.

08:13So it may come as a shock that, with respect to the Tonys,

08:16Wicked was hardly popular.

08:18Don't be offended by my frank analysis.

08:21Think of it as personality diet.

08:24Think of it as personality dialysis.

08:26Despite earning 10 nominations in 2004,

08:29the musical only walked away with three awards,

08:32including one for O.G. Alphaba, Idina Menzel.

08:35However, its most surprising loss came at the end of the 58th annual ceremony.

08:40The biggest award of the night, Best Musical, went to Avenue Q,

08:44an outcome many Wicked fans still find confusifying.

08:47It sucks to be you.

08:48I feel better now.

08:50Number two, The Runtime.

08:52The wonderful Wizard of Oz summons you to the Emerald City.

08:59Moviegoers who have already seen Wicked know that the film has

09:02a lengthy runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes.

09:05The stage version clocks in at 2 hours and 45 minutes,

09:08which also includes a 15-minute intermission.

09:11Not only that, but the movie adaptation is split into two parts,

09:15clearly indicating that both films are packed with extra material.

09:19In fact, director Jon M. Chu has stated that Part 2 will feature two

09:22brand-new songs, although the runtime of Part 2 has yet to be revealed.

09:27It wouldn't be surprising if, like the first movie,

09:30it's also close to the 3-hour mark.

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09:55Number one, Whizzomania Song.

10:05The Whizzomania sequence in Wicked Part 1 is every musical theater fan's dream.

10:10A song within a song, the scene takes place during one short day,

10:14where Glinda and Elphaba visit the Emerald City.

10:16During their adventure, they take in a stage show that tells the story

10:19of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

10:28Not only are we treated to new lyrics,

10:30we also get cameos from Broadway's O.G., Elphaba, and Glinda,

10:34Idina Menzel, and Christian Chenoweth.

10:36It's a sweet homage to the iconic duo,

10:39igniting overwhelming nostalgia for grown-up theater kids everywhere.

10:44What are you most looking forward to seeing in Wicked Part 2?

10:55Let us know in the comment section.

11:01Do you agree with our picks?

11:03Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.

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