Wicked is a prequel and retelling of The Wizard of Oz told from the witches’ side, built on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which itself reimagines the classic 1900 book by Baum. The stage musical also nods to the famous 1939 MGM film, so it borrows from both, then quietly rewrites what we thought we knew about who was really wicked.
Wicked, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, opened on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003 (IBDB). This guide compares the stage show with its two Oz ancestors. If you want the stage musical compared with the recent films instead, see our Wicked musical vs movie breakdown, and for everything Wicked, visit our Wicked complete fan guide.
How is Wicked connected to The Wizard of Oz?
Think of Wicked as the story happening just offstage. Most of it takes place before Dorothy’s house falls from the sky, following two young women at Shiz University: green-skinned, principled Elphaba and bubbly, popular Galinda. Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda becomes Glinda the Good. In Act Two, the musical runs alongside the familiar Oz story, and the events we know from the book and film are shown from a new angle.
Here is how the three versions line up.
| Element | Baum book (1900) | 1939 film | Wicked musical (2003) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wicked Witch of the West | Unnamed villain | Unnamed villain, green-skinned | Elphaba, misunderstood heroine |
| Glinda | Good Witch of the South | Good witch who greets Dorothy | Galinda, later Glinda the Good |
| Dorothy’s shoes | Silver shoes | Ruby slippers | Nessarose’s enchanted shoes |
| Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion | Met on the road | Met on the road | Given secret origin stories |
| Dorothy | Main character | Main character | Kept offstage |
| The Wizard | A humbug | A humbug | A humbug with a political agenda |
What does Wicked borrow from Baum’s book?
L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, illustrated by W. W. Denslow, was published in 1900, and Baum went on to write 14 Oz books (Project Gutenberg, Library of Congress, Britannica). Wicked takes its geography from Baum: Munchkinland, the Emerald City, the Winkie country in the west, and the winged monkeys. It also keeps Baum’s Wizard, a showman from the ordinary world who rules through illusions.
The deepest borrowing is a name. Baum never named the Wicked Witch of the West, so Maguire made one from the author’s initials, L-F-B, which became “Elphaba” (GBH). It is a lovely bit of homage, since the heroine of Wicked carries the creator of Oz in her name.
Wicked also borrows the book’s Boq. In Baum’s novel, Boq is a Munchkin who hosts Dorothy for a night; in Wicked he is a lovesick Munchkin student whose story ends somewhere far stranger, as we explain below.
What does Wicked borrow from the 1939 movie?
The 1939 MGM film, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy and Margaret Hamilton as the Witch, is the version most audiences picture, and Wicked knows it. The witch’s green skin, the pointed black hat and the broomstick are all images popularized by the film rather than the book. Glinda’s grand entrance, floating in by bubble in the film, is echoed by her arrival at the top of the musical.
The film also changed Dorothy’s shoes. In Baum’s book they were silver, but the slippers were reportedly made ruby to take advantage of Technicolor (Library of Congress). Wicked steers its own course: the shoes belong to Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, and Elphaba enchants them so that Nessarose, who uses a wheelchair, can walk. That gift becomes the reason the shoes matter so much later.
Musically, Wicked does not quote the film’s songs; Schwartz wrote an entirely original score. For a song-by-song look, read our Wicked songs explained guide.
How do Elphaba and Glinda differ from the witches in Oz?
In both the book and the film, the Wicked Witch of the West is a villain with no inner life, and Glinda is simply good. Wicked turns both ideas inside out. Elphaba is clever, passionate and principled, an outsider mocked for her green skin who discovers that the Wizard is persecuting Oz’s talking Animals. When she refuses to help him, his government brands her “wicked,” and the label sticks.
Glinda, meanwhile, starts out shallow and status-hungry. Her goodness is partly a public image, and the show asks whether being popular and being good are the same thing. The witches’ friendship is the real love story of Wicked, and their final duet is a goodbye between two people who changed each other. Our Wicked characters explained guide covers everyone in detail.
Where do Wicked and The Wizard of Oz overlap in the timeline?
Spoiler warning: this section reveals the Act Two plot of Wicked.
The overlap begins when a house falls on Nessarose, by then the Wicked Witch of the East. Glinda gives Nessarose’s shoes to the girl from the house, Dorothy, and Elphaba is furious. From there, the musical reveals hidden origins for Dorothy’s companions:
- The Tin Man is Boq. When Nessarose’s spell goes wrong and shrinks his heart, Elphaba saves him by turning him into a man of tin.
- The Scarecrow is Fiyero, the prince both witches love. Elphaba’s spell to save him from the Wizard’s guards transforms him.
- The Cowardly Lion is the lion cub Elphaba rescued from a cage in a classroom at Shiz.
Dorothy herself never appears on stage. Then comes the famous bucket of water. Glinda watches as Elphaba apparently melts, leaving only her hat and a green bottle. But Wicked has one last twist: Elphaba faked her death and escapes through a trap door to leave Oz with Fiyero, and Glinda never learns the truth.
Should you watch The Wizard of Oz before Wicked?
It helps, but it is not essential. Wicked is written so that newcomers can follow it, and most of what you need to know about Oz is explained along the way. Still, knowing the 1939 film makes the Act Two reveals land harder, because you get the jolt of recognition when the Scarecrow or the Tin Man is born. If you have time for only one, watch the film; it is shorter than the book and closer to the images Wicked plays with. Our beginner’s guide to Wicked covers what else to know before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wicked a prequel to The Wizard of Oz?
Mostly, yes. Wicked tells the story of the witches before Dorothy arrives in Oz, then overlaps with the events of The Wizard of Oz in Act Two, showing them from Elphaba and Glinda’s side. It is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which reimagines L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book.
Is Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West?
Yes. Elphaba is the green-skinned young woman who becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Wicked shows how she earned that label: she opposes the Wizard’s treatment of Oz’s talking Animals, and his government turns the public against her. Her name comes from the initials of Oz author L. Frank Baum.
Is Dorothy in Wicked?
Dorothy is part of the story, but she never appears on stage in the musical. Her house lands on Nessarose, she receives the enchanted shoes from Glinda, and she throws the famous bucket of water, all offstage or out of view. Keeping her unseen keeps the focus on the two witches.
Why are the shoes silver in the book and ruby in the movie?
In L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book, Dorothy’s magic shoes are silver. For the 1939 MGM film they became ruby slippers, reportedly to take full advantage of the vivid new Technicolor process. In Wicked, the shoes first belong to Nessarose, and Elphaba enchants them so her sister can walk.
Is Wicked based on a book?
Yes. The musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn reimagines L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The stage show, written by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, simplifies and softens much of the darker novel.
