19 Subtle Differences Between The “Wicked” Movie Vs. The Broadway Stage Production

19-subtle-differences-between-the-“wicked”-movie-vs.-the-broadway-stage-production

How Elphaba and Fiyero first meet is different in the movie than it is in the Broadway stage production.

There are obviously spoilers ahead for Wicked!

It’s no secret that Wicked is the biggest and most talked about movie in theaters right now. Adapted from the beloved Broadway musical, Wicked famously tells the story of witches Elphaba and Glinda and what exactly happened before the events of The Wizard of Oz.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba in a scene from

Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, the movie adaptation has been in the works for years, and now it’s finally a reality. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film adaptation has received critical acclaim as he and the team have captured the magic of the stage production on screen.

A behind-the-scenes photo of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande hugging as Jon M Chu talks on the set of

Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

And while it’s a pretty faithful adaptation, some things have been added for the movie version that don’t happen in the stage production. So, here are 17 differences between the Wicked: Part 1 movie vs. the stage musical:

It’s important to note that Part 1 has roughly the same runtime as the Broadway production but only covers up until the intermission of the stage show

1. First, unlike in the stage musical, the movie features a brief glimpse at Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion walking down the yellow brick road during “No One Mourns the Wicked.”

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

While Dorothy is hinted at in the Broadway production, she’s never actually shown on stage. Everything happens off-stage, including Glinda shouting to Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road and even Elphaba yelling down a hatch to her in Act Two.

2. In the movie, Keala Settle portrays Miss Coddle, a headmaster at Shiz University. The character does not appear in the stage production on Broadway.

A person in 18th-century attire smiles brightly. The outfit includes a blue dress with black detailing

Universal Pictures / Via x.com

Keala is a well-known Broadway actor and is probably best known for starring in The Greatest Showman

I’m thinking Keala might be used more in Part 2, and possibly sing “March of the Witch Hunters” alongside Ethan Slater’s Boq.

3. Another new character who is added to the movie and is not in the stage production is Dulcibear, Elphaba’s nanny who takes care of her after her father is horrified that she’s born green. She’s voiced by stage actor Sharon D. Clarke.

Young Elphaba vs older Elphaba, both wearing black dresses and round glasses

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

The addition of Dulcibear makes it even more obvious why Elphaba has such strong feelings about the animals in Oz.

Sharon is best known for recently starring in Caroline, or Change. Her work earned her a Tony nomination in 2022, and she won an Olivier Award for the role, too.

4. Also, while Pfannee, one of Glinda’s friends at Shiz, is featured in the stage production, the role is gender-swapped for the movie and is played by Bowen Yang.

Two people, including Bowen Yang, in elaborate outfits hold a black, pointed hat

Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

5. The stage musical doesn’t feature Elphaba’s childhood; however, in the movie, we get flashbacks to it. In the stage version, we see her being born, and she discusses how her mother died when she was young while talking to Glinda at Shiz University.

Young Elphaba in a black, vintage-style dress with round glasses and green skin

Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

6. In the stage production, Elphaba is enrolled at Shiz University and arrives for her first day alongside her sister, Nessarose. However, the movie has it so Elphaba is only dropping Nessa off at school but then gains Madame Morrible’s attention and she’s asked to stay.

Elphaba holding Nessa's hand in the courtyard at Shiz

Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

7. Elphaba and Glinda meet Fiyero for the first time together in the Broadway stage production. However, in the movie, Elphaba meets Fiyero in the woods where Fiyero’s horse runs into her.

Fiyero in an elaborate outfit talks to a group of people wearing matching uniforms

Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

8. In the movie, Glinda’s parents are shown dropping her off at Shiz University. In the stage production, the duo are never seen on stage and are only referenced at the beginning of “What Is This Feeling?”

Scene from

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

Alice Fearn appears as Glinda’s mother, and she notably starred as Elphaba on the West End from 2017 to 2019.

9. Elphaba and Nessa’s father is only seen at the beginning of the stage production and doesn’t appear on stage again. However, the movie has him come to Shiz to say goodbye to Elphaba alongside everyone else when she heads off to the Emerald City.

Elphaba in dark, flowing clothing stands before a large, futuristic vehicle in a vast field

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

This also makes it so Nessa is able to introduce Boq to her dad. 

10. In the movie, Dr. Dillamond, who is one of the last remaining speaking animals in Oz, meets up with a group of other animals, and this is where “Something Bad” is performed. On stage, the song is performed in his classroom, and he’s notably the only animal faculty member.

A goat wearing an ornate jacket stands in an ornate room with stained glass and a chalkboard backdrop

Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

In the stage musical, he even says he’s the “token goat”

11. In the movie, a new section of “One Short Day” featuring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, aka the original Elphaba and Glinda, as citizens of Oz, as they explain how The Wizard rose to power in Oz because he could read the Grimmerie. This isn’t featured in the stage musical.

Idina Mendezl, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Kristin Chenoweth holding hands and crying during an interview together

Entertainment Weekly / Via youtube.com

Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman also make cameos during “One Short Day.”

12. The Wicked movie includes a scene where The Wizard shows Elphaba and Glinda his vision for the “Oz of Tomorrow,” including his idea to build a road that everyone can follow. Elphaba and Glinda push buttons and decide that the road should be yellow. This scene doesn’t happen in the stage musical.

Elphaba and Glinda holding hands standing in front of a minature castle

Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

There are several jokes about Glinda making Dorothy walk the yellow brick road to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz when there is an apparent bullet train that can get you there. 

13. In the stage production, when a new professor shows off the caged lion cub after taking over Dr. Dillamond’s class, Elphaba causes the students to move uncontrollably so she and Fiyero can take the lion cub. However, in the movie, Elphaba uses poppies to put everyone to sleep.

Elphaba looking at a floating poppy flower vs a scene with her releasing a lion cub

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

The poppies obviously play a big role in The Wizard of Oz, with the Scarecrow, aka Fiyero, being the only one unaffected by them then, too. 

14. The Wicked movie has a few more subtle nods to The Wizard of Oz sprinkled throughout the movie. For starters, at the very beginning of the movie, as children run through the field rejoining that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead, they are playing the classic “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead.”

A colorful, whimsical landscape with characters walking on a yellow brick path through vibrant flower fields, leading to a sign for Munchkinland

15. “Dancing Through Life,” “One Short Day,” and “Defying Gravity” are broken up more in the movie than they are in the stage production. Namely, “Defying Gravity” becomes a nearly 14-minute scene with the song stopping and starting as Elphaba and Glinda chat and weigh their options to escape.

Elphaba standing in a broken window holding a broom as the sun sets

Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

Also, in “Defying Gravity,” at the very end, Elphaba sees a vision of her younger self, which doesn’t happen on stage either. 

16. In the movie, during “Defying Gravity,” The Wizard’s guards who are pursuing Elphaba shout, “Kill her.” However, in the stage production, the lyrics include “Get her.”

Elphaba holding a broom and getting ready to ride it

Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

17. The movie includes a few lyric changes during “Dancing Through Life.” Also, the Ozdust Ballroom is a hidden nightclub instead of a student hangout spot, which differs from the stage production.

Elphaba standing in the middle of a dance floor holding a pointy witch hat vs Glinda and Fiyero looking at her, with Glinda looking sad

18. After Elphaba takes off into the sky during “Defying Gravity,” there is a moment where Madame Morrible and Glinda hug, with Glinda clearly accepting the hug. This doesn’t happen in the stage musical but foreshadows Act Two.

Glinda crying as she looks at Elphaba vs Madame Morrible holding Glinda's waste as an explosion happens

19. And finally, at the very end of the movie, while Nessa is listening to the announcement about finding and capturing Elphaba, their father collapses in the background. In the stage production, it’s mentioned that he “dies of a broken heart,” but it’s never shown on stage.

Elphaba wearing a witch hat and dark textured outfit, stands in a dramatic scene

Universal Pictures / Everett Collection

What did you think of the Wicked movie adaptation? Were there any other differences between the Broadway musical and the movie that you spotted? Tell us everything in the comments below!

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