Elphaba Explained

Franchise:The Wicked Years
First:Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995)
Creator:Gregory Maguire
Full Name:Elphaba Thropp
Alias:Wicked Witch of the West
Family:Oscar Diggs (father)
Nessarose Thropp (half-sister)
Significant Other:Fiyero Tigelaar
Children:Liir Thropp (son)
Nationality:Ozian

Elphaba Thropp is the protagonist in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, in its musical theatre adaptation Wicked, and in the musical's upcoming two-part film adaptation. The character is identified with the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

In the Baum novel, the Witch is unnamed and little is explained about her life; Wicked creates a backstory for her and explores the world of The Wizard of Oz from her perspective. Elphaba is modeled after Margaret Hamilton's portrayal in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz: green-skinned, clad entirely in black and wearing a tall peaked hat. Maguire formulated the name "Elphaba" from the pronunciation of Baum's initials—"L.F.B.".

Portrayals

The role was originated on Broadway and the West End by Idina Menzel, who won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The role is currently slated to be played by Cynthia Erivo in the upcoming two-part film adaptation of the musical, with Karis Musongole portraying the character as a child in the first film.[1]

Actresses billed in the lead role in various productions include:

North America

Broadway

1st U.S. National Tour (Emerald City Tour)

2nd U.S. National Tour (Munchkinland Tour)

Mexico City

Chicago, Illinois

Los Angeles, California

San Francisco, California

Europe

West End (London) Production

UK & Ireland Tour

Stuttgart, Germany

Oberhausen, Germany

Scheveningen, The Netherlands

Gothenburg, Sweden

Asia Pacific

Tokyo, Japan

Melbourne, Australia

Sydney, Australia

Osaka, Japan

Brisbane, Australia

Auckland, New Zealand

Fukuoka, Japan

South Korea

The Actors in Korean production shared performances of the role [55]

South America

Brazil

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hall . Margaret . 15 May 2024 . 15 Swankified Easter Eggs in Wicked's Official Trailer . Playbill . 1 June 2024.
  2. Web site: Complete Cast Set for Wicked's SF Tryout. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  3. Web site: Shoshana Bean to Play Green Girl Elphaba in Wicked Starting 1/11. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  4. Web site: Eden Espinosa to Star as Wicked's Next Elphaba; Kane & Williams Join Cast. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  5. Web site: Ana Gasteyer Headed for Broadway as Wicked's Elphaba 10/10. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  6. Web site: Murney, Kassebaum and Arcelus to Join B'way Cast of Wicked. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  7. Web site: Annaleigh Ashford and Stephanie J. Block Set to Play Wicked's Witches. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  8. Web site: London Elphaba Kerry Ellis Headed to Broadway in Wicked. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  9. Web site: Marcie Dodd & Alli Mauzey to Headline New Cast of Wicked. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  10. Web site: Nicole Parker to Join Broadway Company of Wicked as Elphaba. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  11. Web site: Dee Roscioli to Land on Broadway as Wicked's New Elphaba. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  12. Web site: Mandy Gonzalez to Star in Broadway's Wicked as Elphaba. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  13. Web site: Teal Wicks and Kyle Dean Massey Will Head to Oz as Wicked's New Elphaba and Fiyero. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  14. Web site: Jackie Burns and Chandra Lee Schwartz Will be Broadway's Next Wicked Witches. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  15. Web site: Wicked to Welcome the Return of Jackie Burns as Elphaba; Amanda Jane Cooper, Ashley Parker Angel & Rondi Reed Join Long-Running Hit. Broadway.com. 2017-07-13.
  16. Web site: Willemijn Verkaik to Make Her Broadway Debut as Wicked's New Elphaba. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  17. Web site: Lindsay Mendez to Defy Gravity as Broadway's Next Elphaba in Wicked. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  18. Web site: https://www.broadway.com/buzz/174667/christine-dwyer-jenni-barber-justin-guarini-mary-testa-fly-into-wicked-on-broadway//. Broadway.com. 2020-10-01.
  19. Web site: Caroline Bowman & Kara Lindsay Are the Next Witches of Wicked; New Cast Members Announced. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  20. Web site: Rachel Tucker and Jonah Platt Set to Star in Wicked on Broadway. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  21. Web site: Rejoicify! Jennifer DiNoia Will Play Elphaba in Broadway's Wicked. Broadway.com. 2017-07-15.
  22. Web site: Jessica Vosk Will Fly into Wicked on Broadway: 'Excited Doesn't Even Begin to Describe It!'. Broadway.com. 2018-06-23.
  23. Web site: Hannah Corneau Is Elphaba in Broadway's Wicked Beginning May 14. 14 May 2019. playbill.com. 2021-04-26.
  24. Web site: Glee Alum Lindsay Pearce and Sam Gravitte Join Wicked on Broadway. 25 February 2020. playbill.com. 2021-04-26.
  25. Web site: Wicked Tour — with Kristy Cates as Elphaba — Begins March 9. 9 March 2005. playbill.com. 2021-04-26.
  26. Web site: WICKED's Munchkinland Tour to Welcome New 'Elphaba' and 'Nessarose' for 2015. Broadwayworld.com. 2015-03-01.
  27. Web site: Wicked National Tour Names New Elphaba and Glinda . Playbill.com. 2015-12-11.
  28. Web site: See Jessica Vosk Go Green For Wicked National Tour . 7 September 2016 . Playbill.com. 2017-10-05.
  29. Web site: Jackie Burns and Kara Lindsay To Lead WICKED in Los Angeles. broadwayworld.com. 2018-11-29.
  30. Web site: Mariand Torres, Erin Mackey, and More Fly Into National Tour of Wicked. 26 February 2019. playbill.com. 2021-04-26.
  31. Web site: Talia Suskauer, Allison Bailey, and Tony Winner Cleavant Derricks Will Join Wicked Tour. 13 September 2019. playbill.com. 2021-04-26.
  32. Web site: https://playbill.com/article/olivia-valli-and-celia-hottenstein-to-become-new-leads-in-national-tour-of-wicked. 2 May 2023. playbill.com. 2023-05-09.
  33. News: Idina Menzel to Star in London's Wicked . April 21, 2006 . . playbill.com . September 7, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140407074526/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/99203-Idina-Menzel-to-Star-in-Londons-Wicked . April 7, 2014 . mdy-all .
  34. Web site: Kerry Ellis returns to Wicked from 4 Aug 2014. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2015-03-01.
  35. Web site: Alexia Khadime to star as 'Elphaba' in Wicked, at Apollo Victoria Theatre from Monday 9 June 2008. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2015-03-01. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141129051143/http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/news/april08/wicked1apr08006.htm. 29 November 2014.
  36. Web site: Alexia Khadime returns as 'Elphaba' 11 May 2009. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2015-03-01. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090123000850/http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/news/de08/wicked333118.htm. 23 January 2009.
  37. Web site: Wicked announces London cast for 2023 . LondonTheatreDirect.com . 2023-02-27.
  38. Web site: Rachel Tucker & Louise Dearman cast in Wicked 29 March. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2015-03-01.
  39. Web site: Wicked announces 10th Anniversary Cast. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2016-05-26.
  40. Web site: Dearman who played Glinda in Wicked to return as Elphaba. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2015-03-01.
  41. Web site: Willemijn Verkaik 'Elphaba' in Wicked from 18 Nov 2013. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2015-03-01.
  42. Web site: Willemijn Verkaik returns to Wicked in London from 30 January 2017. 14 September 2016 . Londontheatre.co.uk. 2017-02-20.
  43. Web site: Jennifer DiNoia as Elphaba in Wicked from 27 Oct 2014. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2015-03-01.
  44. Web site: Emma Hatton as Elphaba in Wicked from 02 Feb 2015. Londontheatre.co.uk. 2015-03-01.
  45. Web site: Alice Fearn and Sophie Evans to lead new Wicked cast. britishtheatre.com. 2020-09-21.
  46. Web site: BWW News Desk. Nikki Bentley, Helen Woolf, and More Join WICKED. 2020-12-15. BroadwayWorld.com. en.
  47. Web site: Wicked releases character photos . 24 January 2022 . WhatsOnStage.com . 2023-02-27.
  48. Web site: Wicked announces London cast for 2023 . LondonTheatreDirect.com . 2023-02-27.
  49. Web site: Emily Tierney, Nikki Davis-Jones and Liam Doyle lead Wicked tour . 7 June 2013 . WhatsOnStage.com . 2015-03-24.
  50. Web site: Nikki Davis-Jones pulls out of Wicked . 29 August 2014 . WhatsOnStage.com . 2015-08-26.
  51. Web site: Casting news: Nikki Davis-Jones joins West End cast of Wicked and Ashleigh Gray goes on tour . 30 June 2014 . WhatsOnStage.com . 2015-03-24.
  52. Web site: Full cast announced for Wicked UK and Ireland tour . 26 September 2017 . WhatsOnStage.com . 2018-02-22.
  53. Web site: Wicked tour announces lead casting . 27 February 2023 . WhatsOnStage.com . 2023-02-27.
  54. Web site: Feline Andersson won the dream role in "Wicked" at the Gothenburg Opera . 13 September 2023 . Göteborgs-Posten . 2023-09-13.
  55. Web site: Get a first look at WICKED in South Korea . broadwayworld.com . 2023-02-27.