Wicked's Hidden References

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 1:49pm

Word is out that Schwartz hid a number of sly and clever references to the 1939 musical in his score. Die hard fans probably already know this, but for those who don't, here's the biggest "homage":

The 7 notes which make up "Unlimited, my future" are the same 7 notes (in an altered rhythm) of "Somewhere over the rainbow"

Anybody else?

[ItSucks2BAveQ]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 1:57pm

Cool! Where did you find that info?
I am humming it my head right now,(okay, singing out loud) lol, but the notes are not matching. Is it the same melody or just made up of the same notes?

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 2:13pm

Same notes, same melody - we're not talking key, we're talking intervals.

pick a note, up an octave, down a second, down to the 5th, then step wise back up to the octave.

(for Sound of Music fans): do, do, ti, sol, la, ti, do

"un...lim..e..ted.....my..fu..ture"
(do...do..ti..sol......la...ti....do)

"some where o...ver the rain bow"
(do.....do.....ti...sol...la..ti....do)

Does that help?

[GretchaSketh]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 2:17pm

Yea, you can hear it if you sing it. That is so cool!!!

[insomniak]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 2:18pm

That's nifty! I never noticed.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:06pm

That's pretty cool. I didn't notice that before. What are the others?

By the way, and I mean no disrespect, but do you think that Schwartz wears a hairpiece? I have heard that rumor, but what do you guys think?

[BWIDB Charlie]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:06pm

Hmm... another one of the little references in the score is during "One Short Day." At 1:06 during the song, you'll catch a piccolo playing a passage from "Merry Old Land Of Oz" - It's a fun little part.

Take care,
Charlie
[e-mail]

[NYadgal]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:20pm

Now this is interesting Wicked stuff!!

What else do you know?? I LOVE this!

[rlbgbc]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:23pm

I think he does wear a rug. Heard a story about it being knocked off his head at an inopportune moment.

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:24pm

Right on, Magic, I hear that too.

I understand there's a musical reference in the underscoring during the show (not on the CD) to Miss Gulch's "Bike Riding Theme"

... you know, that evil little tune during the movie you hear when Miss Gulch is riding on her bicycle?

[NYadgal]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:27pm

Do you know what part of the show?

Is it during the hurricane or maybe when the people of Oz are out looking for Elphaba?...just a guess. I've never noticed it before, but I'm going on Sunday, so will keep an ear open for it.

[BWIDB Charlie]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:29pm

Yes, it's in the underscore during the cyclone portion of Wicked.

Charlie
[e-mail]

[NYadgal]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:31pm

cyclone!!...that's what I meant (whoever heard of a hurricane in Oz?!)

Thanks for the confirmation...I'll listen for it on Sunday.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:31pm

I think he does wear a rug. Heard a story about it being knocked off his head at an inopportune moment.

Really? Was it while he was conducting? How humilitatin'.

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:42pm

Please, forgive me for being indelicate (not to mention embarassingly naive) but I was more surprised to hear he has a son ... an up-and-coming director, right?

I always assumed he was, well ... you know, "different". On the bus, so to speak, with the rest of us boys in the band.

Is it time for me to adjust my gaydar? Maybe it was just wishfull thinking ...

I couldn't care less if he wears a rug LOL

[BWIDB Charlie]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:46pm

Yes, his son Scott directed:

Tick, Tick...Boom! - off-broadway
Bat Boy: The Musical - Off-broadway
Jane Eyre - Broadway (Co-directed)
Godspell - 2001 National Tour
Golda's Balcony - Broadway
My Antonia - Theatreworks

Also, Stephen is married. Updated On: 7/16/04 at 03:46 PM

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:48pm

(*sigh*)

[MisterRussell]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:48pm

...not that there's anything wrong with that....

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:49pm

I don't care who he sleeps with, I just want to know how he lost his rug, if that is true.

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:51pm

Some of my best friends are married.

I have a brother who's married. We love him just the same.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:54pm

And as the saying goes...a ring never stopped up a hole.

[tcb122]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 4:07pm

Also:

"couldn't be happier" = "follow the yellow brick"

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 4:11pm

And the broom is a big phallic symbol.

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 4:17pm

Really? I never realised. Damn brooms!

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 4:20pm

Haven't you read the Harry Potter books? They all want the biggest broom and are put down for not having a nice one.