I know, I know, a sequel thread? Most musical sequels fail. But, I think a sequel to Wicked on stage could actually work. Wicked ends with you (or most people) wanting more, and a sequel could start where it left off with Elphaba and Fiyero leaving. Get the same creative team on the project, get Winnie and Jerry to create a whole new story, cast great leads (Hilty as Glinda, Verkaik as Elphaba, and Tveit as Fiyero), and pray it doesn't end up like the West End version of LND (shade...). Discuss ideas, opinions, casts, if you'd like. I can already see some users from this forum saying "Heck no..., I couldn't even stand the first one"
Updated On: 7/17/13 at 02:58 PM
NO. The original books by Gregory Maguire were set up to be a series. Considering the musical took a massive SH*T on the ending Maguire wrote by having the witch live, there's no way in hell a sequel could work.
They don't have to work on "a story". Gregory Maquire has written the rest of the story. There are 4 books in the series.
The books have always been better than what is on stage.
The books have always been better than what is on stage.
Agreed. The books were brilliant. The musical dumped and cut a lot of the elements of the novel that made it so brilliant. I get a lot of crap for liking the books more. The original novel is one of my favorite books of all time.
Yes, I understand that the orginal sequel written by Gregory is Son of a Witch. But, wouldn't fans and audience members would like to see what happens exactly after the ending of Wicked, rather than about 10 years later? They tried it with Love Never Dies, and many were outraged how the characters changed so much (Raoul especially)
Updated On: 7/17/13 at 03:12 PM
No. Lightning doesn't strike twice....
The books are a MASTERPIECE. However, if you are using them as a springboard for this sequel, its impossible due to the fact the Elphaba dies. And let's be honest; how long would Elphaba and Fiyero have really stayed together?!
Broadway Star Joined: 7/29/12
Swing Joined: 7/9/12
"How long would Elphaba and Fiyero have really stayed together?!"
I'm envisioning something like WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? but with a witch and a scarecrow.
Two questions:
1) Is there any adaptation (stage or film) of a novel that's better than the novel? I can't think of one...
2) Has there been a sequel to a musical that was a success?
Broadway Star Joined: 3/23/05
Yes, newintown, the film version of Twilight (first film) is much better than Stephanie Meyer's poorly written novel.
Annie Warbucks was succesful during it's Off-Broadway run, it broke box office records. Love Never Dies recieved great reviews in Australia, since then it was decided that it will probably reopen on the West End after a UK tour with the qualities of the Australian production.
"Yes, newintown, the film version of Twilight (first film) is much better than Stephanie Meyer's poorly written novel."
Well, now, I think it isn't quite fair to compare two shades of crap...
"Annie Warbucks was succesful during it's Off-Broadway run, it broke box office records. Love Never Dies recieved great reviews in Australia, since then it was decided that it will probably reopen on the West End after a UK tour with the qualities of the Australian production."
I see what you mean, but I should have been more specific - neither of the shows you mention have (or probably ever will) achieve a fraction of the success of their predecessors. I wonder if Annie Warbucks despite doing well relative to other shows in that house, actually turned a profit; it was around that time that producers began to say that it was impossible to make a profit on Off Broadway musicals.
I'm going to echo the sentiments of others here. You can't really do Son of a Witch when the ending of Wicked was changed so drastically. Having Liir be the main character kind of takes away from the dynamic that made WICKED a successful musical.
I've always said that The Wicked Years lends itself more to a TV series a la Game of Thrones.
Leading Actor Joined: 5/16/12
And what kind of stupid producer would take away from their own audience by opening a sequel on Broadway while the original is still a huge money-maker. It makes no sense, any way you look at it.
There was talk of a Wicked: TV Series floating around a few years ago produced by Selma Hayak (I think that's her name?)
The only thing WORSE than a sequel to Wicked: The Musical would be Rent 2, mostly because two more of the character will soon be dead with AIDS related complications and I don't like Mark, Joanne and Maureen enough to watch a show with just them with occasional appearances by Benny.
"The books are a MASTERPIECE."
The original book is pretty wonderful but the others are awful. I could barely get through them. I think the Lion one actually broke canon and aligned with the musical a bit.
While I highly doubt Broadway would get a sequel. There is certainly potential for a sequel of the musical version of the film. It's all about money at this point.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
"Wicked ends with you (or most people) wanting more..."
The idea is you LEAVE them wanting more. You don't give it to them.
I couldn't wait for Wicked to end, and that was before I even knew they cheated on the ending that belongs there.
I hate to quibble, but ANNA KARENINA and MIDDLEMARCH are masterpieces.
Gregory's WICKED is a near-masterpiece, but hardly in the same league as Tolstoy and Eliot.
"The original book is pretty wonderful but the others are awful. I could barely get through them. I think the Lion one actually broke canon and aligned with the musical a bit."
Thank you! Wicked (the book) is one of may favorite books, but the rest of the series just falls flat for me, in fact most of Maguire's other books do. Yet, I keep reading them, hoping that one day he will recapture the magic.
It will be called WICKEDER.
I think the most important question is: What will the show curtain look like?
Newintown, just off the top of my head, Jaws, The Godfather, Psycho, and possibly Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? are all arguably superior to the novels on which they are based.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
1) Is there any adaptation (stage or film) of a novel that's better than the novel? I can't think of one...
Keep in mind these are all my opinion.
- The Light in the Piazza (musical, IMO the movie's bad)
- The Notebook
- Warm Bodies
Also, I love The Hunger Games, but I actually thought it worked much better as a movie than as a novel.
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