The Timeline of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz

The Timeline of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re taking a chronological trip through the land of Oz to see where along the Yellow Brick Road “The Wizard of Oz” and “Wicked” intersect. Before we get started, since this will go into the events of Part 2, this is your spoiler warning.

Starting from the End

“Wicked” —both the stage and screen versions—opens shortly after the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba to “Wicked” fans), has melted. This moment happens quite late in “The Wizard of Oz,” but while the 1939 film continues to follow Dorothy and her friends as they bring the Witch’s broom to the Wizard, “Wicked” takes a different approach. It shifts focus to the Ozians (or Munchkins in the film) celebrating the Witch’s death as Glinda brings them the news.

The musical’s opening number, “No One Mourns the Wicked,” starts as an ominous celebration of the Witch’s demise; however, it quickly pivots into telling us all that this isn’t the story we think we know. For one thing, it takes us right back to before Elphaba was ever born. Her mom has an affair with a mysterious stranger who gives her a green elixir that ultimately results in a green child. We also see glimpses of little Elphaba and Nessarose, giving us the context that Elphie’s childhood may not have been the happiest.

Now, back in the present, Glinda may not have convinced the Munchkins to have some empathy, but she’s definitely pulled on our heartstrings just a little. It’s harder to ignore the undertones of sorrow in her voice as she counterpoints the ensemble. Just as she’s ready to leave, someone brings up the rumor that Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West were once friends. She doesn’t deny it, but she pulls back from the word “friend,” signaling that there’s more to the story. And so, the flashback begins.

Dear Old Shiz

We now find ourselves at Shiz University on Galinda (the Ga is not yet silent)’s first day. It's here that we meet several key characters—Nessarose, Boq, and some of the teaching staff—who will play pivotal roles in the story. We also see the first encounter between Elphaba and Galinda, which, as you might expect, doesn’t go well. In the stage show, we learn that Elphaba’s father, Governor Thropp only agreed to let her attend Shiz so that she could chaperone her sister. In the film, however, Elphaba isn’t even enrolled until her magical abilities catch the eye of Madame Morrible. Regardless, Elphaba and Galinda end up as roommates, and their relationship begins with an intense mutual loathing.

The film adds a layer of tension with Galinda’s jealousy over Madame Morrible's interest in Elphaba. Madame Morrible privately tutors Elphaba in the hopes of developing her magic to one day work alongside the Wizard. Yet, after a cruel prank, Galinda has a change of heart and she and Elphie become the best of friends.

We should also mention Fiyero Tigelaar, a prince from the Winkie Country and a late addition to their class. He makes an impression immediately, encouraging his classmates to live a more carefree life. Galinda is immediately taken by him, and they soon become a couple. But the plot thickens—Boq, the Munchkin Galinda met on her first day, is also in love with her. To deflect his affections, Galinda emboldens him to ask out Nessarose, who is instantly smitten in turn. But just when you think it couldn’t get more tangled, Elphaba and Fiyero share an intimate moment after an incident involving a lion cub and some poppies. However, there’s one problem: Elphaba’s “Not that girl.” Honestly, it’s almost Shakespearean.

Now, about that Lion cub. One of the central themes in “Wicked” is the systematic oppression of Animals across Oz—who are being stripped of everything that makes them equal to their human peers. Doctor Dillamond, Shiz’s history professor, tries to warn his students about “Something Bad” happening to Animalkind but is silenced before he can speak out. Meanwhile, Elphaba and Fiyero rescue the cub, who, despite being freed, is later revealed to have somehow been stripped of his courage. This will all become relevant; stick with us.

“One Short Day” & “Something Bad” Revealed

Remember how Madame Morrible was training Elphaba to meet the Wizard? After the poppy incident, Elphaba gets her big invitation to the Palace. She and Glinda (yes, it’s Glinda now, keep up) spend “One Short Day” marveling at the wonders of the Emerald City before their big audience. But this is where things take a turn. Elphaba tells the Wizard that her heart’s desire is for him to help the Animals. So imagine how crushed she feels to learn that he’s the one behind their suffering. Worse still, he planned to use her powers to further his cause, and Madame Morrible has been in on it this whole time. When Elphaba refuses to go along with their scheme, she’s declared a national enemy. This betrayal leads straight into the showstopping “Defying Gravity.” With one last battle cry Elphaba brings down the curtain on Act/Part One.

Act/Part Two Begins

It won’t surprise you to learn that after the events we just discussed, Elphaba is now living as an outlaw, although she keeps fighting for the Animals. Meanwhile, Glinda is settling into her new role as Glinda the Good, and she and Fiyero are now engaged. Surprise! Don’t worry it’s also a surprise to Fiyero, who’s now Captain of the Wizard’s Guards. However, unlike Glinda, he’s not satisfied with blithely smiling as Madame Morrible continues to fan the flames against his old friend. In fact, that is basically why he joined the Guard, to find Elphaba. So where is she?

Okay, here’s where the spoilers really start. In the stage version, we find Elphaba visiting her sister Nessarose, now the tyrannical leader of Munchkinland. Nessa has stripped the Munchkins of much of their rights just to keep Boq around and blames Elphaba for never using her magic to help her. Elphaba decides to fix that. You know when you’re hunting for shoes that are both stylish and practical? Problem solved—Nessa can now walk. Boq sees it as his chance to leave and confess his love to Glinda before it's too late. Panicked, Nessa tries a love spell, but it backfires, shrinking Boq’s heart. Elphaba steps in with damage control, ensuring he can survive without a heart tin his chest. Even though Elphaba literally just saved Boq’s life, Nessa throws her under the bus.

Dorothy Crash Lands in Oz

Elphaba returns to the Wizard’s palace to free the flying monkeys, but the Wizard spots her and tries once again to convince her how “Wonderful” he is. For a moment, it almost works—until she finds Doctor Dillamond. This reaffirms her resolve to bring the Wizard down. Fiyero helps her escape and even decides to join her, leaving Glinda heartbroken. Furious and hurt, Glinda suggests the Wizard and Madame Morrible trick Elphaba into a trap by making her think Nessarose is in danger. Madame Morrible goes one further deciding that “a change in the weather” should do the trick. And this is where “The Wizard of Oz” starts to tie in.

You know that scene in “The Wizard of Oz” where Glinda gives Dorothy the Wicked Witch’s shoes as if they’re hers to give away (also, how did she know they’d fit). Well, “Wicked” picks up just after Glinda sends Dorothy on her merry way down the Yellow Brick Road. The former friends fight, and as Glinda predicted (although she didn’t expect it to go quite this far), the trap works, and Elphaba’s caught. Only it’s Fiyero to the rescue, risking his own life to save Elphaba. After she escapes, she desperately looks for any spell that will save her beloved, who is now a prisoner of the Wizard’s Guards. Well, it’s as Fiyero once said, “Life’s more painless, for the brainless.”

Dorothy Meets Her Companions

Since “Wicked” focuses on Elphaba and Glinda’s stories, we don’t actually see Dorothy at all in the stage version, except for her shadow, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. What we do know is that at some point after “No Good Deed,” Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. Together, they make their way to the Emerald City, where the Wizard promises to help them if they bring him the Wicked Witch’s broomstick. It’s risky, sure, but we guess Dorothy really wants to go home! And we guess everyone else has their own agendas, too.

Dorothy ‘Melts’ the Witch

In “The Wizard of Oz,” the Wicked Witch captures Dorothy and desperately tries to pry those shoes off of her, but to no avail. Yet getting her hands on them becomes a matter of life or death— for Dorothy. In “Wicked,” Glinda, who just realized the tornado that brought Dorothy to Oz was no freak accident, arrives at the castle to warn Elphaba of impending danger and to plead with her to let Dorothy go. After receiving a mysterious letter, Elphaba finally agrees. She and Glinda share a heart-wrenching farewell that melts our hearts. This is now where you could play the two stories side by side with Dorothy throwing that bucket of water that melts the Witch.

As Dorothy and her friends return to the Wizard with the broomstick, Glinda mourns at the site where she just watched her friend melt. While there, she finds the bottle that once contained the Green Elixir that belonged to Elphaba’s mother. She puts two and two together and confronts the Wizard, banishing him from Oz. She also has Madame Morrible arrested. Anyway, isn’t it convenient that just as the Wizard finds he’s overstayed his welcome, there’s this kid who just happens to need a ride home to Kansas? Of course, he ends up leaving his travel companion behind, but yep, this is how he makes his exit with his head still held high in front of his adoring crowd. Fortunately, Glinda suddenly remembers to tell Dorothy that she had the power to get home all along, anyway.

Off into the Sunset

Okay, last chance to avoid major spoilers! “Wicked” returns us to the present, where Glinda has just finished recounting her tale. Also, during this final scene, Fiyero, now a Scarecrow, arrives at the castle. In one huge plot twist, we learn that Elphaba is still very much alive, and that whole melting thing was just staged so that she and Fiyero could get their fresh start. Together, they decide to leave Oz, and as the show ends, both friends lament their friendship. While the audience is definitely changed by Glinda’s story, the Ozians remain unmoved and continue their celebrations.

Are there any parts of the timeline you still find confusifying? Let us know in the comments!