wicked book vs. wicked play

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 6:40pm

what are some similarities and differences between them (besides the obvious ones)?

[Raimiette]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 6:52pm

Oh god, there are tons of differences...obvious spoilers ahead.



Elphaba's dad isn't the govenor, just a preacher/minister.

Nessarose doesn't have arms but has fully functual legs.

Elphaba doesn't like magic and isn't very good at it in the novel.

Fieyro dies in Elphaba's apartment by being beaten to death by some of the Wizard's followers. Near the middle of the book too...and even so he gets WAY more developed than the one in the musical.

Dr. Dillamond gets his throat slit (I think) he dies, obviously.

There is a lot of time spent with Elphaba's family and her upbringing.

Boq is a friend of Elphabas from childhood, Elphaba helps Boq meet Glinda.

Glinda doesn't really hate Elphaba and doesn't try outwardly to insult of embarrass her. Once Dr. Dillamond is murdered Glinda realizes all her friends are mean losers and disregards them for Elphie.

There is a sub-plot with Fieyro's wife and Elphaba.

Nessarose and Boq don't have a relationship.

Elphaba is a very harsh person is the novel...not evil or anything just a bit mean.



There are a few for now. I'll put up some more later.

Updated On: 9/20/04 at 06:52 PM

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 6:57pm

Three more spoilers (and pretty big ones; if you don't want to know, stop reading here):

Boq isn't the Tin Man.
Fiyero is not the Scarecrow.
Elphaba actually dies at the end.

Updated On: 9/20/04 at 06:57 PM

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 6:58pm

Also, Galinda and Fiyero never date in the book.

[notsovirginmary]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 7:02pm

..the book makes sense, has depth, and wonderful character development.

Elphaba has a kid.

Nessa never pursues Boq.(ETA: I didn't see that someone had already covered this.)

Updated On: 9/20/04 at 07:02 PM

[defy_gravity]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 7:06pm

The book's much better.
It's darker, the play is really "softened".
Glinda ditches her friends for Elphie.
Nessa has no arms.
Nessa doesn't date Boq.
The whole thing with Sarima... and Liir.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 7:32pm

**********SPOILER**********


Elphie dies in the book but Winnie Holzman plays off of the last lines in the book for the ending of the Musical.

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 7:43pm

The book is so rich and deep, while the play managed to take all of that away.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 7:48pm

The book has a lot of depth that wasn't included in the musical. It's really dark, and has a lot more serious political themes. They're VERY different.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 7:56pm

About Elphaba having a kid: Didn't he just sort of glumph onto her while she was on her way to find Sarima? Or was he actually hers somehow? I can't remember.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:02pm

I don't think he was actually hers. I think she just sort of found him.

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:02pm

******SPOILERS*******




Fiyero is purple, lol

Elphaba and Fiyero have a kid together

In the musical Fiyeros driver is named "Avaric" who is an actual part in the novel along with more friends

Glinda has a Ama

Elphaba and Nessa have a Nanny and a brother named Shell

Elphaba sews the wings on the monkeys

Elphaba kills Madame Morrible

Dorothy has is actually a part of the novel Updated On: 9/20/04 at 08:02 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:06pm

Fiyero is PURPLE? I thought he just had purple/blue things on his chest.

[notsovirginmary]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:10pm

"I don't think he was actually hers. I think she just sort of found him. "

Nope, Liir was hers. She's in denial about it, which is where it gets confusing.

"and so Liir prepared to enter his father's(Fiyero's) house." is the line where its most obviously stated.

Updated On: 9/20/04 at 08:10 PM

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:10pm

Fiyero is brown with blue stones attached to his skin.
Apparently, early on in the show, they tried the effect on Nobert, but beyond the first 3 rows, it just looked like he was bruised.
notsovirginmary: Elphaba also makes a reference about wishing just once that Liir had a hint of green in his skin. Updated On: 9/20/04 at 08:10 PM

[adamized88]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:13pm

easier - the names of people and places are pretty much the only things that are the same

glinda and elphaba would never have been friends

it annoyed me the first time but now i know you just have to look at them as two tottally seperate entities

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:13pm

"Nope, Liir was hers. She's in denial about it, which is where it gets confusing.
'and so Liir prepared to enter his father's(Fiyero's) house.' is the line where its most obviously stated."

Oh. I should have remembered that...

[Up In Won]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:17pm

Fiyero is NOT purple. He has blue diamond TATTOOS that cover his whole body.

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:22pm

I dont know why I remembered him being purple...That intresting about Norbert though

Overall, I like the story the novel tells more than the musical, but I think the musical did a better job of relating back to The Wizard of Oz.

[musicalmjk]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:24pm

Well the thing about Boq really goes against the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by LFB. In the book Dorthy stays the night at Boq's house
"Dorothy ate a hearty supper and was waited upon by the rich Munchkin himself, whose name was Boq...When she had tired watching the dancing, Boq led her into the house, where he gave her a room with a pretty bed in it. The sheets were made of blue cloth, and Dorothy slept soundly in them till morning, with Toto curled up on the blue rug beside her."

[Up In Won]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:35pm

Okay! I have my book open in front of me now! In regard to Liir being Elphie's son... There is that comment about Liir preparing to enter his father's house. Then later in the book, Nanny and Elphie are talking outside, and the subject of Liir comes up. Elphaba says she doens't know if he is or isn't her son. Nanny tells her that not knowing is impossible, that she either had him or didn't, and that was that. Elphaba responds EXACTLY like this "What I mean," said Elphaba, "and the only remark I will make about it, is this. When I first went to the maunterey, under the kind offices of Mother Yackle, I was in no stateto know what was happening to me and I spent about a year in a deathly sleep. It's just possible that I brought a child to term and delievered it. I was another full year recovering When I was first assigned duties, I worked with the sick and the dying and also with abandoned children. I had no more congress with Liir than with anyother of several brats. When I left the maunterey o come here, it was under the condition that I would take Liir with me. I didn't question the instruction- one doesn't question the instructions of superiors. I have no motherly warmth toward the boy"-she gulped, in case this was no longer true- "and I don't feel as if I've ever gone through the experience of ever baring a child. I don't quite believe myself capable, in fact, although I'm willing to concede that this may be simply idnorance and blindness. But that's all there is to say about it. I'll say no more and no more will you."
So, yeah! I dunno, I think he is hers, but who knows for sure? Though she DID make that comment about 'wishing he had at least a hint of green in his skin'.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:41pm

You're right, musicalmjk. It totally goes against Baum's book.

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:44pm

thats the point, its implied but not said and it IS Fiyeros son and not Sarimas so who's son could it be besides Elphabas

[Becky]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:44pm

now i know you just have to look at them as two tottally seperate entities

Exactly. The musical isn't a staging of the book -- not to mention we'd have a 6 hour musical if they had kept the depth and subplots of the novel. I *loved* the novel and what it had to offer, and I *loved* the musical the way it plays out onstage. I too looked at them as two seperate works and enjoyed both very much.

[Up In Won]

Posted: 9/20/04 at 8:45pm

I know that's the point. Hence, I typed up that entire thing.