So, you’ve been holding a lot of space for Wicked lately. After all, who hasn’t?
An alternative telling of the events of The Wizard of Oz, the musical follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a mysterious, magical green girl and her popular, pink-obsessed, slightly cooky bestie, Galinda-turned-Glinda (Ariana Grande). Of course, these two girls are destined to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North by the time Dorothy’s house lands unceremoniously in Munchkinland.
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
The new film is adapted from Act 1 of the stage musical by Stephen Schwartz — which means that yes, there is an entire second film coming our way next year. Part one’s ending sees Elphaba belting out the earth-shattering “Defying Gravity” as she refuses the Wizard’s offer to team up and, instead, lets out a bellowing battlecry and flies off into an uncertain future. Meanwhile, Glinda opts to stick with the corrupt system and stays behind with the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). In the final moments, Elphaba is labelled as a “Wicked witch” for the first time. Gasps! Chills! Tears!
This epic cliffhanger has left us all with plenty of questions. How does Glinda become Oz’s good witch? Who is the Wicked Witch of the East? How do the Scarecrow and Tinman come to be? Will we be blessed with another song from Jonathan Bailey’s swoon-worthy Fiyero? Oh yeah, and who was that mysterious stranger who seduced Elphaba’s mum with that suspicious green elixir all of those years ago?
That’s right — we still don’t know the identity of Elphaba’s father. (If you don’t want to be spoiled for part two, please go hold space somewhere else!)
Elphaba’s father first appears in part one
In case you missed it, here’s a little recap. In the very beginning of Wicked Part One, Glinda tells the munchkins about Elphaba’s childhood. “She had a father. She had a mother. As so many do,” she says as the film cuts to a flashback of Governor Thropp and Elphaba’s mother. “Like every family, they had their secrets,” says Glinda in her sing-song voice. As Governor Thropp leaves for a business trip, in waltzes a mysterious travelling salesman, a jaunty hat oh so conveniently covering his face.
