The Wicked story is a prelude to the classic story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It is more heavily influenced by the book by L. Frank Baum than the classic 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz, the two of which being quite different. The story begins prior to Dorothy's supernatural arrival via tornado from Kansas, and explores the novel idea that the notorious Wicked Witch of the West was a misunderstood, tormented person. Her supposed wickedness was actually a form of retaliation against a charlatan wizard's evil plans to control Oz with his corrupt cronies.
The story progresses to Shiz University where Elphaba Thropp, the intelligent jade-skinned teen, encounters vivacious Galinda Upland (who later becomes Glinda the Good) when the two live as roommates. Their dovetailed lives illustrate friendship issues and seemingly insurmountable personality differences, even competition for the same love-interest. The audience is treated to the spectacle of Elphaba's tragic fall from grace, after she steals an ancient book of sorcery called the Grimmerie, and runs away, having already given a monkey servant of the Wizard the ability to fly by chanting a spell from the book.
Along with flying monkeys and books of sorcery, there are magic elixirs, enchanted woods, and of course the Yellow Brick Road from Munchkinland to the Emerald City. The Yellow Brick Road is believed to represent the so-called Kundalini energy, which lies curled up at the base of the spine, as the Yellow Brick Road itself lies curled up across the magical land. The Author of the story, L. Frank Baum, was a metaphysician who apparently believed in the existence of the chakras, several Kundalini energy points which are distributed along the body's vertical axis, and it is these chakras which are represented by the various characters encountered during the epic journey which Dorothy must accept and/or destroy in order to achieve self-realization. The production is a new classis version of an old classic book, and those wishing to take the trip themselves should check out Ticketliquidator for tickets now!