You Probably Missed This Small Detail in ‘Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” Scene — but It Means So Much

Wicked took the world by storm when it was released towards the end of last year. The film adaptation of the famed stage musical, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, tells the origin story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) – AKA, the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North, from The Wizard of Oz. In the original 1939 movie, we see the entire story through Dorothy’s (Judy Garland) eyes, and to her, Elphaba is simply a Wicked Witch, while Glinda is a Good Witch set on helping her find her way home. Wicked reframes this classic tale and carves out both Elphaba and Glinda as singular characters. It completely changes the viewer’s perspective of the two women specifically Elphaba, painting her as someone we can sympathize with as we learn that she wasn’t always wicked, but rather had her wickedness thrust upon her. Wicked: For Good, slated for release this November, will dive deeper into Elphaba’s power transition into the “Wicked” Witch we know her to become, but the seeds are cleverly planted in the first movie.