WICKED – THE MUSICAL (2003 NYC GERWIN THEATRE) EXTREMELY RARE!!! Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Joel Grey, Norbert Leo Butz, Carole Shelley, Michelle Federer, Christopher Fitzgerald, William Youmans

Wicked is a spellbinding Broadway musical that reimagines the backstory of the beloved characters from The Wizard of Oz.

Based on Gregory Maguire's novel, the show delves into the untold tale of Elphaba (Idina Menzel), the misunderstood green-skinned girl who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda (Kristin Chenoweth), her charming and ambitious rival-turned-friend, who grows into the Good Witch.

Set in the magical land of Oz, Wicked explores themes of friendship, love, identity, and the nature of good and evil. Audiences are taken on an emotional journey, witnessing how Elphaba and Glinda’s choices and experiences shape their destinies. The plot unfolds against a backdrop of stunning visual effects, vibrant costumes, and intricate staging that bring Oz to life.

Accompanied by Stephen Schwartz’s soaring score, including iconic songs like "Defying Gravity," "Popular," and "For Good," Wicked is both a visual and emotional spectacle. Since its premiere in 2003, it has captured hearts worldwide, offering a fresh perspective on a classic story and reminding audiences that “Everyone deserves the chance to fly.”

ACT ONE

The citizens of the Land of Oz are celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good appears and reminisces about their past, beginning with the troubled childhood of the Witch (born Elphaba Thropp) after her mother had an affair and her father, Governor of Munchkinland, disowned her when she was born with bright green skin ("No One Mourns the Wicked").

Flashing back many years earlier, Elphaba arrives at Shiz University with her younger paraplegic sister Nessarose, where she is ostracized for her green skin and sardonic personality. The school's headmistress, Madame Morrible, assigns Elphaba to room with the popular Galinda Upland. Recognizing Elphaba's magical potential, Morrible decides to privately tutor Elphaba in sorcery ("The Wizard and I") making Galinda intensely jealous and the two girls come to loathe each other ("What is this Feeling?"). Meanwhile Dr. Dillamond, the only animal professor at Shiz, informs Elphaba of a conspiracy to stop all animals from speaking ("Something Bad").

A roguish prince, Fiyero, begins attending Shiz and arranges a party for his fellow students. Galinda becomes immediately enamored with him, and convinces her admirer, the Munchkin Boq, to take Nessarose to the party instead so that she can go with Fiyero. At Nessarose's urging, Elphaba asks Morrible to begin teaching Galinda sorcery. When Elphaba is mocked at the party for wearing an ugly hat Galinda gave her as a practical joke, Galinda has a change of heart and decides to dance with Elphaba ("Dancing Through Life"). In their room, the girls finally bond ("Popular"). The next day, Dillamond tells the class he is no longer permitted to teach. His human replacement introduces "the cage" which is designed to stop animals from speaking. Elphaba, furious, frees the lion cub imprisoned within it and escapes with Fiyero. They share a private moment, but Elphaba laments that Fiyero could never love her ("I'm Not That Girl").

Morrible tells Elphaba that the Wizard of Oz wants to meet her, and she goes with Galinda, who renames herself Glinda in solidarity with Dillamond, to the Emerald City ("One Short Day"). The two meet the Wizard and are surprised to discover his mortal nature ("A Sentimental Man"). Morrible appears and announces she is the Wizard's new press secretary. After being tricked into enchanting the Wizard's monkey servants to painfully sprout wings, Elphaba deduces that the Wizard is behind the suppression of animals and that he is a fraud who uses parlor tricks and lies to stay in power. Elphaba flees his chambers, and while Glinda begs her to apologize, Elphaba refuses and declares that she must do what is right. An empathetic Glinda declines to leave with her, and the two friends bid farewell before Elphaba enchants a broom to fly away from the Emerald City ("Defying Gravity").

ACT TWO

Sometime later, Elphaba's opposition to the Wizard's regime has earned her the title "The Wicked Witch of the West," while Glinda has been positioned by Madame Morrible as his lead spokesperson. Fiyero becomes Captain of the Wizard's Guard (a position he hopes to use to find Elphaba) but is angered when Morrible announces he is engaged to Glinda without his knowledge ("Thank Goodness").

Elphaba visits Nessarose, now the governor of Munchkinland following their father's death. Nessarose has taken away the Munchkin's few rights to prevent Boq from leaving her. Feeling guilty, Elphaba enchants Nessa's silver shoes to give her the ability to walk. Boq takes this as proof that Nessarose no longer needs him and attempts to leave, infuriating Nessarose, who attempts to cast a love spell on him but pronounces the incantation wrong and shrinks his heart instead. Elphaba tries to save him but can only transform him into a tin man who does not need a heart to live ("The Wicked Witch of the East"). Boq flees, and Nessarose blames Elphaba.

Elphaba returns to the Emerald City to free the Wizard’s monkey servants, but she is discovered by The Wizard. He once again tries to convince Elphaba to work with him, explaining he is an ordinary man who became revered by the citizens of Oz ("Wonderful") and voluntarily frees the monkeys. Elphaba is won over until she discovers Dillamond, who has lost the ability to speak, and vows to fight the Wizard. Fiyero helps Elphaba escape and decides to go with her, leaving Glinda heartbroken. She privately laments that Fiyero always loved Elphaba ("I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)"). Glinda tells the Wizard and Madame Morrible a way they can capture Elphaba – spreading a rumor that Nessarose is in trouble, so she will be forced to show herself to save her. Unknown to Glinda, Morrible and the Wizard decide a mere rumor would not fool Elphaba, and Morrible proposes "a change in the weather".

Hidden in the forest, Elphaba and Fiyero confess their love for each other ("As Long As You’re Mine") when Elphaba senses Nessarose is in danger. Her premonition is correct: a house has fallen out of the sky and crushed her sister to death. Elphaba is distraught and furious that Glinda has given Nessarose's enchanted shoes to the house's occupant, Dorothy Gale, and the two get into a physical fight that is eventually broken up by the Wizard's guards. Fiyero arrives and allows Elphaba to escape but gets captured. At Kiamo Ko castle, Elphaba casts a spell to try to make Fiyero invincible to any weapon, but presuming him dead, she laments that she will never be seen as good and finally accepts her role as the Wicked Witch of the West ("No Good Deed"). The Citizens of Oz declare war on Elphaba ("March of the Witch Hunters"). Glinda realizes that Morrible summoned the tornado that killed Nessarose, but Morrible informs her there is also blood on her hands as well. Meanwhile, Elphaba has captured Dorothy to try to obtain Nessarose's shoes. Glinda arrives to warn Elphaba of the danger she is in, and Elphaba softens when she receives a letter from a monkey servant. Elphaba accepts that she must surrender and the two friends embrace for the last time before sharing a tearful goodbye ("For Good"). Glinda watches from the shadows as Dorothy throws a bucket of water on Elphaba, melting her and leaving only her hat and a bottle of Green Elixir that had belonged to her mother.

Glinda confronts the Wizard with the elixir, which he recognizes as his own: he was the man Elphaba's mother had an affair with, thus her biological father. Glinda banishes the Wizard from Oz and arrests Morrible. Meanwhile, Fiyero (now a Scarecrow as the result of Elphaba's spell) arrives at Kiamo Ko Castle, where Elphaba emerges from a trap door, having faked her death. The couple depart Oz together, as Glinda informs everyone that the Wicked Witch is dead before reluctantly joining Oz in celebrating ("Finale").

NOTES: This is a fan-shot video - not a professionally produced DVD set. This musical was obtained legally from a collector.

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Number of DVDs: 2

Quality: 8-8.5/10

Running Time: Disc 1: 1 hr 23 min - Disc 2: 1 hr 4 min 

Aspect Ratio:  Fullscreen