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Wicked has been one of the world's most famous musicals for just over 15 years, and many know it as a show that made Broadway history. Its music is well-known by everyone, even those who haven't seen the musical performance. In December of 2021, it's also going to hit the movie theaters, so for those who haven't yet seen the original musical, it's wise to catch up before buying a ticket.
The musical tells the story of Elphaba and Galinda, and the journey between two unlikely friends. They rival over the same love-interest, they discuss the Wizard's corrupt government, and ultimately, live through Elphaba's fall from grace. It's a story that holds well over time and can be interpreted in many different ways, but what makes Wicked truly magical is the music. Here are a few things you might not have known about this iconic soundtrack.
8 Wicked Was A Success From Day One
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This might not sound surprising today, but even the most successful performance takes time to reach the heart of the audience. This wasn't the case with Wicked. In only 14 months, the production earned back $14 million.
Most shows have a period of 3-4 years before they recoup the entire original investment, and those that can't are often forced to close down. Wicked's massive, rapid profits made in just over a year is astounding, especially 15 years ago.
7 "Defying Gravity" Has Been Played In Space
NASA often provides wake-up calls for astronauts in space. Sometimes it's based on the request of the astronaut, other times it's totally up to NASA to decide what will play next. As a tradition, they mostly played tunes and songs that fit the space theme.
The tradition started when Jack Jones serenaded astronauts Wally Shirra and Tom Safford with a parody of the hit "Hello Dolly" in 1965. Decades later, after Wicked came out, NASA played "Defying Gravity" to wake up the astronauts in space.
6 Idina Menzel Wasn't The Original Elphaba
For today's generation, it's hard to imagine anyone but the iconic Idinal Menzel as Elphaba on stage, but she wasn't the first pick for the role. Initially, actress Stephanie Block read for the part while the musical was in production.
Block also originated the role in the 2005 national tour of the musical. However, she was quickly replaced by Menzel, who had already won a Tony at the time for her role in Rent.
5 A Tribute To "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
"Unlimited/I'm Limited" has a few familiar notes from the world-renowned musical The Wizard of Oz. This is the production's way of paying respects to its roots. Due to copyright laws, this homage is limited, and can only be heard in the first few notes of the song.
Not many people caught this, as the creators of Wicked did everything to avoid stepping over the copyright restrictions. They only added these hints in the first few notes, and even those were masked by a different rhythm and harmony. It's even written on a different chord, but nevertheless, the first seven notes are a nod to Oz, the story that inspired Wicked.
4 "Defying Gravity" Is One Of The Hardest Songs To Sing
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Shows like Company, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Les Miserables, and more boast some of the most difficult songs in Broadway history, but almost nothing compares to "Defying Gravity." It is the white whale of songs for performers with a vocal range of Ab3-F5.
The number of flats and sharps added to the song makes it even more difficult to sing, not to mention the fact that it changes time signature twice, and has five dynamic's notation. In addition to the classic "Wicked song," almost all other Elphaba classics are extremely difficult as well, making this role one of the hardest to ever master.
3 The Musical Use Of The Tritone
On a more technical note, there's another tiny detail that can be noticed by those who have an ear for music — and knowledge of musicals. For this, people have to look back to West Side Story. At the very end of the musical, the creators used a tritone to turn an otherwise happy tune into a melancholic one, symbolizing the loss of a happily ever after. The show's composers brought back the tunes they used for the love sequence, and added a low tritone to symbolize devastation and loss.
In Wicked, the composers did the same thing in the last notes when a familiar and otherwise majestic tune was balanced out and twisted by a low, sinister tritone. Although this may seem like an homage to the other famous musical, it's actually quite common in music theory to highlight the loss of something, and turn a balanced, happy note into a sinister, unbalanced tune.
2 Willemijn Verkaik Is The Longest Running Elphaba
This might be a hard pill to swallow for Menzel fans, but the longest-running Elphaba is actually a Dutch singer and actress, Willemijn Verkaik. She first performed the role in 2007 in Stuttgart, Germany, and her final performance was in 2017 in the West End of London.
She was the longest-running Elphaba, having played the role over 2000 times and in three different languages. In addition to her role as Elphaba in Wicked, she's also the singing voice of Elsa in both the Dutch and German versions of Frozen — whom Menzel voiced in the original English.
1 Stephen Schwartz Didn't Only Rely On His Imagination
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Stephen Schwartz has perfected the story of Wicked. Taking into consideration that's it's a show promoting female empowerment and the twists and turns of friendship between women, some might ask how he did it. Though he's a genius of the musical world, he also didn't want to leave the story to only his imagination.
This is why he consulted his own family. Songs like "Popular," "Defying Gravity," and "For Good" were based on a friendship his daughter had. Schwartz asked her what she'd want to say if she never got to see her friend again, and her responses laid the foundation for the songs. In an interview, he said that the reason the musical resonates so well with the audience is that it's not solely based on imagination. "Tell the truth, and make it rhyme," he said, and the statement couldn't be more true.
The upcoming Wicked movie will be released on December 22, 2021.