Wicked (also called Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz) is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a story written by Winnie Holzman. It is inspired by the 1995 book Wicked by Gregory Maguire, which was based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 movie version. The musical takes place in the Land of Oz before and after Dorothy Gale arrives from Kansas. It follows the complicated friendship between Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland—the future Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good—as they face challenges because of their different beliefs, a shared love interest, and their responses to the Wizard’s unfair rule. The story ends with Elphaba’s sad downfall.

Produced by Universal Stage Productions, with Marc Platt, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone as producers, and directed by Joe Mantello and choreographed by Wayne Cilento, the original version of Wicked first opened on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003. It had earlier performances in San Francisco at the Curran Theatre in May and June of that year. The original cast included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, and Joel Grey as the Wizard. Even though some critics had mixed opinions, the production received three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. Its original cast album also earned a Grammy Award.

Long-running versions of Wicked include a production in London’s West End at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, which has performed more than 7,407 times. Since 2005, the musical has also toured North America multiple times. Wicked has set many box-office records worldwide. In January 2011, the Broadway, London, and North American touring versions all broke their records for the most money earned in a week. In the last week of 2024, the Broadway show became the first to earn over $5 million in a single week. In 2016, Wicked passed $1 billion in total Broadway revenue, joining The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King as the only shows to reach that milestone. By 2017, it became the second-highest-grossing musical on Broadway, behind only The Lion King.

A two-part movie version of Wicked was directed by Jon M. Chu. It stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard. The first part, which includes appearances by Menzel and Chenoweth, was released on November 22, 2024, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The second part, Wicked: For Good, was released on November 21, 2025.

Inception and development

Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz found Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West while on vacation and saw its potential for a stage play. However, Maguire had already given the rights to Universal Pictures, which planned to make a live-action movie. In 1998, Schwartz asked Maguire to give the rights for a stage production. He also made a strong request to Universal producer Marc Platt to help create a stage version. Platt agreed and became a joint producer with Universal and David Stone.

The novel is a story about good and evil, set in the Land of Oz around the time Dorothy arrives. It follows Elphaba, a smart and misunderstood girl with green skin who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, a popular girl who becomes Glinda the Good. The story includes events and characters from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and its 1939 movie. The novel deals with serious themes like sexual assault, political problems, infidelity, racism, and religion. It asks readers to think about what it means to be “wicked” and whether good intentions with bad results are the same as bad intentions with bad results.

Schwartz worked with writer Winnie Holzman to simplify the novel’s complex story into a stage script. They spent a year planning the plot and met with Marc Platt to improve the structure of the show. The stage version is not a direct copy of the book but tells the story from a different angle. While the book focuses on the villain’s perspective, the stage play changes many parts of the story. For example, the friendship between Elphaba and Galinda develops differently on stage, and some characters, like Fiyero and Nessarose, have different roles or backgrounds.

The musical’s book, lyrics, and music were developed through many rehearsals and workshops. Kristin Chenoweth, the actress Schwartz imagined for the role of Glinda, joined the project early. Stephanie J. Block played Elphaba in the early workshops, and later, Idina Menzel was cast in the role. In 2002, David Stone, a New York producer, joined the team to plan the Broadway production. Joe Mantello became the director, Wayne Cilento the choreographer, and Eugene Lee designed the set based on W. W. Denslow’s original illustrations and Maguire’s idea of using a giant clock as a visual theme. Costume designer Susan Hilferty created over 200 costumes in a unique Edwardian style, and lighting designer Kenneth Posner used more than 800 lights to create different moods for each scene. By April 2003, the show was in rehearsals.

After a tryout in San Francisco in 2003, the creative team made changes to the story and songs. For example, the song “Which Way is the Party?” was replaced with “Dancing Through Life.” Some critics felt Elphaba’s character was not as strong as Glinda’s, so the team worked to make Elphaba more central to the story. Schwartz said the feedback from critics helped improve the musical.

Synopsis

The people of Oz are celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good Witch appears and recalls the past, beginning with the difficult childhood of the Witch, who was born Elphaba Thropp. Her mother had an affair, and her father, the Governor of Munchkinland, refused to accept her when she was born with green skin ("No One Mourns the Wicked").

Years earlier, Elphaba arrived at Shiz University with her younger sister, Nessarose, who could not walk. At school, Elphaba was treated poorly because of her green skin and her sharp personality ("Dear Old Shiz"). The headmistress, Madame Morrible, assigned Elphaba to room with Galinda Upland, a popular student. Morrible noticed Elphaba’s magical abilities and decided to teach her privately, which made Galinda jealous ("The Wizard and I"). The two girls soon disliked each other ("What Is This Feeling?"). Meanwhile, Dr. Dillamond, the only professor who taught about animals, told Elphaba about a secret plan to stop animals from speaking ("Something Bad").

A charming prince named Fiyero began attending Shiz and planned a party. Galinda fell in love with Fiyero and convinced Boq, a Munchkin, to take Nessarose to the party so she could go with Fiyero. At Nessarose’s request, Elphaba asked Morrible to teach Galinda sorcery. When Elphaba was mocked at the party for wearing an ugly hat Galinda gave her as a joke, Galinda changed her mind and danced with Elphaba ("Dancing Through Life"). Later, the girls became friends, and Galinda helped Elphaba improve her appearance ("Popular"). The next day, Dillamond announced he had been fired. His replacement showed a cage, a new invention in Oz to stop animals from speaking. Elphaba, angry, freed a lion cub trapped inside and ran away with Fiyero. They shared a quiet moment, but Elphaba felt sad because Fiyero seemed to still care about Galinda ("I'm Not That Girl").

Morrible told Elphaba that the Wizard of Oz wanted to meet her. Elphaba went with Galinda, who later changed her name to Glinda in honor of Dillamond (who had mispronounced her name), to the Emerald City ("One Short Day"). They met the Wizard and were surprised to learn he was a regular person ("A Sentimental Man"). Morrible became the Wizard’s new press secretary. After tricking Elphaba into making the Wizard’s monkey servants grow wings painfully, Elphaba realized the Wizard was hiding the truth about animals and was lying to keep his power. Elphaba left his room, determined to do what was right, even though Glinda did not want to leave with her. Glinda stayed behind as Elphaba enchanted a broom to fly away from the Emerald City, vowing to fight the Wizard ("Defying Gravity").

Years later, Elphaba became known as the Wicked Witch of the West for opposing the Wizard’s rule, while Glinda became the Wizard’s spokesperson. Fiyero, now the Wizard’s guard and unknowingly engaged to Glinda, hoped to find Elphaba ("Thank Goodness").

Elphaba visited Nessarose, who had become the governor of Munchkinland after their father’s death and had taken away the Munchkins’ rights to keep Boq from leaving her. Feeling guilty, Elphaba enchanted Nessarose’s silver shoes to help her walk. Boq, however, thought Nessarose no longer needed him and tried to leave for Glinda. An angry Nessarose tried to cast a love spell on Boq but made a mistake and shrank his heart instead. Elphaba tried to save Boq but could only turn him into a tin man who did not need a heart to live ("The Wicked Witch of the East"). Boq ran away as Nessarose blamed Elphaba.

Elphaba returned to the Emerald City to free the Wizard’s monkey servants, but the Wizard found her. He tried to convince Elphaba to work with him, explaining he was just an ordinary man who had become famous in Oz ("Wonderful"). He let the monkeys go, and Elphaba was almost persuaded until she saw Dillamond, who had lost the ability to speak, and vowed to keep fighting. Fiyero helped Elphaba escape, and he decided to leave with her. Glinda was heartbroken and secretly wished Fiyero had always loved Elphaba ("I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)"). Glinda convinced the Wizard and Morrible to spread a rumor that Nessarose was in danger to lure Elphaba out of hiding. Unbeknownst to Glinda, Morrible and the Wizard planned to use a storm to trick Elphaba.

Hidden in the forest, Elphaba and Fiyero confessed their love for each other ("As Long as You're Mine"), but their moment was interrupted when Elphaba sensed that Nessarose was in danger. Her fear was correct: a house had fallen from a tornado and crushed her sister to death. Elphaba was devastated and angry that Glinda had given Nessarose’s enchanted shoes to Dorothy Gale, the house’s occupant. The two fought, and the Wizard’s guards broke it up. Fiyero helped Elphaba escape, but he was captured. At Kiamo Ko castle, Elphaba tried to save Fiyero, assuming he was dead, and finally accepted her role as the Wicked Witch of the West ("No Good Deed").

As the people of Oz declared war on Elphaba ("March of the Witch Hunters"), Glinda discovered Morrible had caused the tornado that killed Nessarose and was horrified. Morrible reminded Glinda she had helped the Wizard and Morrible’s plans to gain power. Meanwhile, Elphaba, filled with grief, captured Dorothy to get Nessarose’s shoes. Glinda arrived to warn Elphaba of the danger. Elphaba agreed to surrender, and the two friends hugged before saying goodbye ("For Good"). Glinda watched from the shadows as Dorothy threw water on Elphaba, melting her and leaving only her hat and a bottle of Green Elixir from her mother.

Glinda confronted the Wizard with the elixir, which he recognized as his own. He had been the man Elphaba’s mother had an affair with, making him her biological father. The Wizard left Oz at Glinda’s request, leaving her in charge, and she arrested Morrible for her role in Nessarose’s death. Meanwhile, Fiyero (now a Scarecrow because of Elphaba’s spell) arrived at Kiamo Ko, where Elphaba emerged from a trap door, having faked her death. Elphaba and Fiyero left Oz together as Glinda told everyone the Wicked Witch was dead before reluctantly joining the celebration ("Finale").

Casts

• Elphaba: Shoshana Bean, Eden Espinosa, Ana Gasteyer, Julia Murney, Stephanie J. Block, Kerry Ellis, Marcie Dodd, Nicole Parker, Dee Roscioli, Mandy Gonzalez, Teal Wicks, Jackie Burns, Willemijn Verkaik, Lindsay Mendez, Caroline Bowman, Rachel Tucker, Jennifer DiNoia, Jessica Vosk, Lindsay Pearce, Talia Suskauer, Alyssa Fox, Mary Kate Morrissey, Lencia Kebede
• Glinda: Jennifer Laura Thompson, Megan Hilty, Kate Reinders, Kendra Kassebaum, Annaleigh Ashford, Alli Mauzey, Erin Mackey, Katie Rose Clarke, Chandra Lee Schwartz, Jenni Barber, Kara Lindsay, Carrie St. Louis, Amanda Jane Cooper, Ginna Claire Mason, McKenzie Kurtz, Alexandra Socha, Allie Trimm
• Fiyero: Kristoffer Cusick, Taye Diggs, Joey McIntyre, Sebastian Arcelus, Aaron Tveit, Kevin Kern, Andy Karl, Kyle Dean Massey, Richard H. Blake, Derek Klena, Justin Guarini, Ashley Parker Angel, Curt Hansen, Ryan McCartan, Jordan Litz
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Sean McCourt, George Hearn, Ben Vereen, David Garrison, Lenny Wolpe, P. J. Benjamin, Tom McGowan, Fred Applegate, Peter Scolari, Kevin Chamberlin, Michael McCormick, Cleavant Derricks, John Dossett, Brad Oscar
• Madame Morrible: Rue McClanahan, Carol Kane, Jayne Houdyshell, Miriam Margolyes, Rondi Reed, Mary Testa, Michele Lee, Judy Kaye, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Isabel Keating, Nancy Opel, Alexandra Billings, Michele Pawk, Donna McKechnie
• Nessarose: Jenna Leigh Green, Catherine Charlebois, Kelli Barrett, Arielle Jacobs, Gizel Jiménez
• Boq: Randy Harrison, Robb Sapp, Alex Brightman, Etai Benson, Taylor Trensch, Robin de Jesús
• Doctor Dillamond: Sean McCourt, Steven Skybell, Timothy Britten Parker, K. Todd Freeman, Michael Genet, Martin Moran, Jamie Jackson, Clifton Davis

• Elphaba: Eden Espinosa, Julia Murney, Shoshana Bean, Victoria Matlock, Carmen Cusack, Donna Vivino, Jackie Burns, Dee Roscioli, Nicole Parker, Alison Luff, Emma Hunton, Jennifer DiNoia
• Glinda: Megan Hilty, Katie Rose Clarke, Chandra Lee Schwartz, Amanda Jane Cooper, Alli Mauzey, Patti Murin, Jenn Gambatese, Gina Beck
• Fiyero: Kristoffer Cusick, Sebastian Arcelus, Richard H. Blake, Kyle Dean Massey
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Lee Wilkof, Lenny Wolpe, P. J. Benjamin, Stuart Zagnit, Fred Applegate
• Madame Morrible: Carole Shelley, Alma Cuervo, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Kim Zimmer, Alison Fraser
• Nessarose: Deedee Magno Hall

• Elphaba: Kerry Ellis, Alexia Khadime, Rachel Tucker, Louise Dearman, Willemijn Verkaik, Jennifer DiNoia, Emma Hatton, Alice Fearn, Lucie Jones, Emma Kingston
• Glinda: Dianne Pilkington, Louise Dearman, Gina Beck, Savannah Stevenson, Suzie Mathers, Sophie Evans, Lucy St. Louis, Zizi Strallen
• Fiyero: Oliver Tompsett, Lee Mead, Mark Evans, Matt Willis, Ben Freeman, Oliver Savile, Bradley Jaden, David Witts, Alistair Brammer, Jordan Litz
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Nigel Planer, Desmond Barrit, Clive Carter, Sam Kelly, Tom McGowan, Mark Curry, Martin Ball, Andy Hockley, Gary Wilmot, Michael Fenton Stevens, Michael Matus
• Madame Morrible: Miriam Margolyes, Susie Blake, Harriet Thorpe, Julie Legrand, Louise Plowright, Liza Sadovy, Anita Dobson, Kim Ismay, Sophie-Louise Dann
• Nessarose: Caroline Keiff, Natalie Anderson
• Doctor Dillamond: Paul Clarkson, Steven Pinder, Chris Jarman

• Elphaba: Jemma Rix, Pippa Grandison
• Glinda: Suzie Mathers
• Fiyero: David Harris
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Bert Newton, Reg Livermore, Simon Gallaher
• Madame Morrible: Geraldine Turner

• Elphaba: Vicki Noon, Jennifer DiNoia, Alyssa Fox, Jessica Vosk, Mary Kate Morrissey, Jackie Burns, Talia Suskauer, Lauren Samuels
• Glinda: Jeanna de Waal, Kara Lindsay, Carrie St. Louis, Amanda Jane Cooper, Ginna Claire Mason, Erin Mackey
• Fiyero: Ashley Parker Angel
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: John Bolton, Cleavant Derricks, Fred Applegate, Paul Kreppel, Don Amendolia, Stuart Zagnit
• Madame Morrible: Judy Kaye, Isabel Keating, Alma Cuervo, Natalie Venetia Belcon
• Nessarose: Catherine Charlebois

• Elphaba: Ashleigh Gray
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz/Doctor Dillamond: Steven Pinder

Music and recordings

The music in Wicked has a strong theme, and in some ways, it is more like an opera than a typical musical score. While many musical scores use new melodies for each song with little overlap, composer Stephen Schwartz reused a few recurring musical themes throughout the production. Some of these themes show irony, such as when Glinda gives Elphaba a "ghastly" hat in the song "Dancing Through Life." At this moment, the music repeats a theme from an earlier song called "What Is This Feeling?"

Two main musical themes run throughout the score of Wicked. Although Schwartz rarely reused music from his earlier works, one theme—Elphaba's—originated from a piece called The Survival of St. Joan, on which he worked as a musical director. In an interview in 2004, Schwartz said he had always liked the tune but never knew how to use it. The chord progression he first wrote in 1971 became a central part of Wicked. By changing the instruments that play the theme in different scenes, Schwartz made the same melody express different emotions. In the overture, the melody is played by the brass section of the orchestra with heavy percussion, creating a feeling of fear. In the song "As Long as You're Mine," the same chord progression is played by the piano and electric bass, forming the basis of a romantic duet. The theme also appears in "No One Mourns the Wicked" with new lyrics and a changed structure.

The second major theme, called "Unlimited," appears as an interlude in several songs. It was inspired by Harold Arlen, who wrote the music for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The "Unlimited" melody includes the first seven notes of the song "Over the Rainbow." Schwartz made the theme harder to recognize by playing it in a minor key most of the time. This contrast is seen in "Defying Gravity," which is mostly in the key of D-flat major. However, in the song "The Wicked Witch of the East," when Elphaba helps her sister walk, the "Unlimited" theme is played in a major key.

A cast recording of the original Broadway production was released on December 16, 2003, by Universal Music. It includes all the songs from the stage production except "The Wizard and I (Reprise)," "A Sentimental Man (Reprise)," and "The Wicked Witch of the East." A short version of "No One Mourns the Wicked" at the start of Act II is attached to the beginning of "Thank Goodness." The music was arranged by Stephen Oremus, who also conducted and directed the production, and James Lynn Abbott. The orchestrations were by William David Brohn. The recording won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2005 and was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 30, 2006. It was later certified double platinum on November 8, 2010. A fifth-anniversary special edition of the original Broadway cast recording was released on October 28, 2008, and included bonus tracks such as a Japanese and German cast recording, a song called "Making Good" performed by Stephanie J. Block with Schwartz at the piano, "I'm Not That Girl" by Kerry Ellis (featuring Brian May on guitar), a dance mix of "Defying Gravity" by Idina Menzel, and "For Good" performed by LeAnn Rimes and Delta Goodrem.

A German recording of the Stuttgart production was released on December 7, 2007, with the same track listing and arrangements as the Broadway recording. The Japanese cast recording was released on July 23, 2008, featuring the original Tokyo cast. It is notable for including Glinda's Finale dialogue for the first time. A Polish recording was released on February 15, 2026, and became the first non-replica production to receive a cast album.

Productions

Wicked officially opened on June 10, 2003, at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, after previews began on May 28. The cast included Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Robert Morse as the Wizard, Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, Michelle Federer as Nessarose, Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible, John Horton as Doctor Dillamond, and Kirk McDonald as Boq. Stephanie J. Block, who originally read the role of Elphaba during the show's workshop stage, was Menzel's understudy during tryouts, but left before the show moved to Broadway. She later led the first National Tour opposite Kendra Kassebaum as Glinda. The tryout closed on June 29, 2003, and after making changes, the musical began previews on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre on October 8, 2003, and made its official premiere on October 30. Most of the original production team and cast members stayed with the show. Principal casting changes included Joel Grey as the Wizard, William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond, and Christopher Fitzgerald as Boq.

On March 12, 2020, the show temporarily stopped performing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Performances resumed on September 14, 2021, with Lindsay Pearce as Elphaba and Ginna Claire Mason as Glinda. Chenoweth gave a speech before the show reopened.

On March 31, 2005, the first national tour of Wicked (called the "Emerald City Tour" by the producers) started in Toronto, Ontario, and visited many cities in the United States and Canada. The original touring cast included Kendra Kassebaum as Glinda, Stephanie J. Block as Elphaba, Derrick Williams as Fiyero, Jenna Leigh Green as Nessarose, Carol Kane as Madame Morrible, Timothy Britten Parker as Doctor Dillamond, Logan Lipton as Boq, and David Garrison as the Wizard. The tour ended at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15, 2015, after 4,160 performances, with Jennifer DiNoia as Elphaba and Chandra Lee Schwartz as Glinda.

Following a short run of the first national tour from April 29 to June 2005, a sit-down production of Wicked opened at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, using the original set from the tour. The cast included Ana Gasteyer as Elphaba, Kate Reinders as Glinda, Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible, Kristoffer Cusick as Fiyero, Telly Leung as Boq, Heidi Kettenring as Nessarose, and Gene Weygandt as the Wizard. The production closed on January 25, 2009, after 1,500 performances, with Dee Roscioli as Elphaba and Annaleigh Ashford as Glinda.

An open-ended production of Wicked also appeared in Los Angeles, California, at the Pantages Theatre. Performances began on February 10, 2007, with an official opening on February 21. The cast included Megan Hilty as Glinda, Eden Espinosa as Elphaba, Carol Kane as Madame Morrible, Timothy Britten Parker as Doctor Dillamond, Jenna Leigh Green as Nessarose, Adam Wylie as Boq, Kristoffer Cusick as Fiyero, and John Rubinstein as the Wizard. The show closed on January 11, 2009, with the same leads, after 791 performances and 12 previews.

A San Francisco production of Wicked officially opened on February 6, 2009, at SHN's Orpheum Theatre. The cast included Teal Wicks as Elphaba, Kendra Kassebaum as Glinda, Nicolas Dromard as Fiyero, Carol Kane as Madame Morrible, David Garrison as the Wizard, Deedee Magno Hall as Nessarose, Tom Flynn as Doctor Dillamond, and Eddy Rioseco as Boq. The production closed on September 5, 2010, with Marcie Dodd as Elphaba and Alli Mauzey as Glinda, after 660 performances and 12 previews.

The second national tour of Wicked (called the "Munchkinland Tour") began on March 12, 2009, at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers, Florida. The original cast starred Marcie Dodd as Elphaba, Heléne Yorke as Glinda, Colin Donnell as Fiyero, and Tom McGowan as the Wizard. The production was suspended in March 2020 due to the pandemic and resumed on August 3, 2021, with Talia Suskauer as Elphaba, Allison Bailey as Glinda, and Curt Hansen as Fiyero. The production reached its 5,000th performance on July 30, 2022.

The original West End (London) production began previews at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on September 7, 2006, with an opening on September 27. The show celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016 with a special curtain call featuring former cast members. The British production had small changes to dialogue, choreography, and special effects, which were later added to all productions. The London production reunited the original creative team. Original cast members included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Helen Dallimore as Glinda, Miriam Margolyes as Madame Morrible, Adam Garcia as Fiyero, Martin Ball as Doctor Dillamond, James Gillan as Boq, Katie Rowley Jones as Nessarose, and Nigel Planer as the Wizard. Menzel left after a limited engagement on December 30, 2006, and was replaced by Kerry Ellis on January 1, 2007, who became the first British actress to play Elphaba.

The production stopped due to the pandemic on March 16, 2020, and resumed on September 15, 2021, for its 15th anniversary. Sophie Evans reopened the show as Glinda and left when the cast changed on January 30, 2022. Helen Dallimore returned as Glinda.

The first national tour of Wicked began in 2005 and ended in 2015. A second national tour started in 2009 and ended in 2022. A third national tour began in 2023.

A German

Reception

The original Broadway production of Wicked was nominated for ten Tony Awards in 2004. These included categories such as Best Musical, Best Book, Best Orchestrations, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Scenic Design. It also received two nominations for Best Actress, one for Menzel and one for Chenoweth. Menzel won the Best Actress award, and the show also won awards for Best Scenic Design and Best Costume Design. However, it did not win the Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Original Score, or Best Musical, which went to Avenue Q. In the same year, the show won six Drama Desk Awards out of 11 nominations. These included Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Book, Outstanding Director, and Outstanding Costume Design.

Later productions of Wicked also received awards and nominations. The West End production was nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best Director, Best Set Design, and Best Costume Design. It later won the Audience Award for Most Popular Show at the 2010 and 2015 Olivier Awards. The original Australian production received six Helpmann Awards out of 12 nominations, including Best Musical. Wicked was named the Best Musical of the Decade by Entertainment Weekly magazine and called "a cultural phenomenon" by Variety magazine. Although not an award, the character Elphaba was listed as the 79th greatest character of the past 20 years by Entertainment Weekly.

During its out-of-town tryout in San Francisco, the audience generally liked the show. However, some critics praised the visual aspects, such as the set and costumes, but criticized the story, music, and choreography. Dennis Harvey of Variety said the production was "sleekly directed," "snazzily designed," and "smartly cast," but he thought the story was "mediocre," the lyrics were "trite," and the music was "generic." Karen D'Souza of the San Jose Mercury News wrote that the show focused more on style than substance.

The Broadway production opened on October 30, 2003, and received mixed reviews. However, Menzel and Chenoweth were praised for their performances. Richard Zoglin of Time wrote that if every musical had a brain, heart, and courage like Wicked, Broadway would be a magical place. Elysa Gardner of USA Today called it "the most complete and satisfying new musical in a long time." Ben Brantley of the New York Times liked the production but criticized the show itself, calling it a "sermon" that "overplays its hand" and making the story "colorless." Despite the mixed reviews, the show became popular through word-of-mouth and achieved record-breaking success at the box office.

The West End production received a more positive response. Critics generally appreciated the show's visual style and the strong performances of the actors playing the two witches. However, some critics called the production "overblown" and "preachy," saying it had more hype than heart. Charles Spencer of The Daily Telegraph said the show was "a bit of a mess" at times but praised the script and lighting design. He also praised Menzel's performance as Elphaba and Helen Dallimore's performance as Glinda. Michael Billington of The Guardian gave the show three out of five stars and said the lead actors were competent but noted that the show felt more like a "piece of industrial product" than something emotionally powerful. Paul Taylor of The Independent said the show's political themes were "well-meaning but also melodramatic, incoherent, and superficial," and criticized the acting, songs, and story.

A review of a Chinese production in the Shanghai Review of Books was very favorable.

Since its opening in 2003, the original Broadway production of Wicked has broken the house record at the Gershwin Theatre 20 times. It regularly earns more than $1.6 million each week, making it one of the most profitable shows on Broadway. The production had a $14 million investment and took 15 months to break even, earning back its initial investment by December 21, 2004. In its first year, it earned over $56 million. In the week ending January 1, 2006, Wicked broke the record for the highest weekly box office gross in Broadway history, earning $1,610,934. It later set new records, reaching $1,715,155 in November 2006, $2,086,135 in November 2009, and over $2.2 million in January 2011. In 2012, the Broadway production earned $2.7 million in one week. In late 2013, Wicked became the first musical to gross $3 million in a single week.

Productions of Wicked in North America and other countries have also been financially successful. The Los Angeles production set a local weekly gross record, earning $1,786,110 in March 2007. Records were also set in Chicago ($1,418,363) and St. Louis ($2,291,608), bringing the total gross of the seven worldwide productions to a world record of $11.2 million. During Christmas 2010, Wicked set new records in San Francisco ($1,485,692), Providence ($1,793,764), and Schenectady ($1,657,139), as well as on Broadway, with a total one-week gross of $7,062,335 in North America alone.

In Chicago, Wicked played for more than 2 million visitors and earned over $200 million, making it the highest-grossing show in Chicago history by June 2007. It set records and became the longest-running Broadway musical in Chicago history. The Los Angeles production earned over $145 million and was seen by more than 1.8 million people. The San Francisco production sold over 1 million tickets and earned over $75 million. By September 29, 20

Legacy and anniversary tributes

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the musical's Broadway premiere, NBC aired a concert special called A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway on October 29, 2018. The event was recorded live at the Marquis Theatre in New York and hosted by original stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Performers included the current Broadway company and guest artists such as Ariana Grande (who later played Glinda in the films), Pentatonix, Adam Lambert, and Ledisi.

PBS aired another Wicked concert special on August 29, 2021, again hosted by Menzel and Chenoweth. Performers included Cynthia Erivo (who later played Elphaba in the films), Ariana DeBose, Gavin Creel, Ali Stroker, Amber Riley, Mario Cantone, Jennifer Nettles, Stephanie Hsu, Alex Newell, Isaac Cole Powell, and Gabrielle Ruiz.

Parodies

In July 2013, the musical Twisted by StarKid Productions had its first performance at Chicago's Greenhouse Theatre. The musical is a humorous version of the 1992 Disney film Aladdin, told from the perspective of the villain, Jafar, similar to how the musical Wicked retells the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

In November 2014, the parody musical Wicked Frozen premiered at The People's Improv Theatre in New York City. This musical humorously combines elements of the musical Wicked and the 2013 Disney film Frozen. Time Out magazine described Wicked Frozen as "a wild and colorful mix of humor and fantasy that meets all the expectations of fans."

Film adaptation

A film version of Wicked was first discussed in 2004. In July 2010, it was reported that J. J. Abrams, James Mangold, Ryan Murphy, and Rob Marshall were being considered to direct the film. By July 2012, Universal Studios was announced as the producer, with Stephen Daldry as the director and Winnie Holzman, who wrote the musical’s book, as the screenwriter. In 2016, Universal confirmed the film would be released in theaters on December 20, 2019, with Daldry still directing and the script co-written by Holzman and Schwartz, the musical’s creators. In May 2017, Schwartz said the film would include “at least two” new songs. On August 31, 2018, Universal paused production due to scheduling issues and gave the film adaptation of Cats, which later failed at the box office, the original release date. In February 2019, Universal set a new release date of December 22, 2021, for Wicked.

On April 1, 2020, Universal paused the film again because of changes to release dates during the COVID-19 pandemic and gave Sing 2 the 2021 release date. On October 20, 2020, it was announced that Daldry had left the project due to scheduling conflicts. In February 2021, Jon M. Chu was confirmed as the new director. In July 2021, Schwartz said filming would begin in late 2021 in Georgia, but was later delayed to March 2022 and then to June 2022. In November 2021, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, with Jonathan Bailey joining as Fiyero the following year. Production was originally planned to start in mid-2022 in the United Kingdom. In April 2022, it was announced the film would be released in two parts: the first on November 22, 2024, and the second on November 21, 2025. Chu explained that splitting the story into two films allowed more time to fully explore the characters and avoid leaving parts of the original story unfinished.

The first film received praise from critics and became a big hit right away, earning the highest worldwide opening weekend for a stage musical film since Les Misérables (2012). It later became the highest-grossing musical film adaptation of all time. It also became the first musical film to win Best Film at the National Board of Review since Moulin Rouge! (2001) and the first fantasy film to win the award. At the 97th Academy Awards, the film received ten nominations, including Best Picture, and won two awards for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.

In popular culture

The popularity of the musical Wicked has made some of its songs well-known and led to mentions of the show, its characters, and songs in movies, TV shows, and other media. The Broadway version of Wicked has appeared in episodes of television programs such as Brothers & Sisters, Rules of Engagement, and The War at Home. For filming, the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles was used as a stand-in for the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway in the TV show Ugly Betty. In the episode titled "Something Wicked This Way Comes," the main character, Betty, attends a performance of Wicked on a date.

The song "Defying Gravity" from Wicked was included in the TV show Glee. In the episode "Wheels," Rachel (played by Lea Michele) and Kurt (played by Chris Colfer) each performed the song separately during a competition for the lead solo in the first season. The song also appeared in the 100th episode of Glee, titled "100."

The musical The Book of Mormon includes references to Wicked, especially in the song "You and Me (But Mostly Me)." This song features two characters who go from rivals to friends, and it ends with a character singing a melody similar to the ending of Elphaba's "Defying Gravity" from Wicked. The song "Let It Go" from the 2013 Disney movie Frozen, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, has been compared to "Defying Gravity" because of their similar themes and singing styles. The original performer of "Defying Gravity," Idina Menzel, also sang "Let It Go."