Wicked!

Stephen Schwartz-Winnie Holzman musical Wicked shows the "real" life of the Witches of Oz. The musical is loosely based on the novel by Gregory Maguire Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of The West. Maguire's novel and the musical are from the witches point of view, and is a re-imagined version of Frank L. Baum's children's story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
It was interesting comparing the sets in the movie The Wizard of Oz and the set of Wicked; all the sets in the film look like sets from a play, lots of painted scenery, fake trees and plants. The musical had an amazing set equipped to change easily for each scene in a short amount of time. There were many parallels between the film set and a set that would be found in a play, or musical, though Wicked's set did not look too similar to The Wizard of Oz film.
Wicked dramatically changed the story both from Frank L. Baum's childrens series and from The Wizard of Oz movie, modernizing the story and giving a new perspective on the adventures in Oz. In contrast to the original story from Dorothy's point of view, Wicked shows Oz through the eyes of the misfit Elphaba Thropp otherwise known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba's story begins with her unfaithful mother having an unfortunate affair with the man who will become the Wizard of Oz. Elphaba born green, is unloved by her father and spends time desperately trying to win his affection. She idolizes the Wizard until she realizes that he is the head of a corrupt government locking up all the animals, in order to bring people together according to the wizard "nothing brings people together like having a common enemy". This idea reflects many governments, from Hitlers Germany, to even in some ways the war on terror, having a common enemy to unite people. In fact even in small group situations if there is one person nobody gets along with that itself gives everyone else something to agree on, bond over even. Wicked's modern interpretation of the Witches of Oz, and the story of the Wizard of Oz is entertaining and refreshing, thought some parts don't exactly line up with the story, such as the wicked witch being the one to make the tin man, and Fiyero becoming the scare crow. Also in Wicked Elphaba was really a good person, one who I sympathized with, but in the original story and the film she seems truly wicked, and out to get Dorothy. Wicked was a beautifully done production, the differences made it fun, and new to watch, while the songs remain stuck in my head still today.

~Allie