As we come to St. Patrick’s Day, it’s good to remember that it’s not easy being green. Especially when you’re constantly compared to one of the most heinous villains of witch-kind: the Wicked Witch of the West. So let’s start with the OG witch. The big baddy of Oz.
The Wicked Witch of the West
The infamous witch of the original Wizard of Oz, specifically the 1939 movie adaptation, is one of the most devious and evil villains. The movie was released only two years after the Evil Queen appeared in Snow White.
While the Evil Queen was fueled by vanity, I think it’s safe to say that the Wicked Witch wasn’t concerned with vanity, simply power. She’s known for being petty, vile, and volatile. At least as far as the movie is concerned, her identity is based in the obsessive need to have Dorothy’s slippers. That's what makes her such an iconic villain, even decades later. And that has impacted our view of this green-skinned woman ever since.
Zelena (Once Upon a Time)
This iteration of the Wicked Witch came onto the scene as the residents of Storybrooke returned to the Enchanted Forest. With their cursed memories available, Snow, Regina, and everyone else immediately equated Zelena with the Witch from the movie.
And that’s kind of how Zelena was raised in Oz. Because of her magic, her adopted father considered her some wicked curse. When she learned about her half sister and turned green with envy, her appearance only reinforced that belief to the people of Oz. You call someone wicked long enough and they’ll believe that’s all she is. In fact, she began to equate herself with wickedness. “Wicked always wins” may have been her mantra, but that line is filled with shame. It wasn’t until she was treated with love from her mother and her sister that she began to see herself as something other than “wicked”.
Elfaba (Wicked)
Going into the Broadway play, we're meant to compare Elfaba to the original Wicked Witch. Like Zelena, she was treated as a villain because of her magical abilities. Unlike Zelena, Elfaba kept to her values and her priorities in a version of Oz that was full of discriminatory propaganda. Because she wouldn't play the Wizard's game, Elfaba was villainized.
It would have been easy for Elfaba to take on that baggage, like Zelena, and believe she was "wicked". Instead, she was sure enough of herself to be able to recognize the darkness of the world she lived in and rise above it. There are a lot of possible interpretations of "Defying Gravity" and this is one of them. We live in a fallen world and it can be easy to take on who the world says we are. It takes a lot of internal strength to remain a person of integrity when everyone around says to conform. Elfaba literally rose above her haters. She may not have changed Oz, but her influence changed Glinda and Fiyero "for good".
It's been a long time since the rumors of a Wicked movie began. Almost as far back as when I saw it with my brothers. We've had various iterations of Broadway musicals turned film, like Les Miserables, Hamilton, and Into the Woods. And now with the trailer released during the Super Bowl, it's almost time to see Elfaba and Glinda on the big screen. So in anticipation, I thought of six scenes/songs and what I'm looking forward to in the movie.
The Wizard and I
Specifically during this scene, I’m looking forward to seeing Elfaba’s vision of her “celebration”. I really hope they show us what she sees. But what will they show? We know from the Broadway play that she didn’t have all the pieces of the puzzle. But she did see herself happy. But it wasn’t the happy ending she’d expected. Maybe it was some inkling of being with Fiyero in the end? It’s a hazy, but they ought to show something right?
One Short Day
This song has so much stuff in it and it’s all supposed to be dazzling. What a spectacle this ought to be! From the palaces and museums to the horse of a different color (maybe), I want to be in awe just as much as Glinda and Elfie.
Defying Gravity
With how much this song has become a powerful anthem for many people, I can’t imagine this song will simply be Elfaba flying off on her broom. I’m not sure what I'm expecting here, but something amazing I guess.
As Long as You’re Mine
Mostly I’m curious how they’d go about shooting this scene. If it’s a romantic scene, it might look weird to have them singing to each other, though I suppose that’s what they do on stage. Instead, maybe the song could be playing over their scene, like “I See the Light” from Tangled?
No Good Deed
The special effects of this scene could be crazy! Never mind how this song really pulls at Elfaba’s heart as she chants. I’m curious what kind of effects they’ll use for her magic and if we’ll see Fiyero’s transformation. I could see them show him glowing like the Doctor regenerating or a Pokemon evolving? Or maybe some smokey magic like Once Upon a Time. But whatever they do for Fiyero, I’m looking forward to having my heart broken by the grief on Elfaba’s face.
For Good
Another iconic song, one that I knew long before seeing Wicked on stage. The emotion and love that goes into this song. Like “As Long as You’re Mine” this song could be performed between Elfaba and Glinda or it could be a voice-over like “I See the Light”. Really what I’m curious about in this scene is if they’ll give some indication as to where Fiyero and Elfaba go at the end. My head-canon for a while was (and still is kind of) that they went through a portal, like on Once Upon a Time. For a while I wondered if they were legitimately going to end up in Storybrooke (but Zelena appeared–maybe in another part of the multiverse).
And now we wait until Thanksgiving (and until Thanksgiving 2025 for the second half). Just remember to consider the Apple Pie Metaphor when seeing this movie, but I choose to withhold judgment until I've seen the movie itself. Not sure anything will measure up to Idina Menzel, but that's okay. I'll make a point of seeing it anyway.
Music has a way of touching the soul like nothing else- and when woven into a narrative it can increase the impact till we can't stand it. The following are some songs from Broadway shows that bring yours truly to tears and leave me breathless.
For the record, I will NOT be including productions that started life as a film, so no Sister Act or Newsies, and no Disney productions so no Lion King or Beauty and the Beast. They deserve lists of their own.
Also, spoilers.
10: Memory (Cats)
This is one of the classic heartbreak songs of Broadway that even the awful Cats film couldn't ruin. The song is about remembering the time when things were better and Grizabella was young and beautiful. It invokes a sense of sadness at what she lost, and pared with the melodic tone it moves the heart every time.
9: Not My Father's Son (Kinky Boots)
This irreverent play is a celebration about being different, but being different comes with its own pain. This song is about not being able to live up to a father's expectations, despite wanting his approval. This is a pain most men go through, no matter their situation, so this becomes a dagger right to the daddy wound.
8: I'm Not That Girl (Wicked)
Usually the pick for Wicked is For Good, the finale and conclusion of Elphaba and Galinda's relationship, but I'm going to argue for I'm Not That Girl. Another song for the outcast, this is Elphaba morning the fact that she will never be the one Fiyero will ever want to be with (Even though he does later). It's a heartbreaking song about being rejected for things you can never change, whether you'd want to or not.
7: Little Fall of Rain (Les Miserables)
Honestly pick a song from this musical and you will probably burst into tears (Except Master of the House, that one's just pure fun) but I'm going with Little Fall of Rain. Here Epanine sacrifices herself to protect her beloved Marius, despite him being in love with Cozette. In her last words, she sings how all she wants is for him to be with her till the end, and that despite the sadness at least the rain will make the flowers grow, and thus something beautiful can come from this one moment.
6: For Forever (Dear Evan Hansen)
Quick synopsis: Evan is a shy depressed kid starting a new year at school with a broken arm. On the first day the school burnout swipes one of his letters he wrote for therapy then later that evening commits suicide. When the letter is found on him it's assumed that he and Evan were best friends. Evan, not wanting to tell grieving parents that the reason his letter was in their son's pocket was due to an act of bullying, decides to go with the assumption and procedes to make up a story about their friendship. Now if this show was purely a comedy (and a bad one at that) this story would probably be played up for laughs with exaggerations, things that can be easily misproven, and a lot of nervous stammering. Instead though Evan tells a story of them going out to the woods and climbing a tree when he fell off and subsequently broke his arm. The story is beautiful in the sincerity Evan pours into it, making the listener think that this was the day he wanted instead of the day he actually had, where he did go out to the woods and climb a tree but jumped off in his own suicide attempt. Evan rewrites his own story as a what if these boys had been friends, and what that friendship would've meant to each other.
5: Somewhere That's Green Reprise (Little Shop Of Horrors)
Somewhere That's Green is a pretty song in and of itself, as Audrey describes her want for a life outside the dirty city where everything is green and pretty. In the film that most people would be familiar with, Audrey and Seymore escape the flesh-eating plant and get their fairytale life. In the play however, Audrey is killed by Audrey II, and has a soliloquy about how she will become the green place she always wanted, as long as Seymore is there to take care of her they will always be together.
4: Doubt Comes In (Hadestown)
I talked about Hadestown recently but this song is probably the most killer (Get it, cause it's about death?) in it Orpheus and Euridice are trying to walk out of the underworld, their success based on weather or not Orpheus can lead them out without turning around to see if his beloved is still following him. The song is Orpheus in his head, debating weather or not Hades' promise is real and if Euridice is even still behind him. While Euridice is trying to encourage him, the music stings, indicating the moment when his doubt finally gets the better of him and he turns around. The moment is as heartbreaking now as when it was first penned thousands of years ago.
3: It's Quiet Uptown (Hamilton)
Another play where you can pretty much pick a song and cry, Hamilton's most tear-jerking song describes the grief parents feel after losing a child. Alexander wanders New York in a daze, his charisma completely eradicated by the loss of his son. On top of that we still have the fallout of the Reynold's pamphlet, where he confessed to infidelity on his wife. In this song though not only do we get their grief but her forgiveness, seeing a slight glimmer of hope in an extremely dark time.
2: You Are Not Alone (Into The Woods)
Even a comedy can have its moments, and the finale of Into the Woods is no exception. The baker, so scared to be a parent, holds his child and hears his wife's voice helping guide him in the first few moments of this new life. The entire idea that even when you feel alone that you aren't is something everyone at one point or another needs to hear, and this song takes us right back to those moments.
1: I'll Cover You Reprise (Rent)
This list has covered loss a lot (And a lot of reprises) but this funeral hymn takes the cake. Originally sung as a celebration of Angel and Collin's love, Collins now sings it at Angel's funeral, both celebrating and mourning his partner. The upbeat lyrics juxtoposed to Collins' tone is enough to rip your heart out and make you pull your beloved close to you.
There were some beautiful and epic things about the recent Hawkeye series on Disney+:
The inept Tracksuit Mafia
The inclusion of a character who is both deaf and used a prosthetic
The return of Yelena
The use of sporadic subtitles when Maya was reading lips
All the trick arrows
LARP-ing!
The reveal of Kingpin
The entire ending sequence at Rockefeller Center
Rogers: The Musical
But the most wholesome and most relatable element included in Hawkeye was the unlikely relationship between Kate and Clint. Clint is a seasoned Avenger who fought aliens, saved the world, lost his entire family, gained them back, dealt with the death of his best friend, and went through a dark period of being a ruthless assassin. Kate, on the other hand, is a spoiled rich girl who idolizes the Avengers and recently pulled a prank that resulted in a bell tower being severely damaged.
Yet, over six incredible Die Hard-inspired episodes, Clint and Kate forge a really incredible relationship. It starts off light and simple, two unlikely people whose paths cross unexpectedly. But as things get deeper and more real, they really form a deep and abiding love for each other. It was fun to watch them throw coins, fight the baddies, get tied up, and banter. How could you not enjoy their conversations when Clint lost his hearing aid, and they were talking in circles? But the best moment for their friendship was when Clint was talking to his family, and Kate was tenderly writing down what they were saying so Clint could understand. It was a moment of vulnerability that really helped bond these two damaged individuals.
The relationship between Clint and Kate reminds me that we can’t always dictate who will enter our lives, and who will cross our paths in this life. If Glinda from Wickedis to be believed, then people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them, and we help them in return. I’ve had so many people come and go in my life. Sometimes I would get frustrated that people would only show up for a few moments of my life. But I’ve learned to view relationships with other people as wonderful moments that may or may not last. I’ve learned to enjoy what they’ve brought to my life, how they’ve helped inspire me or support me or the humor they’ve helped me see. And I’ve learned to enjoy helping them in return, giving to them of myself, being vulnerable with them, sharing my experiences with them.
But I’m rambling on about relationships in a review of Hawkeye. So back to the Marvel series. It was good. Lots of fun. Great action sequences. Terrific cast. Sharp writing. Clever direction. And I would totes watch it again next Christmas.
Maybe I'm fixated on her verdigris, but nobody does self reflection better than Elphaba. Halfway through the popular showWicked, this green girl goes through a major life change and finally takes flight as we all knew she would. I can relate. At the midpoint of my life, I also went through some big changes and finally realized my true worth and power.
Something has changed within me. Something is not the same.
Elphaba has lived her life making herself small, feeling like an outsider, wondering why she was given a "gift or a curse". Then she has an event that changes her dramatically. When I was 42 (the answer to life, the universe, and everything), I had several things happen to me in a short amount of time: I witnessed my best friend's suicide, my wife left the Church, my son was diagnosed with brain damage. I went to therapy, and I quickly realized how much I despised myself because of my own "gift or a curse" I had inside. And it was right there in that therapy session that I decided to go on a journey of loving myself. Little did I know it would be setting off on a journey to work on my mental health, and eventually to defy my own gravity.
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game.
Elphaba is done listening to what others think and how they judge her. Screw them all! She doesn't know why she has this magical ability, but she knows it's part of her and she's ready to accept this aspect of her person, no matter how scary it might be. I'm still working on this part, I'm a work in progress, afterall! But I know that the more I stop worrying about the judgments of others, the closer I come to fully accepting myself, the way God intends me to love myself.
Too late for second-guessing. Too late to go back to sleep.
This is Pandora's box. Once you've passed the point of no return, it's impossible to go back and wonder if you made the right choice. For better or for worse, this is the choice that was made, and it's time to follow through. You can never go back to numbing yourself and hiding parts of yourself.
It's time to trust my instincts. Close my eyes and leap!
This right here. This is faith at its essence! When I was going through my self realization, I learned more about prayer and faith than I ever did in my entire life. I learned what it meant to pray, feel I received an answer, and then act on it. It's as scary and vulnerable as facing a great and powerful wizard, but it's the only way one can truly fly.
I'm through accepting limits 'cause someone says they're so.
Who is the "someone"? And why do we worry about what others say we can or can't do? We know ourselves, and we can do whatever we put our minds to. As Elphaba says, "Unlimited! My future is unlimited!" (By the way, fun fact: Did you know those first 7 syllables are the same notes as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"?) Elphaba starts the show thinking she is limited in her ability to make changes, in her ability to fully realize her life. But when she finally rejects all those who limit her, she learns how powerful she was born to be. Likewise, humans are literal children of God. Get rid of the toxic and abusive people in your life. We were born to be unlimited.
Some things I cannot change but 'til I try, I'll never know!
This should be the mantra of every person who wants to continue growing and learning throughout life. True, there are things that we don't have power over, and that's just fine. But we might surprise ourselves with the influence and power to change that we really do possess. But it requires us to close our eyes and leap!
I'm flying high, defying gravity!
End of the first act concludes with both a literal and figurative high note. Elphaba flies! She defies the wizard, she defies Glinda, and she even defies her own self doubt. Anything that pulls her down, she sheds, and she finally takes flight to the Western Sky. And haven't we all felt moments like these, where we can feel ourselves breaking past all the judgments of others, including the judgments we put on ourselves? (And if you haven't ever felt this sense of freedom, ask yourself what area of your life you can close your eyes and leap?)
And so Wicked has taught me that I am really am the unpopular freak with the green face. And when I finally learned to accept this fact -- accept who I am, embrace the weird, and let my freak flag fly -- that's when I finally found the magic to soar high. And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free. And nobody is ever gonna bring me down!
Wicked is the 5th longest running Broadway show in history, and is only about a year and a half from surpassing Cats (thank goodness!) to become the 4th. It's the second highest grossing musical ever (Phantom of the Opera is the prima donna there), and is one of only three musicals to make over a billion dollars. Talk about defying gravity! So what makes Wicked so popu-ler ... lar?
Prequel, and Sequels, and Reboots, Oh My!
There is a craze in storytelling for fandoms to be expanded upon with remakes and reimaginings. The Wizard of Oz is one of the most popular, well-known stories ever. So to reimagine the story from the witches' points of view is clever and interesting. It's a good hook. Wicked remains faithful to The Wizard of Oz, but still manages to tell a completely different story. It never detracts from the 1939 film, but adds depth and expands on the characters with some seriously empathizing development. It breathes fresh life into an already beloved property.
Too Late for Second Guessing?
I asked my fellow Ozian buddy what he liked about Wicked. Plain and simple, he said, "Things aren't always what they seem". Truly, Glinda isn't always good. Elphaba isn't always bad. And you should still pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, but maybe not for the reasons you think. Wicked plays with your expectations, and delivers them in great, unexpected ways. When we find out about the Tin Man's origin, it packs an emotional punch, but not as much as the Scarecrow's identity. Just wow. Eleka nahmen nahmen, indeed.
The Most Swankified Place in Town
The production value of Wicked is top notch. Everything on stage is rich and colorful and full of magic. The staging, the lighting. The set design and set dressings. The costumes, makeup, hair. The whole aesthetic of Wicked is quite powerful. How could anybody forget seeing Glinda making an entrance in her giant bubble. Or the vivid greens of the Emerald City. Or the bubblegum pink in "Popular". And really, there's nothing like watching Elphaba defying gravity for the first time, enchanted broomstick in hand, lifted by hydraulics amid moving lights, smoke, and wind effects.
Dancing Through Life
Stephen Schwartz is a musical genius. He is responsible for the catchy and moving music of Godspell, Pippin, Children of Eden, and The Prince of Egypt. In Wicked, he uses fantastic leitmotifs, catchy riffs, and earworms that just won't leave your head. When I sat down to come up with my favorite songs from Wicked, the conversation in my head went something like this: "Nothing beats 'Defying Gravity'. Though 'Popular' is really my favorite. Actually, I have a soft spot for the emotional 'No Good Deed'. But then that romantic song 'As Long As Your Mine' really speaks to me. Oh wait, there's also 'I'm Not That Girl', 'What Is This Feeling?', and 'For Good'. Oh, and 'The Wizard and I' is also just so..." You get the point.
Bonus points for the first seven notes from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" being used to create Elphaba’s “unlimited” theme! Okay, fine -- double bonus points for Elphaba's name being an homage to the author of The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, since his initials kind of spell out "Elphaba".
Know the Slang You've Got to Know
Stephen Schwartz also wrote the lyrics to Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Enchanted. Man, he is prolific! Some of his best, most clever lyrics from Wicked include:
Let us rejoicify!
And since folks here to an absurd degree / Seem fixated on your verdigris / Would it be all right by you / If I de-greenify you?
I'll be so happy, I could melt!
There's a strange exhilaration / In such total detestation
Life is fraught-less / When you're thoughtless
Don't be offended by my frank analysis / Think of it as personality dialysis
She who's winsome, she wins him
Was I really seeking good / Or just seeking attention?
Who can say if I've been changed for the better? / But because I knew you / I have been changed for good
We've Found the Place Where We Belong!
I'm not green-skinned. I can't perform magic. And I'm not a witch. (Well, mostly not.) But I know what it feels like to be isolated and marginalized. I know what it's like to be an outcast because of my unprepossessing features. And I know what it's like to have a weird quirk that I've tried to suppress or hide, which ultimately helped me fly solo and fly free once I learned to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap. In the end, Wicked is relatable to all ages.
When I was a kid, before Harry Potter or the Dresden Files, there was a book series I was obsessed with. Taking place in a magical land of wonder and magic, little Joey would often escape to Oz to join his friends the Tin Man and Scarecrow. I've seen the Wizard of Oz at least 100 times and I've even seen the short lived American animated series and some of the longer Japanese version of the Wizard of Oz. So imagine my delight when a new book supposedly following the life of the Wicked Witch of the West came out a few years ago.
Then imagine my horror when the book was an incomprehensible mess of weird perspectives and pseudo-intellectual nonsense sprinkled in with some shockingly inappropriate pornographic scenes.
What happened to my Oz?!
I won't lie, Wicked is one of the worst books I have ever read. I was absolutely heartbroken when it turned out so bad. The Wicked Witch literally scared me to find cover as a little kid, and as an adult she became one of my favorite villains. Maybe she was able to scare me, maybe because she was so fun to watch. Whatever I loved her.
When it was announced that they turned the book into a play, I discarded it almost immediately. To me it would be like making an animated film out of the life of Joseph Stalin. It just doesn't flow.
Then I heard the soundtrack and I fell in love all over again.
I feel like I needed to prerequisite my view of Wicked first before I get into the play, just to give some context to what I was talking about. I am an Oz junkie. I know nearly all the lore from the Yellow Brick Road, and when my wife said she bought us front row seat tickets to Wicked,(after the sticker shock wore off) I was delighted to return to Oz and see what it was all about.
And oh my good heavens.
So the plot follows the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West, named in the play as Elphaba, and starts out just after Dorothy doused her in water at the end of the Wizard of Oz. The citizens of Emerald City are celebrating when they ask Glenda to tell them how she knew the Wicked Witch, which she then goes into meeting Elphaba in college years ago.
What I find really interesting is that Elphaba doesn't start out as evil, not even as bad. Her skin is green due to a mysterious circumstance at birth and so people, especially her father, treat her as an outcast. In fact the only reason she's at school at all is to take care of her sister, who is in a wheelchair. Elphaba comes off as a cross between Daria and Raven from Teen Titans, sarcastic and disenchanted with the world she has built a shield around herself to keep the world out, but when distressed she can unleash an uncontrolled wave of magic which draws the attention of the magic professor at the school. Promising a chance to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Elphaba works her green tail off to get a chance to have her wish granted: To not be green anymore. She ends up becoming dear friends with Glinda in an interesting plot twist of fate, which becomes a defining strength throughout the play.
I won't give away much more because this thing does have some delightful twists that just need to happen, though if you want a good gist of the play, buy the soundtrack and listen to the songs in order. But what I will talk about is Elphaba's descent into wickedness. At no point does she ever go truly evil, since she does have good intention to become the enemy of the Wizard, she just does things as she sees them as right from her perspective, and as an audience you just have to sympathize with her.
To me this is the best kind of villain: the person with good reason to oppose the ruling order but because they are in such opposition or because of the means by which they go about getting their way they are labeled as the bad guy. This look at villains is a relatively new thing in media, though it's off to a good start with Dr. Horrible and Maleficent running around, but Wicked was one of the first so Elphaba gets to show us how it's done.
Call me old fashioned but my favorite part of the show is the ending. Without spoiling anything it ends with a happily ever after, which is something that's been kind of hit or miss in recent years. It seems like in a lot of media right now either the happily ever after was forced like Dark Knight Rises, but here it's earned, deserved, and makes sense.
So if you can check it out, even if you just pick up the Wicked soundtrack. You'll thank me later, believe me.
And if you care to thank me, just look to the western skies...
