Oz, Mourning the not-so-wicked Options

[Anzibanonzi]

Okay, so there are tons of factions devoted to television and a couple to movies and books. This is my attempt to start a faction devoted to a Broadway Musical. Wicked the musical is the story of Elphaba (the wicked witch of the west) and Galinda or Glinda the good witch. What people who watch the 'Wizard of Oz ' don't know is that Elphaba is just trying to fight for animal rights, and Galinda is actually her friend.

I don't know how this faction will fair because I don't know if there are many Wicked fans here. But if you love the green girl come and join me!

Members and their keeper titles:

Anzibanonzi - Keeper of Elphaba's Grimmery
ChicaFrom3 - keeper of Chistery
Harper's Pixie - Keeper of Fiyero and Elphie's Secert Love
LadyBianca - Galinda's training wand

This post has been edited by Anzibanonzi: Sep 13 2005, 06:30 PM

[ChicaFrom3]

I haven't actually seen the musical "Wicked" yet, one of the prices of living in this cultural black hole, but I adore the soundtrack and the book rates among my very favorite novels. So does that qualify me to join?

"That's why I call myself a witch now: the Wicked Witch of the West, if you want the full glory of it. As long as people are going to call you a lunatic anyway, why not get the benefit of it? It liberates you from convention."

[Anzibanonzi]

Seeing as how I won't have seen it untill the 10th of July when I have tickets for it playing at the Pantages - I certainly think that you are qualified to join!

Would you like a keeper title? Those are so much fun!
I am the Keeper of Elphaba's Grimmery

[ChicaFrom3]

Oooh! Can I be keeper of Chistery? He's so adorable!

[Anzibanonzi]

I have a question for you, do you mind knowning what happens in the musical before you see it? I would like to compare the musical to the book if that is alright with you...

[ChicaFrom3]

No, I'm totally cool with being spoiled on the musical ahead of time...I actually prefer it when I know the basic gist of a show before seeing it, because then I can focus more on the direction and other production aspects. Yeah, I'm a theater major and a geek. I'm the kind of person who watches Jekyll & Hyde and is more deeply impressed with the skill of the tech guys during "Confrontation" than I am with the writers...

[Anzibanonzi]

Good, I'm the same way! My first musical was Les Mis a while ago and I didn't know the plot or the songs and I am sure I missed sooo much!

Apparently the book differs from the musical towards the end. Where do the characters end up at the end of the book. Is Fiyero alive? Is Elphaba? Is Glinda with or against Elphy?

[ChicaFrom3]

At the end of the book:

Fiyero is dead. He stays dead. I hear in the show he's revealed to be the Scarecrow, is that true? In the book, Elphie speculates that the Scarecrow might be Fiyero in disguise--she gets excited about it--but then her hopes are crushed. Fiyero is dead.

Elphaba is implied dead. Dorothy throws water on her, a "baptismal splash", and she goes out in a blaze of agony. But the book ends with,

"And there the wicked old Witch stayed for a good long time."
"And did she ever come out?"
"Not yet."

so, it's possible that she's not dead dead.

Glinda is neither with nor against Elphaba. She gives Nessarose's shoes to Dorothy, which upsets Elphaba greatly, but she also has a perfectly civil and friendly conversation with Elphie afterwards in which she discusses old times, dresses, what a sweet girl Dorothy is, and how silly it is for Elphie to be so obsessed with a pair of shoes.

How does the musical differ? *curious*

This post has been edited by ChicaFrom3: Jun 14 2005, 12:35 AM

[Anzibanonzi]

The musical does really cool things with the tinman, Scarecrow, and the lion...

You know that in 'March of the Witch Hunters' the tinman is singing right? Well, the tinman is Boq. Basically Nessarose was the evil dictator of Munshkin(did not spell that right) land. She notices that Boq doesn't really love her and she is very upset. She steals the Grimmery and tries to make his heart bigger. But she doesn't know how to use the Grimmery and she ends up making his heart shrink. Elphaba can't watch him die so she turns his body into tin so that he can live.

The lion is the one that she and Fiyero rescued a long time ago. Because he was helped so much from Elphy he doesn't know how to fend for himself.

Finally, the scarecrow.
In No Good Deed Elphaba is reciting a spell to protect Fiyero from the police who have captured him and tied him up in a cornfield and are beating him

Let his flesh not be torn
Let his blood leave no stain
Though they beat him
Let him feel no pain
Let his bones never break
And however they try
To destroy him
Let him never die:
Let him never die:

Eleka nahmen nahmen
Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen
Eleka nahmen nahmen
Ah tum ah tum eleka: eleka:

Basically, without knowing it she turns him into the scarecrow

As for Elphaba and Galinda, unless I am mistaken Elphaba has begged Galinda to take on her cause because she realizes that she can't do it. So Galinda is pretending to be the Wizard's aid

This post has been edited by Anzibanonzi: Jun 14 2005, 01:09 AM

[Monsters Cry Alone]

*comes to join* I've never seen the musical and unless it comes to england I'm never likely to, but I adore the soundtrack and I've read half the book.... So can I join??? Pretty please???

*goes back to watching the discussion*

[ChicaFrom3]

You know that in 'March of the Witch Hunters' the tinman is singing right? Well, the tinman is Boq. Basically Nessarose was the evil dictator of Munshkin(did not spell that right) land. She notices that Boq doesn't really love her and she is very upset. She steals the Grimmery and tries to make his heart bigger. But she doesn't know how to use the Grimmery and she ends up making his heart shrink. Elphaba can't watch him die so she turns his body into tin so that he can live.

Hmmm...in the book,

the tinman is just a local tincutter who was in love with a local girl, but local girl's employer doesn't like that. So the old woman gets Nessarose (who is, indeed, the dictator of Munchkinland) to enchant an axe to chop off the tincutter's limbs. But each time he keeps replacing the limb with one of tin until there's nothing but tin left.

The lion is the one that she and Fiyero rescued a long time ago. Because he was helped so much from Elphy he doesn't know how to fend for himself.

Same in the book, basically.

Finally, the scarecrow.
In No Good Deed Elphaba is reciting a spell to protect Fiyero from the police who have captured him and tied him up in a cornfield and are beating him

Let his flesh not be torn
Let his blood leave no stain
Though they beat him
Let him feel no pain
Let his bones never break
And however they try
To destroy him
Let him never die:
Let him never die:

Eleka nahmen nahmen
Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen
Eleka nahmen nahmen
Ah tum ah tum eleka: eleka:

Basically, without knowing it she turns him into the scarecrow

In the book, Fiyero is killed in Emerald City for being involved with Elphie, who's taken a role with an underground revolutionary organization. His death tears her to pieces and results in her staying in a monastary for a few years and then going West to find his family and apologize for his death and for having an affair with him.

As for Elphaba and Galinda, unless I am mistaken Elphaba has begged Galinda to take on her cause because she realizes that she can't do it. So Galinda is pretending to be the Wizard's aid

In the book, Glinda post-Shiz has reverted back to being a shallow, kind of silly girl. Political intrigue isn't her style; she wouldn't agree to that kind of thing.


And, welcome, MCA! What do you think of the book so far?

[Anzibanonzi]

yes welcome!

would you like a keeper title?

The reason my Fiyero is arrested in the first place is because he is assosiating with Elphie and her revolutionary cause. But they are together when it happens, right after As Long As You're Mine.

[Monsters Cry Alone]

Hmm... a keeper title... what could I have... *thinks* anyone have any suggestions??

I'm enjoying the book so far but it's an ebook so I'm having to read it off the computer... also it has stacks of errors in - all of which detract from the story... I'm very interested how Glinda becomes "The Good Witch" cause she seems rather shallow atm. Also the whole thing with the headmistress type person completely confused me... I think there was a lot that I missed about that!

But I have D/led some video clips of Wicked... Three "promotional" songs (performed on SNL etc) and a few clips that look like a hand held video camara in the audience... and it's even better than I imagined.

[ChicaFrom3]

I'm very interested how Glinda becomes "The Good Witch" cause she seems rather shallow atm.

It's a very interesting and rather sad transformation. You kinda wish she'd stay the shallow little girl because that would mean the bad thing didn't happen...but you know the transformation has to happen...

Or, wait. Maybe that's just me...Anyway, it's very sad.

[Monsters Cry Alone]

Now I'm really curious.... *drops everything to read some more of the book*

[Anzibanonzi]

I'm very interested how Glinda becomes "The Good Witch" cause she seems rather shallow atm.

It's a very interesting and rather sad transformation. You kinda wish she'd stay the shallow little girl because that would mean the bad thing didn't happen...but you know the transformation has to happen...

Or, wait. Maybe that's just me...Anyway, it's very sad.

In the musical its really sad because there is a song when Elphie gives her the chance to fight her way...but then everything goes down hill and Glinda chooses to stay with the wizard and her shallowness...


Where did you download the stuff from?

[Monsters Cry Alone]

Limewire mainly. I was hoping for a bootleg of the whole show, but the clips are all I've found.

I never understood why Glinda didn't help Elphie....

[Anzibanonzi]

Keeping in mind that I have never read the book and I that i'm seeing the musical in 19 days... I always thought that Glinda was afraid. She wants to be the girl she was, unaware of people's deciet and problems. And she knows if she follows Elphie she can never go back to that. From what I understand about the musical it ends up being a good thing. Because Elphie is hated by everyone in Oz Glinda must do the work while pretending to help the Wizard...

[Monsters Cry Alone]

I have som pici's if anyone wants to see.... I think they were taken from the audience... but they are very good.

I can post them if anyone is interested??

[ChicaFrom3]

Definitely interested.