Wicked (full title: 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 a book from 1995 by Gregory Maguire, which was based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and its 1939 movie version. The musical takes place in the Land of Oz before and after Dorothy Gale arrives from Kansas. It shows the complicated friendship between Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland—later known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good—as they face challenges from their different viewpoints, a shared love interest, and their responses to the Wizard’s unfair rule, ending 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 with choreography by Wayne Cilento, the original Wicked musical opened on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003. It first performed in San Francisco’s 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. Although some reviews were mixed, the production won three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. Its original cast album also received a Grammy Award.

Long-running versions of Wicked include a production in London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, which has performed over 7,407 times. Since 2005, the musical has toured North America multiple times. Wicked has set many box-office records worldwide. In January 2011, the Broadway, London, and North American touring shows all broke their weekly revenue records at the same time. In the last week of 2024, the Broadway version earned over $5 million in a single week. By 2016, Wicked had earned more than $1 billion in total revenue on Broadway, joining The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King as the only shows to reach that milestone. By 2017, Wicked had surpassed The Phantom of the Opera to become 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 movie, which includes appearances by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, was released on November 22, 2024. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The second movie, 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 convinced Maguire to let the rights be used for a stage production. At the same time, Schwartz made a strong argument to Universal producer Marc Platt to allow him to create his own version of the story. Platt agreed and became a joint producer of the project 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 is inspired by L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and its 1939 film version. It includes serious themes like sexual assault, political problems, infidelity, racism, and the influence of religion. It also makes readers 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. Over a year, they created the plot outline, and with Marc Platt, they designed the structure of the show. The stage version was not a direct copy of the book.

The stage play took Maguire's idea of retelling the 1939 film's story from the witch's perspective but changed many details. Holzman said the story onstage was different from the book, especially in how the friendship between Elphaba and Galinda develops. Schwartz explained the focus was on how their friendship led them to very different lives. Major changes in the story include Fiyero becoming the Scarecrow, Elphaba surviving at the end, Nessarose using a wheelchair instead of being born without arms, Boq having a love interest for Glinda and becoming the Tin Woodman, removing Elphaba's time in the Vinkus, deleting Liir's birth, Fiyero not having a wife or children, Doctor Dillamond being fired instead of murdered, and Madame Morrible going to prison instead of dying.

The musical's book, lyrics, and music were developed through several readings. Kristin Chenoweth, the actress Schwartz imagined for Glinda, joined the project. Stephanie J. Block played Elphaba in the early workshops (later in the national tour and as a Broadway replacement), and Idina Menzel was cast in 2002. That year, producer David Stone was brought on to plan the Broadway production. Joe Mantello became the director, Wayne Cilento the choreographer, and Eugene Lee designed the set and visual style, inspired by W. W. Denslow's illustrations and Maguire's idea of using a giant clock as a storytelling device. Costume designer Susan Hilferty created over 200 costumes in a "twisted Edwardian" style, and lighting designer Kenneth Posner used more than 800 lights to create unique moods for each of the 54 scenes and locations. By April 2003, the show was in rehearsals.

After a tryout in San Francisco in 2003, which received mixed reviews, the team made many changes before moving to Broadway. Holzman said parts of the story were rewritten, and some songs were adjusted. The song "Which Way is the Party?" was replaced with "Dancing Through Life." Critics worried that Idina Menzel's Elphaba was overshadowed by Kristin Chenoweth's Glinda. To fix this, the team made Elphaba more central in the story. Schwartz said the feedback from critics helped improve the show.

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, starting 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 acknowledge her when she was born with green skin ("No One Mourns the Wicked").

Years earlier, Elphaba arrives at Shiz University with her younger sister, Nessarose, who cannot walk. At school, Elphaba is treated poorly because of her green skin and her sharp personality ("Dear Old Shiz"). The headmistress, Madame Morrible, assigns Elphaba to room with Galinda Upland, a popular student. Morrible notices Elphaba’s ability to use magic and offers to teach her privately ("The Wizard and I"), which makes Galinda jealous. The two girls quickly grow to dislike each other ("What Is This Feeling?"). Meanwhile, Dr. Dillamond, the only teacher who studies animals, tells Elphaba about a plan to stop animals from speaking ("Something Bad").

A charming prince named Fiyero begins attending Shiz and organizes a party. Galinda becomes interested in Fiyero and convinces Boq, a Munchkin, to take Nessarose to the party so she can go with Fiyero. At the party, Elphaba is mocked for wearing an ugly hat that Galinda gave her as a joke. This makes Galinda change her mind, and she dances with Elphaba ("Dancing Through Life"). Later, the two girls bond, and Galinda helps Elphaba improve her appearance ("Popular"). The next day, Dillamond is fired, and his replacement shows a cage designed to silence animals. Elphaba frees a lion cub trapped inside and escapes with Fiyero. Though they share a moment, Elphaba feels Fiyero still prefers Galinda ("I'm Not That Girl").

Morrible tells Elphaba that the Wizard of Oz wants to meet her. Elphaba goes with Galinda, who changes her name to Glinda in honor of Dillamond, to the Emerald City ("One Short Day"). They meet the Wizard and learn he is not magical but a regular man ("A Sentimental Man"). Morrible becomes the Wizard’s press secretary. After being tricked into helping the Wizard’s monkeys grow wings, Elphaba realizes the Wizard is lying and using tricks to control people. She leaves him, even though Glinda does not want her to. Elphaba escapes on a flying broom, vowing to fight the Wizard ("Defying Gravity").

Years later, Elphaba is known as the Wicked Witch of the West for opposing the Wizard. Glinda has become the Wizard’s spokesperson. Fiyero, now a captain in the Wizard’s Guard and unknowingly engaged to Glinda, searches for Elphaba ("Thank Goodness").

Elphaba visits Nessarose, who is now the governor of Munchkinland. Nessarose has taken away the Munchkins’ rights to keep Boq with her. Elphaba enchants Nessarose’s silver shoes to help her walk, but Boq believes Nessarose no longer needs him and tries to leave her for Glinda. Nessarose tries to cast a love spell on Boq but accidentally shrinks his heart. Elphaba tries to save him but only turns him into a tin man who does not need a heart ("The Wicked Witch of the East"). Boq flees, and Nessarose blames Elphaba.

Elphaba returns to the Emerald City to free the Wizard’s monkeys but is discovered. The Wizard explains he is an ordinary man who became powerful by tricking people ("Wonderful"). He lets the monkeys go, and Elphaba is almost convinced to help him until she finds Dillamond, who can no longer speak. She vows to continue fighting the Wizard. Fiyero helps her escape, and Glinda is heartbroken, realizing Fiyero always loved Elphaba ("I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)"). Glinda convinces the Wizard and Morrible to spread a rumor that Nessarose is in danger to lure Elphaba out. Morrible and the Wizard decide to create a tornado instead.

Hiding in the forest, Elphaba and Fiyero confess their love for each other ("As Long as You're Mine") but are interrupted when Elphaba senses Nessarose is in danger. Her fear is correct: a tornado has crushed Nessarose to death. Elphaba is angry that Glinda gave Nessarose’s enchanted shoes to Dorothy Gale, a girl who arrived in Oz. The two fight, and Fiyero helps Elphaba escape but is captured. At Kiamo Ko castle, Elphaba tries to save Fiyero, believing him dead, and accepts her role as the Wicked Witch of the West ("No Good Deed").

As people in Oz declare war on Elphaba ("March of the Witch Hunters"), Glinda learns Morrible caused the tornado that killed Nessarose. Morrible reminds Glinda she has supported the Wizard’s plans to gain power. Elphaba, grief-stricken, captures Dorothy to retrieve Nessarose’s shoes. Glinda warns Elphaba of the danger, and the two say goodbye ("For Good"). Glinda watches as Dorothy throws water on Elphaba, melting her. Only Elphaba’s hat and a bottle of Green Elixir from her mother remain.

Glinda confronts the Wizard with the elixir, which he recognizes as his own. He was the man Elphaba’s mother had an affair with, making him her biological father. The Wizard leaves Oz, and Glinda takes charge. She arrests Morrible for killing Nessarose. Meanwhile, Fiyero, now a Scarecrow because of Elphaba’s spell, arrives at Kiamo Ko, where Elphaba emerges from hiding. Elphaba and Fiyero leave Oz together, and Glinda announces the Wicked Witch is dead before joining the celebration in Oz ("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 https://playbill.com/article/jordan-litz-will-make-west-end-debut-in-wicked
• 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 musical score of Wicked has many themes and often resembles an opera more than a traditional musical. While many musicals use new melodies for each song, the composer, Stephen Schwartz, reused a few musical ideas, called leitmotifs, throughout the show. These motifs sometimes show irony, such as when Glinda gives Elphaba a "ghastly" hat in the song "Dancing Through Life." At that moment, the music repeats a theme from an earlier song, "What Is This Feeling?"

Two main musical themes run through the score of Wicked. The first, Elphaba's theme, was originally written by Schwartz in 1971 for a different project called The Survival of St. Joan. He later used this melody in Wicked as the foundation for several songs. By changing the instruments that play the theme, Schwartz makes the same melody sound different in each scene. For example, in the overture, the melody is played by brass instruments and percussion, creating a dark, powerful sound. In the song "As Long as You're Mine," the same melody is played by piano and electric bass, making it sound romantic. The theme also appears in "No One Mourns the Wicked" with new lyrics and a different musical structure.

The second major theme, called the "Unlimited" theme, appears in several songs but is not a titled song. It includes the first seven notes of the song "Over the Rainbow" from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, as a tribute to its composer, Harold Arlen. Schwartz often played this theme in a minor key, which contrasts with songs like "Defying Gravity," which is written in a major key. However, in the song "The Wicked Witch of the East," the "Unlimited" theme is played in a major key when Elphaba helps her sister.

A cast recording of the original Broadway production was released on December 16, 2003, by Universal Music. It includes all songs from the stage production except "The Wizard and I (Reprise)," "A Sentimental Man (Reprise)," and "The Wicked Witch of the East." The recording was arranged by Stephen Oremus, who also conducted and directed the music, and James Lynn Abbott. William David Brohn orchestrated the music. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2005 and was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2006 and double platinum in 2010. A fifth-anniversary special edition was released on October 28, 2008, with bonus tracks from other cast recordings.

A German recording of the Stuttgart production was released on December 7, 2007, with the same track listing and arrangements as the Broadway version. The Japanese cast recording, released on July 23, 2008, features the original Tokyo cast and includes Glinda's Finale dialogue, which is unique to this version. A Polish recording was released on February 15, 2026, and is 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 many 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 performances 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's grand reopening.

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.

After a limited 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 paused 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 celebrated 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 night on September 27. The show celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016 with a special curtain call featuring former West End cast members. The British production had some small changes to dialogue, choreography, and special effects for a British audience. Many of these changes were later added to all productions of Wicked, including the Broadway and US national tours.

The London production brought back the show's original creative team. Original London 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. After her limited engagement ended on December 30, 2006, Menzel was replaced by Kerry Ellis on January 1, 2007.

The first national tour of Wicked began in 2005 and ended in 2015. A production in Chicago opened in 2005 and closed in 2009. A production in Los Angeles opened in 2007 and closed in 2009. A

Reception

The original Broadway production of Wicked was nominated for ten Tony Awards in 2004, including awards for 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 lost awards for Best Book, Best Original Score, and Best Musical to Avenue Q. The same year, the show won six Drama Desk Awards out of 11 nominations, including awards for 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 was nominated for 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 of Elphaba was listed as number 79 on Entertainment Weekly's list of The 100 Greatest Characters of the Past 20 Years.

During its out-of-town tryout in San Francisco, audience members generally had positive reactions. However, critics praised the show’s visual style and special effects but criticized its book, score, and choreography. Dennis Harvey of Variety said the production was "sleekly directed," "snazzily designed," and "smartly cast," but he disliked its "mediocre" book, "trite" lyrics, and "largely generic" music. Karen D'Souza of the San Jose Mercury News wrote that "style over substance" was the main theme of the show.

The Broadway production opened on October 30, 2003, and received mixed reviews. However, Menzel and Chenoweth received praise for their performances. Richard Zoglin of Time wrote, "If every musical had a brain, a heart, and the courage of Wicked, Broadway really would be a magical place." Elysa Gardner of USA Today called it "the most complete, and completely satisfying, new musical I've come across in a long time." Ben Brantley of the New York Times loved the production but criticized the show itself, calling it a "sermon" that "so overplays its hand that it seriously dilutes its power" and noting that the audience often rooted for Glinda instead of Elphaba. Despite mixed reviews, the show became popular through word-of-mouth and achieved record-breaking success at the box office. In 2006, the show’s creator, Schwartz, said, "What can I say? Reviews are reviews… I know we divided the critics. We didn't divide the audience, and that's what counts."

The West End production opened to a more positive response. Most critics appreciated the show’s visual style and the strong performances of the actors playing the two witches. However, some critics called the production overblown, occasionally preachy, and lacking heartfelt depth. Charles Spencer of The Daily Telegraph said the show was "at times… a bit of a mess," but praised the script, lighting design, and performances of Menzel and Helen Dallimore. Michael Billington of The Guardian gave the show three out of five stars and noted the skill of the lead actors but said the show felt more like a "piece of industrial product" than something emotionally powerful. Paul Taylor of The Independent criticized the show’s political themes, calling them "well-meaning but also melodramatic, incoherent, and dreadfully superficial," and said the acting, songs, and book were weak. 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. With a $14 million investment, the Broadway production 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 broke its own record, reaching $1,715,155 in November 2006, $2,086,135 in November 2009, and over $2.2 million in January 2011. In the first week of 2012, the Broadway production earned $2.7 million. In the final weekend of 2013, Wicked became the first musical to gross $3 million in one week.

Productions of Wicked in North America and other countries were also financially successful. The Los Angeles production broke the 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. New

Legacy and anniversary tributes

To mark the 15th anniversary of the musical's first performance on Broadway, NBC broadcast a concert special titled 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 the original stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Performers included the current Broadway cast, as well as guest artists such as Ariana Grande (who later played Glinda in the films), Pentatonix, Adam Lambert, and Ledisi.

On August 29, 2021, PBS aired another Wicked concert special, again hosted by Menzel and Chenoweth. This event featured performers such as 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 StarKid Productions musical Twisted began a short performance run at Chicago's Greenhouse Theatre. The musical is a funny version of the 1992 Disney animated 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 opened at The People's Improv Theatre in New York City. This show humorously combines elements of the musical Wicked and the 2013 Walt Disney Animation Studios film Frozen. Time Out magazine described Wicked Frozen as "a frozen-themed show full of wild and colorful ideas, hitting every fan favorite moment."

Film adaptation

A movie version of Wicked was first talked about 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 planning to make the movie, with Stephen Daldry as the director and Winnie Holzman, who wrote the musical's story, to write the screenplay. In 2016, Universal announced the film would be released in theaters on December 20, 2019, with Daldry still set to direct. The script would be co-written by Holzman and the musical's other creator, Schwartz. In May 2017, Schwartz said the film would include "at least two" new songs. On August 31, 2018, Universal paused the film because of scheduling issues and gave the Cats movie, which did not do well 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 in release dates during the COVID-19 pandemic and gave Sing 2 the 2021 date. On October 20, 2020, it was announced that Daldry had left the project due to scheduling conflicts. In February 2021, Jon M. Chu signed on to direct the film. In July 2021, Schwartz said filming would begin in late 2021 in Georgia but was later moved to March 2022 and then to June 2022. In November 2021, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast as Glinda and Elphaba, and Jonathan Bailey was cast as Fiyero in 2022. Production was 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 making the story of Wicked into one movie would harm the story, so he decided to make two films to better tell the story and include all details from the original musical.

The first film received praise from critics and became a big hit quickly, earning the highest worldwide opening weekend for a stage musical movie since Les Misérables (2012). It later became the highest-grossing musical film of all time. It also won Best Film at the National Board of Review, the first musical film to do so 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 success of Wicked has made many of its songs popular and has led to mentions of the show, its characters, and its music in popular culture. The Broadway version of Wicked has appeared in episodes of television shows, including 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," where the main character, Betty, attends a performance of Wicked on a date.

The song "Defying Gravity" appears in the Glee episode "Wheels," where Rachel (played by Lea Michele) and Kurt (played by Chris Colfer) sing it separately during a competition for the lead solo in the first season. The song was also included in "100," the 100th episode of Glee.

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