Wicked
Wickeddives into the personal life history ofThe Wizard of Oz ’s Wicked Witch of the West , and even her name is a subtle Easter bollock to the original taradiddle . The 2024 picture show is ground on the Broadway melodious of the same name , which is itself based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire . The author did the work of plunge a small deeper into the mankind of Oz , providing a prequel history that throw audiences a look at everything from the villain ’s perspective . Maguire ultimately named the Wicked Witch Elphaba , and this same name has carried over into theWickedmusical and , of course , the moving-picture show .
Maguire’sWickednovel was a smash hit , and less than a decade after its sack , it was adjust into a Broadway musical — which is currently the fourthly - longest running and winner of over 100 awards . Now , Wickedhas been adapted to the screen door , broken into two part , withWickedPart 1 released to theaters on November 22 , 2024 , andWickedPart 2 expected on November 21 , 2025 . There ’s clearly something peculiar about Maguire ’s idea , andtheWizard of OzEaster eggsare all part of the playfulness of the novel , musical , and , now , movie . This depart even deeper than you would suppose .
Gregory Maguire Named Elphaba After Wizard Of Oz Writer L. Frank Baum
L-F-B Became El-Pha-Ba
Since the Wicked Witch of the West did n’t have a name or background in L. Frank Baum’sThe Wizard of Oz , Maguire demand to get originative . Still , he wanted to pay his esteem to this author ’s fabled piece of work as he continue to make allowance to Baum ’s characters and world . Maguire has shared ( viaTikTok ) that hisinspiration for Elphaba ’s name comes from theWizard of Ozauthor ’s initials , L.F.B.The green witch ’s name is simply the first missive pronounced as " El , " and the phonic orthoepy of the follow two letters , " Fa " and " Ba"—coming together to form the brand new name " Elphaba . "
Why Gregory Maguire Picked “Elphaba” Over Other Blends Of L. Frank Baum’s Name
Maguire explained that he fiddle with other ways to pronounce the initial L.F.B.He try " Lafaba " and " Labella,“but they were n’t quite right . He in the end landed on " Elphaba " because it was wholly unusual but " not particularly pretty . " This is significant toElphaba ’s character . She is talented and exceptional , but regrettably , she has been unloved base alone on the green color of her tegument . Even her parents considered Elphaba ugly inWicked , so it made sense that they would have afford her a name that people would rule equally repulsive .
Even her parents regard Elphaba horrifying in Wicked , so it made sense that they would have establish her a name that people would ascertain equally repulsive .
Of course , the name Elphaba has come to think of something else all after all these years . Fans ofWickedknow and love this graphic symbol , and the name Elphaba is commonplace in the melodic community . Had Mcguire given L. Frank Baum’sWizard of Ozcharacter a less memorable name , it ’s difficult to say whether the same would be on-key . Now thatWickedhas been convey to the big concealment , the name Elphaba will be even more conversant among the mainstream — and to think , it ’s all because of the initials of a man deport way back in 1856 .
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Wicked adapts the Broadway melodious into a two - part pic , following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba , bear with dark-green tegument , and Glinda , a democratic aristocrat , in the Land of Oz . As they voyage their contrasting paths , they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West .
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
