A Wicked Summary & Karaoke Guide
WARNING: MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS. THIS BLOG POST WILL DISCUSS BOTH THE STAGE MUSICAL AND MOVIE.
Are you a Broadway fanatic? So am I! What do you think of the new Wicked movie? The bar set by the original musical play cast was high so the pressure must be tremendous for the current stars. SPOILER ALERT: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande absolutely nailed it.
Wicked was loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which was based on the children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Wicked tells the story of Oz from the Witches’ perspective, especially Elphaba. We find out how Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West and how Glinda becomes the Good Witch.
Wicked became a Broadway musical in 2003 where Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth starred as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. In 2024, Wicked the movie premiered in theaters. It served as the part one of a two-parter movie adaptation of Wicked. It starred Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.
Let’s explore the world of Elphaba and Glinda together and we might even find the perfect songs for your next karaoke night. SPOILER ALERT AGAIN: we will find the perfect songs
The Unlikely Duo
The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch are iconic characters in popular culture. They were famously known as being the exact opposite and would unlikely form a friendship, in fact, they were portrayed as enemies.
This video shows us a glimpse of Elphaba and Glinda's personalities at the start.
The story of Wicked focuses on Elphaba and Glinda. Elphaba, with her green skin and outcast status, and Glinda, the popular and privileged blonde, initially clash. However, when forced to be roommates, it led to unexpected discoveries about each other, and they ultimately form a deep and enduring bond.
Two witches with different personalities (and appearances) who first met with hostility and misunderstanding, eventually found friendship in each other. They shared admiration for the Wizard of Oz and both wanted to become great at sorcery.
Elphaba
Elphaba Thropp is the protagonist of Wicked, a misunderstood young woman who ultimately becomes the iconic Wicked Witch of the West. She was born in Munchkin land as a result of her mother’s affair, causing her husband, the Governor of Munchkinland, to disown Elphaba. Being naturally green caused her to be ostracized. She had a younger sister, Nessarose, who used a wheelchair. They attended the Shiz University together.
Elphaba was the Wizard’s daughter because of the affair he had with her mother. This revelation adds another layer of complexity to their already complicated relationship with the Wizard.
Elphaba From Stage to Screen
The actress who originally portrayed Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked was Idina Menzel. Menzel is branded as the “Queen of Broadway” and has had notable roles in theatre, films, and TV shows such as Maureen in Rent (in both play and film), Shelby Corcoran in Glee, and Elsa in the Frozen film series (voice only). She also recorded a single version of Defying Gravity for her “I Stand” album.
Idina Menzel made a cameo in the Wicked movie as one of the leading members of the Emerald City Players.
In the movie version of Wicked, Elphaba was portrayed by Cynthia Erivo who also had notable roles such as Celie in The Color Purple, Harriet Tubman in Harriet, and Holly Gibney in The Outsider. She also wrote the song "Stand Up" for the film Harriet, which earned an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
FUN FACT: Elphaba’s name came from the initials of L. Frank Baum, the author of the children’s fantasy book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, on which Wicked was based. Elphaba’s name was created by pronouncing L.F.B.
Glinda
Glinda the Good, initially known as Galinda, was a witch from the Upper Uplands who saw herself as a good witch and offered to help Elphaba address her “problem” (being green) once she learned sorcery, which impressed the others. She was jealous of Elphaba for being taught sorcery privately by their headmistress, Madame Morrible, and getting the affection of Fiyero, a prince she liked. When Elphaba was humiliated because of her prank, she had a change of heart and offered to help her become more popular, starting their friendship. She changed her name to Glinda from Glainda in honor of their professor, Dillamond (the latter always mispronounced her name).
Glinda and Elphaba both looked up to the Wizard and gladly accepted his invitation to talk to Elphaba. However, this started the strain of their friendship because of Elphaba’s growing skepticism about the Wizard while Glinda remained blindly loyal.
Glinda From Stage to Screen
Kristin Chenoweth originally played Glinda in the Broadway musical Wicked. She is famously known for her roles Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Annabeth Schott in The West Wing, April Rhodes in Glee, and Maleficent in the Descendants film series.
Kristin Chenoweth made a cameo appearance in the movie Wicked as one of the leading members of the Emerald City Players.
In the movie Wicked, Ariana Grande played Glinda. Ariana Grande is popularly known for her hit songs “Problem”, “Thank U, Next” and “We can’t be friends (wait for your love)”, and her role as Cat Valentine in Victorious, which she reprised in Sam and Cat.
Defying Expectations
Elphaba
Elphaba consistently defied societal expectations. She refused to go with the “norm”, and spoke out against the oppression of talking animals like Professor Dillamond, the only animal professor at Shiz University. Seeing the oppression of talking animals personally when a lion cub was shown inside a cage that would prevent it from talking, the enraged Elphaba took the cub and fled with Fiyero. When she realized that the Wizard was the one responsible for this, she stood her ground and defied the Wizard, even if it meant being an outcast again. She was seen as the Wicked Witch by everyone because of defying the Wizard. She was misunderstood by everyone, who didn’t realize the Wizard’s real intentions.
Glinda
Initially seen as the popular “good girl”, Glinda was a superficial witch who only cared about how people would view her. Like Elphaba, she also admired the Wizard. Blind to the Wizard's true nature, Glinda initially dismisses Elphaba's concerns about the Wizard's oppressive actions. She stayed and worked for Morrible and the Wizard, and even came up with a plan to use Nessarose to lure Elphaba into a trap. Because of Nessarose’s tragic death, which was caused by Morrible and the Wizard, Glinda finally realized the truth. She chose to stand by Elphaba, arrested Morrible, and banished the Wizard.
Fiyero
Fiyero also defied society's expectations when he loved Elphaba instead of Glinda. Fiyero, being a rebellious but attractive prince, was more suitable for the perfect Glinda than Elphaba. Both women were infatuated with Fiyero and the latter chose Elphaba. He had a secret affair with her during her resistance against the Wizard. He even sacrificed himself when Elphaba was being captured by the Wizard’s guards, forcing Elphaba to turn him into a scarecrow so he wouldn’t get harmed.
Wicked, although it will make you tear up (or even sob), is also a great theme for your next karaoke party. Rest your voice now for your next Broadway karaoke session because you will be belting a lot. Here are some Wicked karaoke songs we recommend you sing:
Wicked Karaoke Corner
- Defying Gravity
- Popular
This song will definitely make you popular at your Wicked karaoke party. You can sing this upbeat song to pump up the mood and get the party started. In the Wicked movie and musical, Glinda sang this song when she tried to give Elphaba a makeover.
- For Good
Grab your bestie and do a duet to For God. This powerful song serves as Elphaba and Glinda’s farewell to each other. They both thank and tell each other how their lives have changed because of the other. Get a box of tissues ready nearby though, cause you might tear up with this song.
This song hasn’t been featured in the Wicked movie yet because this was in the second act of the play and the movie’s premise only contains the first act.
- The Wizard and I
The Wizard and I serves as Elphaba’s “I Want” song. Here, she shares her desire to be accepted by society and to meet the Wizard whom she believes has pure intentions and will help her.
- I’m Not That Girl
I’m Not That Girl reflects Elphaba’s insecurity that Fiyero can never love her and prefers Glinda over her despite showing her otherwise. For all the girlies who feel they don’t deserve the good guy, you do. You’re worth it, girl.
- No Good Deed
In this Elphaba solo, No Good Deed tells the anger she felt about doing the right thing but nobody recognizes it, and her anger that Fiyero keeps getting in trouble because of his love for her.
Like For Good, No Good Deed was also sung in the second act of the musical so it was still not included in the movie.
To Sum It Up
Wicked is more than just a musical; it's a celebration of female friendship, empowerment, and the power of standing up for what you believe in. Elphaba and Glinda's journey, from disliking each other to forming a bond, serves as a reminder that sometimes, the people we least expect to like us are the ones we can make a strong connection with and how strong sisterhood can be.
But Wicked isn't just for the stage. It's the perfect inspiration for your next karaoke night! Wicked has beautiful and emotional songs that are perfect for singing karaoke. Remember to be confident and enjoy yourself!