19 Subtle Differences Between The “Wicked” Movie Vs. 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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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!