Well, in Glinda's first lines include "according to the Time Dragon Clock..."
*SPECIFIC novel references end there*
You can't say the TDC is the only connection to the book though. That's not true at all, because the whole play is still based around one of the novel's central plots:
Glinda the Good and Elphaba the Witch of the West met in college and developed a friendship that lasted their whole lives.
And then:
*novel spoilers*
Act II: Galinda, Fiyero, Boq, Elphaba, and Nessaros attend Shiz University, headed in part by an evil Headmistress who has a hand in evil workings. A Goat named Dillamond also teaches there. Galinda and he do not get along, she doesn't like him being a Goat. He hates that Animals are treated like 2nd class citizens and mispronounces Galinda's name. Morrible tricks her students and dislikes Galinda. Galinda is a selfish, spoiled brat. She is also BLONDE in both, unlike the original Baum book and the 1939 movie, where she had red hair. Elphaba is smart and passionate and green. Her father hates her for it and favors Nessarose, giving her the silver slipper. Glinda changes her name in Dr. Dillamond's honor. After going to the Emerald City and meeting the Wizard, she finds out he is actually quite a despot, and deserts Glinda to do secret pro-Animal work against the Wizard.
Act II: Nessarose because a tyrant and abuses Munchkins. She is responible for the Tin Man's creation. She gets a house dropped on her, of course. Elphaba and Glinda have a private confrontation on the Yellow Brick Road. Elphaba and Fiyero develop an unlikely friendship, and it becomes a secret love affair. Fiyero is killed violently. (well, sort of) Boq turns on Elphaba near the end. The Cowardly Lion is known by Elphaba from her Shiz days. Elphaba thinks Fiyero is the Scarecrow. It is revealed that the Wizard is Elphaba's father and that he knows this because of a green bottle that was in Elphaba's possession when she melted.
Yes, I wish Winnie Holzman would have exercised some restraint in turning a beautiful novel into a Hallmark style one-liner fest. But the seeds of the novel are there, and the author has approved over and over again of the musical. (In fact, I think the musical has inflated his ego)
Updated On: 4/1/08 at 09:36 PM
