No. 27. “Defying Gravity”
WICKED (2003). By Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) and Winnie Holzman (book). Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire
Autumn 2003. You’re seeing Wicked, the first Broadway musical to boast a full score with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz since 1976. It’s based on a popular novel that retells The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical begins with a celebration of the Wicked Witch’s death at the hands of Dorothy. Glinda (a delightfully conceited Kristin Chenoweth in full soprano power) descends in a literal bubble and tells the story of what really happened, launching into a two-hour long flashback that has an intermission. Elphaba, the wicked witch’s actual name, is born with bright green skin. She and her sister (Nessarose) go to Shiz, an Ozian boarding school where everyone is an eccentric mix of fantasy and steampunk and talking animals coexist with humans. The stern and serious Elphaba (who, as played by Idina Menzel, can belt the house down faster than a tornado) is forced to room with the perky Glinda. They loathe each other at first but soon develop an understanding and friendship. Madame Morrible, Shiz’s headmistress, clocks Elphaba’s prodigious magical talents, and introduces her to the Wizard. Elphaba hopes he can “degreenify” her, but soon learns neither he nor Morrible have much real magical power and instead use lies and deceit to suppress independent ideas, vilify talking animals, and amass political power. Worse, they tricked Elphaba into using a spell to further their agenda. When Elphaba pushes against these plots, Morrible brands her a “wicked witch” (which is catchier but not really all that different from “nihilistic violent extremist”). While Glinda hopes for a more measured response, Elphaba decides to use her power to rebel against the true evil in Oz, casting a levitation spell on her broom and “Defying Gravity.”
Stephen Schwartz had 3 simultaneous smash hits in the 1970s (Godspell, Pippin, and The Magic Show), followed by some heartbreaking flops, near misses, and redemption in Hollywood with animated films. He read Gregory Maguire’s Wicked novel and thought it would make a great musical. Universal Studios had already purchased the rights for a movie version, but when Schwartz came to them, they decided to produce it on Broadway first. The development process was a bit rocky—some people are still feuding over it—and the critical response was underwhelming. There is a lot of story to tell and not nearly enough time to tell it, so it’s a bit of a mess from a dramaturgical perspective, especially in the second act (Winnie Holzman’s book veers significantly from the novel’s plotting after intermission). But it was populer-lar with audiences who loved the Oz mythology, the iconic pair or leading ladies and their relationship, the whimsical and spectacular sets and costumes (by Eugene Lee and Susan Hilferty), and Stephen Schwartz’s infectious score. “Defying Gravity” became the signature showtune of the 00s. And once YouTube appeared a couple of years into Wicked’s run, fans began uploading bootlegged compilations of every Elphaba from every tour and production across the globe, comparing and obsessing over every riff and phrasing choice.
Recommended Recording: ”Defying Gravity,” Wicked (2003)
This is the defining cast recording of the 2000’s. It’s the 5th best-selling cast album of all time and 3x Platinum certified. Idina Menzel’s performance set a standard for singing (and, specifically, high belting) that launched a thousand BFAs. The vocal expectations are a bit of a liability, requiring Elphaba standbys and understudies ready to “green up” at a moment’s notice, sometimes mid-show. And yet, during Wicked’s pre-Broadway run in San Francisco, the creative team had concerns that Kristen Chenoweth’s Glinda overpowered the show and spent the months between the San Francisco run and Broadway opening correcting this balance. This is a performance that is in a theater kid’s bones. So much so that when the movie version came out with some extra measures near the end, you could almost feel literal whiplash for the first couple of listens.
Alternate Performances
Wicked has received.~5 cast recordings, which is a preposterously low number for a show that has been this successful for 20+ years.
2007 Stuttgart Cast - This recording—one of only 2 international casts—features the stunning Dutch actress Willemijn Verkaik, who has played Elphaba more than 2,000 times in three languages. It recently became readily available in the US, but before that the easiest way to hear at least some of these tracks (as well as tracks from the Tokyo cast) was on the 5th Anniversary edition of the OBCR.
A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway (2018) - This NBC (owned by Universal) special celebrated the 15th anniversary of Wicked. Rather than attempting a grand fully staged concert, it features a number of solo performances and duets by original cast members, Adam Lambert (a former Fieryo), Ariana Grande (singing “The Wizard and I” well before the movie had a director, let alone a schedule or a cast), and a collection of Elphabas and Glindas through history. Many of these performances appear on a 15th anniversary edition of the OBCR.
2024 & 2025 Films - When they first announced the film, directed by John Cho, would split the musical in two, it felt like a blatant cash grab. But it turns out, the story needs more room. The musical moves as a breakneck pace without much room for dialogue between songs, but the movie holds space for the relationships to fully develop. The magnificent Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s 15+ year mission to infiltrate Wicked finally paid off when she nabbed the role of Glinda. Their chemistry is off-the-charts-insane and their performances are nuanced and exquisitely sung. Both Ariana and Cynthia recorded their vocals live on set, and Erivo—easily one of the most talented and charismatic people on earth—also did her own “flying.” Like, what?!?!?. Wicked: For Good premiers in November, and (unlike part one) will feature some new songs. I CANNOT wait.
Is it Covered by The Rat Pack, Audra McDonald, or Glee?
Audra McDonald - This is a message for Ms. McDonald. If you don’t have 6 Tony awards representing all 4 acting categories, you can keep scrolling. Dear Ms. Audra McDonald. Please sing “Defying Gravity.” Xoxo, Donald.
Glee - In season 1, episode 9 (“Wheels”), Kurt (Chris Copfer) and Rachel (Lea Michele) have a diva-off audition to see who should sing “Defying Gravity” at sectionals. Kurt blows the audition on purpose because his dad started getting homophobic phone calls.
In the Wings
This is the finale of Songs Everybody Should Know! Next week will be a brief “scene change” where we wrap things up and review the key people and terms we’ve covered thus far. Then I’ll debut the theme for Playlist III! If you want to find out more about Wicked, I suggest looking literally anywhere for the next few months until the Wicked: For Good press onslaught is done.
