Wicked

Long before Dorothy's tornado, Elphaba, born with green skin and treated as an outcast her whole life, arrives at Shiz University, where she is roomed with the beautiful, popular Galinda, who later goes by Glinda. The two start as rivals but slowly become close friends as Elphaba's extraordinary magical talent draws the attention of the university's headmistress and, eventually, an invitation to meet the Wizard of Oz himself in the Emerald City. As Elphaba pursues her dream of using her gifts for good, she begins to discover troubling truths about the Wizard's rule and the treatment of Oz's talking animals, putting her on a collision course with the very government she hoped would embrace her.

Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, based on Gregory Maguire's novel, which itself reimagines L. Frank Baum's Oz. It opened on Broadway in 2003 and became one of the biggest hits in musical theater history, later inspiring a two-part film adaptation beginning in 2024.

"The Wizard and I" shows Elphaba's hopeful ambition early in Act One, dreaming of what she could accomplish in Oz. "Popular" is Glinda's comic showpiece about turning Elphaba into a social success. The Act One finale, "Defying Gravity," is the score's biggest showstopper and one of the most famous eleven o'clock numbers in modern musical theater, sung as Elphaba makes a defining choice. Stephen Schwartz's pop-influenced score favors big, soaring vocal lines throughout. It suits families, fans of the Oz story from a new angle, and anyone who loves a powerhouse vocal performance.