History Main / Wicked

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: The title of a song

* DownerEnding

* [[spoiler:DownerEnding]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: That scene in the philosophy club seems like it's some kind of metaphor... a metaphor for what we'll probably never find out.

* ProtagonistJourneyToVillain: Elphaba starts out sympathetic, but turns evil.

* (Arguably) AdaptationDecay: Hardcore fans of the books do ''not'' like the DarkerAndEdgier adaptation. (L. Frank Baum wouldn't have liked it much either...) The book takes Oz, a colorful place full of adventure that generations of children (and some adults) have dreamed of visiting, and turns it into a CrapsackWorld [[spoiler: where the relatively harmless [[TheManBehindTheCurtain blowhard and "humbug" Wizard]] is really a CompleteMonster and talking animals are an [[FantasticRacism oppressed minority]]]]. It isn't even darkly funny and twisted like an [[AmericanMcGeesAlice American McGee]] version, just tragic. No wonder fans of the LighterAndSofter original don't like this adaptation.

* AdaptationDistillation: Many people who didn't care for the book consider the musical this; as it takes the best of the book and removes all the unnecessarily DarkerAndEdgier stuff.

In the book, Glinda and Elphaba bond over Dillamond's murder. It is later revealed by Glinda's chaperone (who was witness to the murder, but put into a state of shock); that Madame Morrible (who opposes the giving of rights to the sapient Animals) was the murderer. Upon this revelation, the two girls travel to the Emerald City to submit the injustice to the Wizard. He dismisses their concerns, and Elphaba leaves Glinda to stay in the Emerald City and eventually evolve into the Wicked Witch.

* DudeShesLikeInAComa: Gender-flipped with [[spoiler: Liir who was raped by Candle while comatose.]]

* RapeIsOkayIfItsFemaleOnMale: Again, mostly certainly subverted.

* AdaptationDecay: Nessarose's handicap. In the musical, she's your standard wheelchair-bound cripple, whereas in the book she had no arms. Probably [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that the latter would be difficult to portray convincingly onstage - and it makes the shoes' ability to help Nessa walk [[RuleOfCool much more dramatic.]] The storyline itself was derailed and watered down into an aesop about friendship, I'd say that's quite some decay considering the general theme in the books is "Oz is a crapsack land full of sex and despair."

* CanonDefilement[=/=]BetterThanCanon: Nearly everyone is OutOfCharacter, and the timeline is tied in knots-- but many people consider it an improvement, particularly those who never cared for the original books.

** Not that Frank L Baum gave a care about keeping any continuity in his own books over time either.

* MagicAIsMagicA: You can't undo a spell once it's cast, you'll have to use a different spell that MIGHT get what you're after.
* MagicalIncantation: Needed to use magic.

* AdaptationDecay: Nessarose's handicap. In the musical, she's your standard wheelchair-bound cripple, whereas in the book she had no arms. Probably [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that the latter would be difficult to portray convincingly onstage - and it makes the shoes' ability to help Nessa walk [[RuleOfCool much more dramatic.]]
** The storyline itself was derailed and watered down into an aesop about friendship, I'd say that's quite some decay considering the general theme in the books is "Oz is a crapsack land full of sex and despair."
*** No, no, the general theme of the book is WhatMeasureIsANonHuman, extending to Elphaba and her self proclaimed soullessness. The sex and despair are just a pretty backdrop.
** YourMileageMayVary on whether the musical as a whole would count as an "AdaptationDecay." This troper, and many other people I'm sure, loved both the book and the musical.
*** Or the other school of thought: ''love'' the musical and ''dislike'' the book.

* ArcWords: Replete with them. "I'm/We're/You're unlimited" stands out. "You deserve each other" is also used quite frequently.
** Also, "a celebration throughout Oz / That's all to do with (me / you)".

* * CanonDefilement[=/=]BetterThanCanon: Just like ''Wicked'' the book is to the original movie and Oz novels, so is this in turn to that book. Some [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks don't like it]] while others [[PragmaticAdaptation prefer the changes]].

** StephenSchwartz has [[WordOfGod stated]] that the whole joy of the show is these nods that allow us to see how the Oz we know and love came to be. Hence in Act 1, Elphaba gradually acquires her famous witch's outfit; and in Act 2, [[spoiler:we learn the origin of the cyclone, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion.]]
* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: "[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Defying Gravity]]".
** When Madame Morrible gets her comeuppance, Glinda gets one:
-->Glinda: "Madame, how do you fair in captivity? Cap-''tiv''-i-ty. ''Pri''-son. Personally, I don't think you'll hold up very well. You see, my personal opinion is that you do not have 'what it takes.' I hope you prove me wrong; I doubt you will."
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: "What Is This Feeling?"
-->'''Galinda and Elphaba:''' There's been some confusion for you see my roommate is... * glance at each other*
-->'''Galinda:''' Un-''u''-sually and exceedingly pe-''cu''-liar and altogether quite im-''po''-ssible to de-''scribe...''
-->'''Elphaba:'''...''Blonde''.
** "Well, we can't all come and go by bubble!"
** Elphaba: "I clash with everything!"
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: ''For Good.''

* (Arguably) AdaptationDecay: Hardcore fans of the books do ''not'' like the DarkerAndEdgier adaptation. (L. Frank Baum wouldn't have liked it much either...)
** The book takes Oz, a colorful place full of adventure that generations of children (and some adults) have dreamed of visiting, and turns it into a CrapsackWorld [[spoiler: where the relatively harmless [[TheManBehindTheCurtain blowhard and "humbug" Wizard]] is really a CompleteMonster and talking animals are an [[FantasticRacism oppressed minority]]]]. It isn't even darkly funny and twisted like an [[AmericanMcGeesAlice American McGee]] version, just tragic. No wonder fans of the LighterAndSofter original don't like this adaptation.
*** YourMilageMayVary, but I'd see it more as a {{deconstruction}} of that fantasy world.
*** FridgeBrilliance: This interpretation is quite similar to the theory that the source book was politics related.

* FridgeBrilliance: Glinda's "The Wicked die alone" is, of course, completely inappropriate [[spoiler:(and a cover-up), regarding Elphaba]] - but totally appropriate [[spoiler:regarding Madame Morrible]]. This troper guesses that's how Glinda was able to sing it with the straight face.
** She doesn't ''know'' it's a [[spoiler:cover-up.]] She [[spoiler:watches Elphaba melt]] behind the curtain, and picks up [[spoiler:her hat and bottle, the only things apparently left of her.]]
** Similarly, Glinda says "Isn't it nice to know that good will conquer evil. The truth we all believe'll by and by outlive a lie for you and-" She's cut off by an Ozian, indicating that she doesn't really believe the cover story.
** The songs have some excellent examples of FridgeBrilliance as well. It took this troper about fifty times hearing "What is This Feeling" before he realized that "Blonde" actually rhymed with "Respond" from several lines back; ditto for the sneaky extra rhyme [[DepartmentofRedundancyDepartment snuck]] into this segment of "Dancing Through Life" (note the italicized words):
-->'''Boq:''' Nessa?
-->'''Nessa:''' ''Yes?''
-->'''Boq:''' ''Uh,'' Nessa? I've got something to confess, a...

* Similarly, Glinda says "Isn't it nice to know that good will conquer evil. The truth we all believe'll by and by outlive a lie for you and-" She's cut off by an Ozian, indicating that she doesn't really believe the cover story.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: The book is much saucier than the musical. In Gregory Maguire's world, [[EveryoneIsBi everybody is bisexual]] until proven guilty.