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Everything to Know About the Broadway Hit Wicked
Before Wicked hits the big screen, let's take a look at the acclaimed stage production that took Broadway by storm.
Hollywood has a long history of turning hit Broadway musicals into feature films, some great examples being The Sound of Music, Cabaret, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, The Phantom of the Opera, Dreamgirls, Into the Woods, Mama Mia!, Chicago, In the Heights, The Music Man, Hairspray, and Sweeney Todd. Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) will contribute to that proud tradition on November 22 with his film adaptation of Wicked (a sequel is already set for the following year).
Serving as a prequel to and alternate interpretation of The Wizard of Oz, the Broadway hit follows Elphaba (played in the movies by Cynthia Erivo), a green-skinned outcast destined to one day become the dreaded villain known as the Wicked Witch of the West. But as the story progresses, we learn that the ignominious moniker may have been unjustly forced upon her by circumstance.
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Is the Broadway show Wicked based on The Wizard of Oz?
Well, yes and no. The Wicked stage musical (produced by Universal Theatrical Group) was adapted from the bestselling 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by author Gregory Maguire.
While clearly based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Maguire's novel offers a counter-narrative to the classic tale we know and love by painting the Wicked Witch of the West as a tragic figure rather than a villain. Maguire ended up writing three sequels: Son of a Witch (2005), A Lion Among Men (2008), and Out of Oz (2011), as well as a trio of spinoff books: The Brides of Maracoor (2022), The Oracle of Maracoor (2023), and The Witch of Maracoor (2024).
Winnie Holzman turned the first novel into the Broadway book (essentially the script), with Stephen Schwartz tackling the music and lyrics. Holzman co-wrote the screenplay for the Wicked movie and its 2025 sequel alongside Dana Fox. The two scribes serve as executive producers on the film with Schwartz, David Nicksay, and Jared LeBoff. Marc Platt and David Stone, who helped guide the original stage production to Manhattan, return as producers.
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"Making films allows us to elaborate on the themes of the stage production,” Platt explains in the official production notes. “Film allows us to investigate the different worlds — Munchkinland, Shiz University, the dormitories, and classrooms. The dwellings where the Animals live, the wondrous Emerald City and Wizard’s throne room. When we decided to make Wicked as a film, we wanted to be able to dramatize many of the elements that on stage you can’t — from flying with monkeys to sweeping across Oz. These are places that only a camera can go. The films take advantage of this, opening the door to create a singular experience."
Who starred in the original Broadway run of Wicked?
The original Broadway duo of Elphaba and Glinda was played by Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth, respectively. Their co-stars included Norbert Leo Butz (Fiero), Joel Grey (The Wizard), Carole Shelley (Madame Morrible), Michelle Federer (Nessarose), Christopher Fitzgerald (Boq), William Youmans (Doctor Dillamond), and Manuel Herrera (Chistery).
Click here for the complete cast list!
Is Wicked still on Broadway?
Yep, Wicked is still on Broadway! In fact, Wicked is currently the fourth-longest running Broadway show in history after The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, and The Lion King with nearly 8,000 performances since it first opened at The Gershwin Theatre in October 2003.
On a broader scale, Wicked has traveled all over the world, where it's been performed in over 100 cities and translated into six different languages. When it comes to box office returns, the production has accrued an estimated $5 billion in worldwide ticket sales over the last two decades.
Click here for tickets.
How many Tony Awards has Wicked won?
Wicked took home a total of three statues at the 58th Tony Awards held on June 6, 2004: Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Idina Menzel), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee). In addition, composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz and engineer/mixer Frank Filipetti won Best Musical Theater Album at the 47th Grammy Awards. According to Playbill.com, the show has been the recipient of more than 100 accolades all across the world.
How can you watch the movie, Wicked?
Want to enroll at Shiz University? You'll get your chance once Wicked arrives in theaters everywhere Friday, November 22. Click here to pick up tickets for yourself and the whole family! The sequel is set to follow on November 21, 2025.
