Since its debut on the Broadway stage in 2003, the musical “Wicked” has had an enthusiastic following.
Fans of the musical were equally elated when the musical jumped to the big screen in November 2024. With a worldwide gross of nearly $700 million, “Wicked: Part One” has defied gravity in the box office since its release. However, fans of the popular musical are in for a shock if they elect to read “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch” by Gregory Maguire.
Maguire wrote the novel in 1995 as a prequel to the original “Wizard of Oz” book. It tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, before Dorothy came to Oz. Elphaba goes through many trials and meets many familiar faces, such as Glinda the Good.
The novel was later adapted to the Broadway stage in 2003 and became one of the most popular musicals of the 21st century, but how different could the book and musical possibly be from one another?
The “Wicked” musical adopts a mostly lighthearted tone, focusing largely on the growing friendship between the outcast Elphaba and the popular Galinda (and later their love triangle with Fiyero). The songs have uplifting messages of love, self-discovery and empowerment.
Readers of the novel will quickly discover that the musical massively watered down the original plot. Where the musical focuses on Elphaba and Galinda’s personal growth and redemption, the novel instead tackles Oz’s political corruption and Elphaba’s moral ambiguity.
Though the “Wicked” book and musical share a title and major characters, the contrast in tone between both are large. While all iterations of “Wicked” have strong themes of good versus evil, the novel takes these themes one step further by discussing controversial and graphic topics, from Doctor Dillamond being brutally murdered to Elphaba and Fiyero’s passionate affair.
Elphaba herself is not exactly ‘dancing through life’ in the novel; she leaves the familiar Shiz University to join a terrorist organization, then goes on to have an illicit son with Fiyero and eventually join a convent. Her journey is arduous and ends in an agonizing death when Dorothy throws water on her.
Fans of the musical will also immediately notice key differences in characters when reading the novel. Several key characters, like Elphaba’s son Liir, are missing entirely from the stage adaptation. Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, is born without arms in the book rather than being unable to walk. Additionally, characters like Fiyero, who survive in the musical, meet tragic ends in the novel.
Both the novel and the musical cater to different audiences and experiences. The novel appeals to those who enjoy dark, thought-provoking fantasy; however, by making the plot of the musical age appropriate and universally appealing, it became more commercially successful and ‘popular.’
“Wicked: For Good,” the continuation of “Wicked: Part One,” comes to theatres November 21, 2025.
