"The Wizard of Oz" had dominated every medium... sometimes twice! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re heading down the yellow brick road that starts with L. Frank Baum’s books, heads to MGM studios, takes a “Wicked” left turn to Broadway, and circles back around to Hollywood.
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00:00Are you a good witch or a bad witch?
00:03Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're heading down the yellow brick road that starts with
00:07L. Frank Baum's books, heads to MGM Studios, takes a wicked left turn to Broadway, and
00:13circles back around to Hollywood.
00:15Popular.
00:16I know about popular.
00:21Author L. Frank Baum took audiences on their first trip over the rainbow in 1900 when his
00:25book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published.
00:28Supposedly, he cooked up the story from all sorts of fun tales he'd tell his kids, mixed
00:33in a bit of his own life, and voila, a modern fairy tale was born.
00:37But it wasn't a dream, it was a place, and you, and you, and you, and you were there.
00:44Oh, that's good.
00:45But you couldn't have been, could you?
00:48Baum and the book's illustrator, W. W. Denslow, joined forces with composer Paul Teejens and
00:53renowned Broadway director Julian Mitchell to bring their story to the stage in 1902.
00:58They saw modest success, which inspired Baum to continue writing his series.
01:03If ever, oh ever, a wizard was, the wizard of Oz was one, because, because, because,
01:07because, because, because, because, because of the wonderful things he does.
01:12However, in 1938, the immense success of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs gave MGM a
01:17lightbulb moment.
01:19People were clearly hungry for an updated fantasy narrative, and they thought, hey,
01:23we could do that too.
01:25So in 1939, audiences were swept up in a tornado of fantastical characters, cutting-edge visual
01:31effects, and an iconic musical score, and taken over the rainbow for an adventure that
01:36would capture generations of fans.
01:38And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.
01:49Of course, if you'd read the books first, you may have noticed a few differences in
01:52this retelling.
01:53They're gone!
01:54The ruby slippers!
01:55What have you done with them?
01:56Give them back to me, or I'll...
01:59It's too late!
02:00There they are, and there they'll stay.
02:02Take Dorothy's slippers, for instance.
02:04In the books, they're silver, but MGM opted for ruby red.
02:08Why?
02:09Well, their flashy new Technicolor tech deserved something that'd pop, and silver simply wouldn't
02:14do the trick.
02:15Give me back my slippers!
02:16I'm the only one that knows how to use them.
02:17They're of no use to you.
02:18Give them back to me.
02:19Give them back!
02:20Keep tight inside of them.
02:21Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn't want them so badly.
02:22But boy, did those ruby slippers make a statement.
02:23In another twist, the Emerald City isn't all it's cracked up to be.
02:24Oh, we're almost there!
02:25At last, at last!
02:26It's beautiful, isn't it?
02:27Just like I knew it would be.
02:28He really must be a wonderful wizard.
02:29In the books, it's just a clever twist.
02:30The Wizard of Oz film skips this tidbit, but Wicked seems to at least allude to it
03:00during the One Short Day scene.
03:10While Baum's readers were living through the Populist Era, which shaped how some read
03:14the material, MGM's audience was dealing with a whole other dark reality.
03:18The Wizard of Oz likely hit home with folks during the Great Depression and on the brink
03:22of the Second World War.
03:24Like Dorothy, they probably also dreamed of a place where there was no trouble, and things
03:28looked a little less sepia.
03:30It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train.
03:35It's far, far away, behind the moon, beyond the rain.
03:43MGM's vibrant visuals and fantastical storyline were like a beacon of hope in those dark times.
03:48Sure, she finds trouble over the rainbow, too, but it's nothing a bucket of water apparently
03:53can't solve.
03:54In the end, she decides there's no place like home, especially when you're weathering the
03:58storm with the ones you love.
04:00Interestingly, Gregory Maguire, the mind behind the novel Wicked, drew inspiration
04:15from the turmoil of the Gulf War.
04:18As a children's author, he was intrigued by the notion of exploring a villain with shades
04:21of grey, rather than stark black and white.
04:29He came across an article comparing Iraq's then-President Saddam Hussein to Hitler, and
04:33it really got him thinking.
04:35How do certain words and stories influence how we see things and even our actions?
04:39Who better to explore this idea than the Wicked Witch of the West?
04:45However, there's another interesting turn here.
04:54While Dorothy tries to escape where she is, Elphaba, especially the musical's version,
04:59tries to get away from who she is.
05:01Think about it.
05:02She's this young, green, yep, pun intended, student at Shiz, dreaming of meeting the Wizard
05:07just so he can cast his magic and poof, no more green.
05:21She's grappling with a society that treats her like an outsider because of her skin color.
05:25The powers that be try to force her into a system that wants to keep her down.
05:30Then, in the gripping Act 1 finale, she says enough is enough.
05:42She's done with letting others define her and owns her power.
05:45And what does she get for it?
05:47A society that celebrates what they think is her downfall.
05:59Whether or not the creators meant to draw these parallels, they hit close to home for
06:03many marginalized groups today.
06:05It's also interesting to note that as of writing, Wicked doesn't exactly have the best track
06:09record in diverse casting when it comes to Elphie.
06:12Yes, Cynthia Erivo has been cast in the movie adaptation.
06:16However, in 2008, West End actress Alexia Kadim became the first, and as of writing,
06:22the only black woman to be cast in the role in a residency run of Wicked.
06:38In a nutshell, both Elphaba and Dorothy embark on these epic quests, only to realize, and
06:43pardon the cliche, that everything they needed was right there inside them all along.
06:48If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own
06:53backyard.
06:54Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with.
07:00For many of us, it's the music that has made both The Wizard of Oz and Wicked a cultural
07:04cornerstone.
07:13After all, this wasn't the first time the wonderful Wizard of Oz had been adapted for
07:17the screen, but the 1910 version has been largely forgotten.
07:21From Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead, to We're Off to See the Wizard, to The Merry Old Land
07:25of Oz, the melodies stick with you long after the movie ends.
07:37The crown jewel of it all?
07:39Over the Rainbow.
07:40Could there be a more timeless tune?
07:43Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg really nailed it with this one.
07:58Not only did it win an Oscar for Best Song, but it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of
08:02Fame and hailed as a quote, culturally, historically, or artistically significant, oh my, treasure
08:07by the Library of Congress.
08:10It was apparently even once used as an alarm clock of sorts for astronauts on the STS-88
08:15space shuttle mission, courtesy of astronaut Robert D. Cabana's daughter, Sarah.
08:30Talk about reaching for the stars.
08:32Sure, Judy Garland's is still the touchstone rendition, but Over the Rainbow has taken
08:37on a life of its own beyond the silver screen.
08:40It's almost unthinkable that they ever considered axing it from the film.
08:50Even so, Wicked wasn't entirely able to piggyback on The Wizard of Oz's success when it first
08:55flew onto Broadway.
08:57Critics were a bit lukewarm about this fresh take.
08:59Despite being the most nominated musical at the 58th Tony Awards, it only walked away
09:04with three wins, losing out to Avenue Q in categories like Best Musical, Best Book of
09:09a Musical, and Best Original Score.
09:15Audiences however, seemed to feel differently.
09:18They connected with these characters on a deep level.
09:21Many resonated with Elphaba's powerful battle cry to stop accepting limits cause someone
09:25says they're so.
09:32Indeed, Stephen Schwartz's incredible score delves into these characters' souls in a way
09:44that words alone can't touch, weaving melodies that bind the story together and propel it
09:49forward.
09:50Songs like The Wizard and I, Defying Gravity, No Good Deed, and As Long As You're Mine have
09:55a strong hold on our hearts ever since we first heard them.
10:10Although let's be honest, this is essentially a no-skip soundtrack.
10:14We are definitely changed for the better by having these songs in our lives.
10:27Wickedness truly cast its spell over audiences worldwide, enchanting millions with its magical
10:32tale and bewitching performances.
10:34It's more than a hit, it's a phenomenon that set new box office benchmarks almost anywhere
10:39it hangs its pointed witchy hat.
10:48For nearly a decade, it reigned as Broadway's undisputed champion, shattering box office
10:53records and once even earning the highest weekly revenue in the history of the Great
10:57White Way.
10:58In 2023, it joined the top four longest Broadway runs of all time.
11:02Meanwhile, across the pond, it holds the 11th spot.
11:06So it's probably fair to say that Wicked has reached countless people and remained
11:10like a handprint on their hearts.
11:19So what better way to introduce even more people to the magic than bringing it to the
11:23silver screen?
11:24In the Heights may not have soared at the box office, but director Jon M. Chu proved
11:28that he knows how to work his magic to bring beloved stage productions to the big screen.
11:33Still, Wicked fans have been eagerly awaiting the cinematic adaptation practically since
11:37the curtain first rose at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway.
11:40This is by no means the first time someone's tried to bring this epic story to movie theatres
11:45either.
11:46So as you can imagine, Chu's got some mighty big ruby slippers to fill.
11:56Chu's casting choices are also stirring up intrigue, blending seasoned stage talents
12:00like Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, and Ethan Slater with Hollywood heavyweights
12:05like Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Peter Dinklage.
12:08Ariana Grande as Glinda is poised to draw in a whole new audience, just like Judy Garland
12:13likely did for MGM back in the day.
12:16Still, some fans have remained skeptical over the decision to split the movie into two parts.
12:30Is it a genuine effort to do justice to the beloved source material?
12:33Or simply a ploy to rake in more cash?
12:36A year-or-so intermission?
12:38Elphaba's future might be unlimited, but our patience is not.
12:42Anyway, for now, we can take solace in the fact that apparently self-professed Wicked
12:46superfan Ariana Grande is making sure that the heart and soul of the show remain intact.
12:52And in such high esteem, when people see me, they will see, or half of all this fantasy.
13:04The Part 1 trailer conjured up a lot of excitement, too.
13:08We were treated to captivating glimpses of Oz, tantalizing hints about the plot, introductions
13:13to new and well-known characters, and nods to beloved elements from the original show.
13:18Erivo's take on the iconic Defying Gravity riff certainly got the internet buzzing.
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13:49The Wizard of Oz film and Wicked musical have truly made their mark on our cultural landscape,
13:53each touching audiences in its own special way.
13:56From the timeless charm of Over the Rainbow to the thought-provoking themes of identity,
14:01acceptance, and justice in Wicked, these stories have resonated with people all across the
14:05globe.
14:15Now as Wicked prepares for its debut on the silver screen, it's facing some serious pressure
14:20to live up to the legacy of its predecessors.
14:22The excitement swirling around the film adaptation speaks volumes to its enduring impact and
14:27the sky-high expectations of fans.
14:30With such a storied history behind it, there's a lot at stake.
14:33But hey, if the new film can capture even a bit of that magic that made us fall in love
14:38with the originals, it's sure to be Wicked.
14:41Which Ozzy and Story is your favorite?
14:55It would be Wickedly Wonderful if you shared it with us in the comments.
14:59Do you agree with our picks?
15:10Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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15:25Thanks for watching!