List of Wicked characters
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Wicked
characters.
of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
, Elphaba is a green-skinned girl who eventually becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West
. She acquires this nickname more because of her sister's nickname (the Wicked Witch of the East, who was so named by her political opponents) than for any wicked deeds. An Animal rights activist, Elphaba is involved in an assassination attempt on Madame Morrible. She shares an illicit relationship with Fiyero, whose death causes her to abandon her revolutionary ideals. Elphaba's name is derived from sounding out the initials of Oz author L. Frank Baum's
name. She is later referred to in the book as simply the Witch.
In the musical, the role of Elphaba was originally played on Broadway and in London by Idina Menzel
, who won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance.
Other actresses to play the role include Shoshana Bean
, Eden Espinosa
, Rachel Tucker
, Ana Gasteyer
, Julia Murney
, Stephanie J. Block
, Kerry Ellis
, Marcie Dodd
, Nicole Parker
, Dee Roscioli
, Mandy Gonzalez
, Kristy Cates
, Victoria Matlock
, Carmen Cusack
, Willemijn Verkaik
, Caissie Levy
, Teal Wicks
, Lisa Brescia
, Alexia Khadime
, Donna Vivino
, Amanda Harrison
, Jemma Rix
, Pippa Grandison
, Vicki Noon
, Sabrina Carter, Nikki Davis Jones, Ashleigh Gray
, Stevie Tate-Bauer, Gemma Atkins, Jennifer Teirney and "The Amazing" Jackie Burns
, Oz's northern province. The Glinda in the book is parallel to her character in the musical
Wicked
, sometimes behaving in a snobby and mean fashion, whereas in The Wizard of Oz
, as well as in the original Oz Books, she is portrayed as kind and gentle.
In the musical, the role was originally played by Kristin Chenoweth
. Other actresses to play the role include Jennifer Laura Thompson
, Megan Hilty
, Louise Dearman
, Kate Reinders
, Kendra Kassebaum
, Annaleigh Ashford
, Alli Mauzey
, Erin Mackey
, Katie Rose Clarke
, Helen Dallimore
, Dianne Pilkington
, Sarah Earnshaw, Chloe Taylor, Zoe Rainey, Lucy Durack
, Chandra Lee Schwartz
and Amanda Jane Cooper
. Nessarose was born without arms and is therefore not able to balanced herself without help. This was possibly a side effect of a remedy Melena took in order to save her next child from having green skin. Nessarose is extremely beautiful, causing Elphaba to resent her both out of jealousy and because of her father's favoring Nessarose over Elphaba. As a gift, Frex gives Nessarose the sparkling glass covered shoes (which are known as the Silver Shoes
in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
) which Glinda later enchants, giving Nessarose the ability to walk unaided. Nessarose inherits the title and role of Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland, as Frex, the former Governor, was dead. She is a devout unionist, and many Munchkins are unhappy under her rule. She is killed when Dorothy's house falls on top of her. It is heavily hinted that Nessarose is the illegitimate daughter of Melena and Turtle Heart, and not of Frex.
However, in the musical, Nessarose is born with arms yet is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair.
In the original Broadway production of the musical, the role was played by Michelle Federer
. Other actresses to star in the role include Heidi Kettenring, Cristy Candler, Jenna Leigh Green
, Deedee Magno Hall
, Katie Rowley Jones
, Caroline Keiff
, Cassie Compton, Natalie Anderson
, Zoe Rainey, Emily Tierney, Lauren James-Ray, Marcie Dodd
, Gemma Atkins and Charlotte Scott
.
In the original Broadway production of the musical he was played by Norbert Leo Butz
. Other actors to play the role include Taye Diggs
, Kristoffer Cusick
, Joey McIntyre, Sebastian Arcelus
, Aaron Tveit
, Kevin Kern
, Cliffton Hall, Oliver Tompsett
, Mark Evans, Rob Mills
, Tim Campbell, David Harris, Richard H. Blake
, Andy Karl
, Lee Mead
, David Nathan Perlow, Gregor Stewart, Arran Knight, Tommy Sherlock, Antony Hanson, Kyle Dean Massey
, Adam Garcia
, and Kyle McDaniel. Matt Willis
is to play the role in the London production.
Adam Lambert
understudied the role in LA before his appearance on American Idol
.
Mark Evans originally understudied Oliver Tompsett
in the role in the London production of Wicked before returning in 2011 as the lead.
in a hot air balloon. He was originally seeking the Grimmerie, but became sidetracked when he discovered he could orchestrate a coup d'état
and overthrow the Ozma Regent. It is heavily implied that he fathered Elphaba while her mother was under the influence of the Miracle Elixir, which may explain Elphaba's green skin, her aquaphobia
, and occasional ability to read parts of the Grimmerie, which originated in the Wizard's world. When he sees the bottle of Miricale Elixir left by Elphaba when she "dies" Galinda brings it to him. She throws him out of Oz and puts Madame Morrible in jail. He is also referred to by the name Oscar Zoroaster Diggs.
In the original Broadway production of the show he was played by Joel Grey
. Other actors to play the role include George Hearn
, Ben Vereen
, David Garrison
, Lenny Wolpe
, P.J. Benjamin, Lee Wilkof
, Nigel Planer
, Desmond Barrit
, Bert Newton
, Tom McGowan
, Richard Kline
, Clive Carter
, Gareth Chart, Sam Kelly
, Don Amendolia
, Gene Weygandt, and the late Rob Guest
.
of Shiz University's Crage Hall, which Elphaba and Galinda attend. Elphaba and her friends suspect Morrible to be responsible for the murder of Doctor Dillamond. At one point, she proposes that Elphaba, Galinda, and Nessarose become future behind-the-scenes rulers in Oz, a proposal that they never willingly accept. Elphaba suspects that Madame Morrible has at least some magical powers, and may have indeed controlled the fates of the three women. It is possible that she spies on Elphaba and sends messages to Liir through the Carp
in the well at Elphaba's home in the Vinkus, because the Carp dies at about the same time as Morrible. It remains unknown whether Elphaba murdered her or if she died of natural causes minutes before Elphaba's attempt.
In the original Broadway production of the musical she was played by Carole Shelley
. Other actresses to play the role include the late Rue McClanahan
, Carol Kane
, Jayne Houdyshell
, Rondi Reed
, Julie Legrand, Barbara Robertson
, Miriam Margolyes
, Susie Blake
, Harriet Thorpe
, Maggie Kirkpatrick
, and Jo Anne Worley
.
and professor at Crage Hall in Shiz. Assisted by Elphaba, Dr. Dillamond performs research on the differences between animals and Animals (sentient animals). He suspiciously dies from a slit throat; Madame Morrible claims that this is an accident, but her account is contradicted by Galinda’s chaperone, Ama Clutch, who claims to have witnessed the event. Ama Clutch's claim is that Morrible's clockwork servant Grommetik murdered Dillamond to keep the findings of his breakthrough hushed up.
In the original Broadway production he was played by William Youmans
. Other actors to play the role include Sean McCourt
, Timothy Britten Parker
, Julian Forsyth, David Stoller, Steven Skybell, Martin Ball
, Rodney Dobson, Paul Slade Smith, and Andy Mace.
In the original Broadway production of the musical, he was played by Christopher Fitzgerald
. Other actors to play the role - in various productions worldwide - include Robb Sapp
, Justin Brill, Randy Harrison
, Logan Lipton, James Gillan
, Jeremy Legat, Telly Leung, George Ure, Alex Jessop, and Anthony Callea
.
propelled house, which crushes Nessarose. She takes Nessarose's shoes (the Silver Shoes
) under the advice of Glinda. Many see these shoes as a symbol of power over Munchkinland. During her travels, many citizens of Oz are superstitious about her because of these shoes and her name: Her first name sounds like a reversal of the name of the "king" of her land (Theodore Roosevelt
). Because her name means "Goddess of Gifts" (the opposite of Theodore, "Gift of God"), it is implied that Dorothy may be the second coming
of Lurline
, who was also known by that title. The Gale Force fear her for her last name. The Wizard sends Dorothy to kill Elphaba, but Dorothy's intention is to ask her for forgiveness for killing Nessarose. Elphaba does not know whether to treat Dorothy with kindness or to fear her. When Elphaba demands the slippers, Dorothy pleads that, despite her best efforts, they will not come off. Dorothy accidentally kills Elphaba by pouring water on her in an attempt to put out a fire on Elphaba's dress.
. In this book, Liir unknowingly impregnates a Quadling girl named Candle, which results in the birth of a green baby. This finally proves that Liir is indeed the son of Elphaba and Fiyero. Gregory Maguire has described Liir as "Elphaba's bastard son" in interviews. It's also revealed in Son of a Witch that Liir is bisexual.
. Nanny first mentions her as an old gypsy woman from whom she bought the medicine, which would stop Melena’s second child being born green. Later, she appears as an old woman guarding the door to the Philosophy Club and later still, she appears as Mother Yackle, a maunt (a sort of Ozian nun
) at the mauntery (a unionist convent) who takes care of the homeless Elphaba. Yackle's story is more deeply explored in "A Lion Among Men," in which she is the secondary protagonist.
sent to Oz to prevent the Grimmerie from returning to Earth. With his Clock of the Time Dragon, he seems to Elphaba to either be able to control fate or predict it.
of sorts who is a servant to Madame Morrible. It is strongly implied that he is involved in a sinister plot orchestrated at least in part by his mistress. Ama Clutch witnessed Grommetik kill Doctor Dillamond. From what is described in the novel, he bears a similarity to Tik-Tok, a character from Baum's original Oz series.
. Nessarose was his favorite child, and to her he gave the famous jeweled slippers
. It is implied that he is at least the father of Shell, as the Wizard of Oz is Elphaba's father, and it is heavily implied that Turtle Heart is Nessarose's father. It is implied that he, along with Melena, was in a threesome
relationship with Turtle Heart. In L. Frank Baum's original novel, the slippers are silver. In the 1939 film, they are ruby. Maguire's novel describes the slippers equivocally, allowing either interpretation; he is careful not to describe them as either simply "silver" or "ruby".
s, and the Crow
s are animals which accompany Elphaba on her way to Kiamo Ko by coach, and which also become her familiar
s. The bees are taken along as a source of honey
for the travelers, and it is suggested that through dormant magical talent, Elphaba unconsciously sets them upon the coach cook, whom she dislikes and who is later found stung to death at the edge of a cliff
. Killyjoy, the cook's dog
, takes an instant liking to Liir, who decides to keep him. Princess Nastoya gives the crows to Elphaba, then specifically states that Elphaba is to send them to her if she needs help with anything. Princess Nastoya also tells Elphaba directly that they are to be her familiars. On the way to Kiamo Ko, they run across Chistery Nikko, an abandoned infant snow monkey
, whom Elphaba rescues through another unconscious act of magic (creating ice under her feet as she runs across a pond to save him from Killyjoy). Later in the book, Elphaba teaches him to speak, in hopes of completing Doctor Dillamond's study into the supposed connections between all lifeforms. In Wicked, he only manages to mimic what others say, although he gains the ability to speak in full, comprehensible sentences by the time readers meet him again in Son of a Witch
. Elphaba sews wings onto the backs of him and the other monkeys in a combination of Doctor Dillamond's studies and her own practice of magic, thus creating the winged monkeys
.
and pinlobble leaves (which act as a tranquiliser). She dies shortly after her son Shell is born, leaving her children to be cared for by Frex and Nanny.
with some of his friends.During the visit, he seems to have a selective memory, since he doesn't remember Elphaba and says he does not keep "unimportant details" in his head. Most of Avaric's characteristics are given to Fiyero in the musical, and he makes a short cameo appearance as Fiyero's driver.
. He comes upon Melena's home while Frex is out preaching. Melena and Turtle Heart have an extended affair, and it is implied that Frex had intimate relations with him, as well, sharing him equally. It is also strongly suggested that he is the father of Nessarose; a family timeline at the beginning of A Lion Among Men lists Frex as father to Nessarose and Shell. It is mentioned he was killed at Colwen Grounds, on the day that Nessarose was born, as a human sacrifice to bring rain to Munchkinland (Munchkinland is experiencing extreme drought
s as mentioned throughout the book). His death is what convinces Frex and Melena to travel to Quadling Country to convert people to Unionism.
s, rusty nails and evening gown
s as if they were people. Just prior to her death, Galinda (now Glinda) magically restores Ama Clutch's sanity for a brief period, giving her the opportunity to reveal that Grommetik was responsible for the death of Doctor Dillamond. It should be noted that Galinda made up Ama Clutch's ailment when she first privately met with Madame Morrible.
'feel very funny in his trousers' , implying that he is homosexual. Beyond that, not much is shown about Irji throughout the rest of the novel, aside from the occasional mention of his increasing holiness (toward the pagan/Lurline religion). When his family is captured, he is murdered publicly with the Paraffin
Necklace
. Irji is not present in the musical presentation of Wicked. This is because Sarima was not introduced in the musical; thus, Fiyero and Sarima never were married, and Irji was never born.
, charmed (possibly accidentally) by Elphaba as punishment for Manek's tricking Liir into being trapped in the fishwell and almost dying, and then keeping it a secret while the rest of the household was searching for the missing Liir. Manek as well as his mother, siblings and aunts are not present in the musical version of Wicked.
as more of a father-figure to Liir.
. He is the starring character of A Lion Among Men.
who teaches Math. He joins Doctor Dillamond in storming out when Madame Morrible recites a poem that insults Animals.
is a librarian at Three Queens. He was a bit of an absent boss, as he failed to notice Boq, Crope and Tibbett (who were supposed to spend their summer working for him) shirking their work duties to help Elphaba and Doctor Dillamond's work.
hired by the Wizard's government to spy on Elphaba. He plays a little role in Fiyero's death.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a parallel novel published in 1995 written by Gregory Maguire and illustrated by Douglas Smith. It is a revisionist look at the land and characters of Oz from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its sequels, and the...
characters.
Elphaba Thropp
The protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a parallel novel published in 1995 written by Gregory Maguire and illustrated by Douglas Smith. It is a revisionist look at the land and characters of Oz from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its sequels, and the...
, Elphaba is a green-skinned girl who eventually becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character and the most significant antagonist in L. Frank Baum's children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
. She acquires this nickname more because of her sister's nickname (the Wicked Witch of the East, who was so named by her political opponents) than for any wicked deeds. An Animal rights activist, Elphaba is involved in an assassination attempt on Madame Morrible. She shares an illicit relationship with Fiyero, whose death causes her to abandon her revolutionary ideals. Elphaba's name is derived from sounding out the initials of Oz author L. Frank Baum's
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
name. She is later referred to in the book as simply the Witch.
In the musical, the role of Elphaba was originally played on Broadway and in London by Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
, who won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance.
Other actresses to play the role include Shoshana Bean
Shoshana Bean
Shoshana Elise Bean is an American stage actress and singer known for her roles in Broadway musicals. She is best known for playing Elphaba on Broadway in the musical Wicked.-Early life and education:...
, Eden Espinosa
Eden Espinosa
Eden Erica Espinosa is an American singer and stage actress, who is best known for her performances as Elphaba for the Broadway, Los Angeles and San Francisco productions of the musical Wicked....
, Rachel Tucker
Rachel Tucker
Rachel Tucker is a Northern Irish singer and actress who competed as one of the finalists in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008...
, Ana Gasteyer
Ana Gasteyer
Ana Kristina Gasteyer is an American actress of stage, film, and television. She is best known for her comedic roles when she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2002.-Early life:...
, Julia Murney
Julia Murney
Julia Kathleen Murney is an American actress, singer and theatre performer, primarily featured in theatre and television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway...
, Stephanie J. Block
Stephanie J. Block
Stephanie J. Block is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has additionally been nominated for a Drama Desk Award and a Drama League Award. She released her debut solo album through PS Classics in June 2009...
, Kerry Ellis
Kerry Ellis
Kerry Jane Ellis is an English stage actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music...
, Marcie Dodd
Marcie Dodd
Marcie Dodd is an American stage performer, best known for playing Elphaba and Nessarose in various US companies of the hit musical Wicked.- Early life and career :...
, Nicole Parker
Nicole Parker
Nicole Frances Parker is an Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show MADtv. In July 2009, she concluded her run as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked...
, Dee Roscioli
Dee Roscioli
Dee Roscioli is an American singer and actress, who is known for her performances as "Elphaba" in the Chicago, San Francisco, Broadway and national touring productions of the musical Wicked.-Education:She graduated from Wilson Area High School in 1995 and DeSales University in 1999...
, Mandy Gonzalez
Mandy Gonzalez
Mandy Gonzalez is an American actress and singer, who most recently finished a 10-month run as Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked.-Early life and education:...
, Kristy Cates
Kristy Cates
Kristen "Kristy" Cates is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Elphaba in the Chicago production of Wicked...
, Victoria Matlock
Victoria Matlock
Victoria Matlock is an American musical theatre actress. She appeared in the Broadway production of Million Dollar Quartet in the role of Dyanne..She has been involved in several regional theatre productions including Godspell and The Sound of Music...
, Carmen Cusack
Carmen Cusack (Actress)
Carmen Cusack is a musical theater actress and singer, best known for playing Elphaba in the Chicago, National Tour and Melbourne productions of the hit musical Wicked.-Early life and Career:...
, Willemijn Verkaik
Willemijn Verkaik
Willemijn Verkaik , is a Dutch singer and actress. She was born in Son en Breugel, Netherlands, but grew up in Nuenen near Eindhoven. She graduated from the Rotterdam Conservatory....
, Caissie Levy
Caissie Levy
Caissie Shira Reiser , known professionally as Caissie Levy, is a Canadian stage actress and singer.-Early Life:...
, Teal Wicks
Teal Wicks
Teal Wicks is an American singer and stage actress, best known for her performance as Elphaba in the Broadway, San Francisco, and Los Angeles productions of the musical Wicked.-Education:...
, Lisa Brescia
Lisa Brescia
Lisa Brescia, born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is an American musical theatre actress who has performed as lead and understudy in several Broadway shows. Raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lisa went on to pursue acting and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts...
, Alexia Khadime
Alexia Khadime
Alexia Khadime is an English actress and mezzo-soprano, known for her roles in British musical theatre and television. Alexia's break came in 2004 when she was cast as Nala in the British rendition of the musical The Lion King at Lyceum Theatre, London...
, Donna Vivino
Donna Vivino
Donna Vivino is a theatre actress and singer, who recently starred as Elphaba on the First National Tour of Wicked, and is currently the standby for the role on Broadway....
, Amanda Harrison
Amanda Harrison
Amanda Harrison is an Australian musical theatre performer who will be originating the role of Paula in the World Premiere of An Officer and a Gentleman in Sydney 2012.-Early years:...
, Jemma Rix
Jemma Rix
Jemma Rix is an Australian theatre performer, currently starring as Elphaba in the Australian touring production of Wicked. Previously, she played the role during the Sydney season, served as standby in Melbourne, and performed in the 30-minute show at Universal Studios Japan...
, Pippa Grandison
Pippa Grandison
Pippa Jody Grandison is an Australian musical theatre performer. She currently lives in Sydney, with husband Steve Le Marquand and daughter Charlie.-Career:...
, Vicki Noon
Vicki Noon
Vicki Noon is an American theater performer, who played the lead role of Elphaba on the Second National Tour of Wicked, a role she had previously covered in various other productions of the musical.-Early life:...
, Sabrina Carter, Nikki Davis Jones, Ashleigh Gray
Ashleigh Gray
Ashleigh Gray is a British musical theatre performer who recently appeared as the standby for Elphaba in the London production of Wicked.-Early life:Gray was born in Fife, Scotland and educated at Newbattle Community High School in Dalkeith...
, Stevie Tate-Bauer, Gemma Atkins, Jennifer Teirney and "The Amazing" Jackie Burns
Galinda Arduenna Upland
Galinda Arduenna Upland is Elphaba's roommate at Shiz University. She hates Elphaba at first, but they later become close friends. However, the two are separated for twenty years when Elphaba goes into hiding. Glinda is part of the high society in GillikinGillikin Country
The Gillikin Country is the northern division of L. Frank Baum's land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color purple worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings.-Elements in Gillikin Country:...
, Oz's northern province. The Glinda in the book is parallel to her character in the musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
, sometimes behaving in a snobby and mean fashion, whereas in The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
, as well as in the original Oz Books, she is portrayed as kind and gentle.
In the musical, the role was originally played by Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
. Other actresses to play the role include Jennifer Laura Thompson
Jennifer Laura Thompson
Jennifer Laura Thompson is an American stage actress and singer. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan and graduated in 1991....
, Megan Hilty
Megan Hilty
Megan Kathleen Hilty is an American stage and television actress.- Early years :Hilty was born in Bellevue, Washington and is the daughter of Jack and Donna Hilty. She attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue and the Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School in Redmond,...
, Louise Dearman
Louise Dearman
Louise Dearman is a British musical theatre performer, currently playing the role of Glinda in the West End production of Wicked. She has a number of other professional stage and television credits, such as Eva Perón in Evita, and released her debut solo album, You and I, in 2005.-Early...
, Kate Reinders
Kate Reinders
Kate Reinders is an American musical theatre actress, who has performed as lead and understudy in several Broadway shows. Reinders was born in Seattle, Washington, but raised in Muskegon, Michigan...
, Kendra Kassebaum
Kendra Kassebaum
Kendra Kassebaum is an American theatre actress who has performed in many different musicals , and is most noted for her role as Glinda in the first national tour, Broadway, and San Francisco casts of Wicked.- Biography :Kendra Kassebaum was born May 12, 1973, in St Louis, Missouri...
, Annaleigh Ashford
Annaleigh Ashford
Annaleigh Ashford is an American actress known for her Broadway credits in Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Hair.-Early life:Annaleigh Ashford was born Annaleigh Swanson in Denver, Colorado to Holli Swanson, a gym teacher...
, Alli Mauzey
Alli Mauzey
Alli Mauzey is an American actress from Anaheim Hills, California.She made her Broadway debut as Brenda in Hairspray in 2003. Her "big break" came when she starred as Lenora in the Broadway musical Cry Baby for which she won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for a Drama League Award.In...
, Erin Mackey
Erin Mackey
Erin Mackey is a stage actress/singer, best known for playing the role of Glinda in the Chicago, Los Angeles and Broadway productions of Wicked.-Career:...
, Katie Rose Clarke
Katie Rose Clarke
Katherine "Katie" Rose Clarke is an American musical theater actress. Originally from Friendswood, Texas, she first came to national attention for her portrayal of Clara Johnson in the Broadway production, the live PBS broadcast, and the national tour of The Light in the Piazza...
, Helen Dallimore
Helen Dallimore
Helen Dallimore is an Australian actress, known for originating the role of Glinda in the West End production of Wicked.-Background:...
, Dianne Pilkington
Dianne Pilkington
Dianne Lesley Pilkington is an English theatre actress and singer.- Life :Pilkington was born in Wigan. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating in 1997 with the Principal's Award....
, Sarah Earnshaw, Chloe Taylor, Zoe Rainey, Lucy Durack
Lucy Durack
Lucy Durack is an Australian musical theatre performer most recognised for playing Glinda in the Australian production of Wicked.-Biography:...
, Chandra Lee Schwartz
Chandra Lee Schwartz
Chandra Lee Schwartz is an American theatre performer, who most recently played Glinda on the first National Tour of Wicked from Friday, 21 August 2009, through Sunday, 17 April 2011. She originally starred alongside Donna Vivino as Elphaba, who was later replaced by Jackie Burns...
and Amanda Jane Cooper
Nessarose Thropp (Nessa)
Elphaba's younger sister, Nessarose eventually becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the EastWicked Witch of the East
The Wicked Witch of the East is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his Oz series of books....
. Nessarose was born without arms and is therefore not able to balanced herself without help. This was possibly a side effect of a remedy Melena took in order to save her next child from having green skin. Nessarose is extremely beautiful, causing Elphaba to resent her both out of jealousy and because of her father's favoring Nessarose over Elphaba. As a gift, Frex gives Nessarose the sparkling glass covered shoes (which are known as the Silver Shoes
Silver Shoes
The Silver Shoes are the magical shoes that appear in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as Dorothy Gale's transport home. They were originally owned by the Wicked Witch of the East but passed to Dorothy when her house landed on the Witch...
in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
) which Glinda later enchants, giving Nessarose the ability to walk unaided. Nessarose inherits the title and role of Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland, as Frex, the former Governor, was dead. She is a devout unionist, and many Munchkins are unhappy under her rule. She is killed when Dorothy's house falls on top of her. It is heavily hinted that Nessarose is the illegitimate daughter of Melena and Turtle Heart, and not of Frex.
However, in the musical, Nessarose is born with arms yet is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair.
In the original Broadway production of the musical, the role was played by Michelle Federer
Michelle Federer
Michelle Federer is an American film and theatre actress.-Early life and education:Federer is the daughter of John and Claudia Federer...
. Other actresses to star in the role include Heidi Kettenring, Cristy Candler, Jenna Leigh Green
Jenna Leigh Green
Jenna Leigh Green is an American actress and singer best known for her performances as Libby Chessler on the television show Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and on Broadway and on tour in the musical Wicked.-Early life and career:...
, Deedee Magno Hall
Deedee Magno
Deedee Lynn Magno Hall is an American actress and singer, formerly a member of the pop group The Party. She also lent her voice to the Disney show The All New Mickey Mouse Club. She also appears as Jasmine on the Aladdin a Musical Spectacular Soundtrack...
, Katie Rowley Jones
Katie Rowley Jones
Katie Rowley Jones is a musical theatre actress best known for her portrayal of Nessarose in Wicked.-Early life and education:...
, Caroline Keiff
Caroline Keiff
Caroline Keiff is a British theatre performer, best known for her portrayal of Nessarose in Wicked. She was member of the original London cast and performed on the show's opening night of September 27, 2006. She performed in the ensemble and understudied the role of Nessarose. From July 2007, she...
, Cassie Compton, Natalie Anderson
Natalie Anderson
-Personal life:Anderson was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. She married fiancé James Shepherd at a ceremony in Harrogate on 6 June 2008.-Biography:...
, Zoe Rainey, Emily Tierney, Lauren James-Ray, Marcie Dodd
Marcie Dodd
Marcie Dodd is an American stage performer, best known for playing Elphaba and Nessarose in various US companies of the hit musical Wicked.- Early life and career :...
, Gemma Atkins and Charlotte Scott
Charlotte Scott
Charlotte Angas Scott D.Sc. was a British mathematician who spent the later part of her career in the United States and was influential in the development of American mathematics, including the mathematical education of women.Scott played an important role in Cambridge changing its rules for the...
.
Fiyero Tiggular
Fiyero is the prince of the Arjiki tribe in the Vinkus. He meets Elphaba at Shiz, and later has a romance with her while she is involved in a resistance movement against the Wizard of Oz. This leads to his murder by the Gale Force, the Wizard's secret police. In the musical Elphaba saves him by changing him into the Scarecrow, a well known character from the Wizard Of Oz, instead. His last name is spelled as "Tiggular" in the musical, whereas in the books, notably A Lion Among Men, it is "Tigelaar".In the original Broadway production of the musical he was played by Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz...
. Other actors to play the role include Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
, Kristoffer Cusick
Kristoffer Cusick
Kristoffer Cusick is a Broadway actor. He has performed in such musicals as Saturday Night Fever, Rent and Wicked.-Wicked:Kristoffer Cusick was one of the original understudies for Fiyero in the hit 2003 musical Wicked. He performed the role of Fiyero on Broadway starting on November 25, 2003 and...
, Joey McIntyre, Sebastian Arcelus
Sebastian Arcelus
Sebastian Arcelus is an American actor. He has made a career in theatre on Broadway, regionally, and internationally. He made his Broadway debut in Rent, first as a swing, covering the male ensemble roles as well as Mark and Roger, and then as Roger...
, Aaron Tveit
Aaron Tveit
Aaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr...
, Kevin Kern
Kevin Kern
Kevin Kern is an American pianist, composer and recording artist of New Age music. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. He is now generally recognized as a representative of the New Age style...
, Cliffton Hall, Oliver Tompsett
Oliver Tompsett
Oliver Tompsett is a British stage actor and singer best known for his portrayal of Fiyero in the West End production of the musical Wicked.- Biography :...
, Mark Evans, Rob Mills
Rob Mills
Rob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
, Tim Campbell, David Harris, Richard H. Blake
Richard H. Blake
Richard H. Blake is an American musical actor.One of his earliest stints on Broadway was taking over the role of Roger Davis in Rent. In 2001, Richard Blake took over the role of Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, a musical adaptation of the film of the same name, having previously starred in...
, Andy Karl
Andy Karl
Andy Karl is an American actor and singer, best known for performing in musical theatre. He has appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Legally Blonde and 9 to 5, as well as appearing in Wicked.-Early life:...
, Lee Mead
Lee Mead
Lee Stephen Mead is an English musical theatre actor, best known for winning the title role in the 2007 West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through the BBC reality TV casting show Any Dream Will Do...
, David Nathan Perlow, Gregor Stewart, Arran Knight, Tommy Sherlock, Antony Hanson, Kyle Dean Massey
Kyle Dean Massey
Kyle Dean Massey is an American theatre performer, best known for playing Gabe in the Broadway musical Next To Normal, and for appearing in the ensemble and as the understudy for Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway and on the first North American tour...
, Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
, and Kyle McDaniel. Matt Willis
Matt Willis
Matthew James Willis is an English singer-songwriter. He found fame as a founding member of the band Busted.- Early years :...
is to play the role in the London production.
Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
understudied the role in LA before his appearance on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
Mark Evans originally understudied Oliver Tompsett
Oliver Tompsett
Oliver Tompsett is a British stage actor and singer best known for his portrayal of Fiyero in the West End production of the musical Wicked.- Biography :...
in the role in the London production of Wicked before returning in 2011 as the lead.
Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is a human who came to Oz from EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in a hot air balloon. He was originally seeking the Grimmerie, but became sidetracked when he discovered he could orchestrate a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
and overthrow the Ozma Regent. It is heavily implied that he fathered Elphaba while her mother was under the influence of the Miracle Elixir, which may explain Elphaba's green skin, her aquaphobia
Aquaphobia
Aquaphobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of water. Aquaphobia is a specific phobia that involves a level of fear that is beyond the patient's control or that may interfere with daily life. People suffer aquaphobia in many ways and may experience it even though they realize the water in an...
, and occasional ability to read parts of the Grimmerie, which originated in the Wizard's world. When he sees the bottle of Miricale Elixir left by Elphaba when she "dies" Galinda brings it to him. She throws him out of Oz and puts Madame Morrible in jail. He is also referred to by the name Oscar Zoroaster Diggs.
In the original Broadway production of the show he was played by Joel Grey
Joel Grey
Joel Grey is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe Award...
. Other actors to play the role include George Hearn
George Hearn
George Hearn is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway musical theatre.-Early years:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before he embarked on a career in the theater, training for the stage with actress turned acting...
, Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.- Early years :...
, David Garrison
David Garrison
David Gene Garrison is an American actor. His primary venue is live theatre, but he may be more widely known for his numerous television roles, particularly that of Steve Rhoades on Married... with Children...
, Lenny Wolpe
Lenny Wolpe
Lenny Wolpe is an American musical theatre actor who has appeared in Broadway musicals including Wicked and The Drowsy Chaperone.-Biography:...
, P.J. Benjamin, Lee Wilkof
Lee Wilkof
Lee Wilkof is an American actor and veteran of the Broadway stage. He originated the roles of Sam Byck in Assassins and Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, later earning a Tony Award nomination for the 2000 revival of Kiss Me, Kate...
, Nigel Planer
Nigel Planer
Nigel George Planer is an English actor, comedian, novelist and playwright.Planer is perhaps best known for his role as Neil Pye in the cult BBC comedy The Young Ones. He has appeared in many West End musicals, including Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked and Hairspray...
, Desmond Barrit
Desmond Barrit
Desmond Barrit is a Laurence Olivier Award winning, British actor, best known for his stage work.-Biography:Barrit was born on 19 October 1944 in Morriston, Swansea, Wales....
, Bert Newton
Bert Newton
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
, Tom McGowan
Tom McGowan
Thomas "Tom" McGowan is an American actor, known for his recurring roles on Frasier, as KACL station manager Kenny Daly; Everybody Loves Raymond, as Ray's friend Bernie; and on The War at Home, as Dave Gold's friend Joe. McGowan also appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm as a disgruntled fan of Larry's...
, Richard Kline
Richard Kline
Richard Kline is an American actor and television director. He is best known for playing the sleazy neighbor and used car salesman, Larry Dallas, on the sitcom, Three's Company.-Early life:...
, Clive Carter
Clive Carter
Clive Carter is a British actor and singer.Carter studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His West End theatre credits include Someone Like You with Petula Clark, A Man for All Seasons with Martin Shaw, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Brendan Fraser and Ned Beatty, We Will Rock You, I...
, Gareth Chart, Sam Kelly
Sam Kelly
Sam Kelly is an English actor who has appeared in television, radio and theatre.-Career:He has had roles in British sitcoms such as Porridge as Bunny Warren, Allo 'Allo! as Captain Hans Geering leaving after series three, On the Up as Dennis Waterman's chauffeur and We'll Think of Something as Les...
, Don Amendolia
Don Amendolia
Don Amendolia is an American actor most notably recognized from his recurring role as Big Al Kennedy in NBC's soap opera Sunset Beach, recurring role on Twin Peaks and many other guest roles. He also directed one episode of Growing Pains and two episodes of Harry and the Hendersons...
, Gene Weygandt, and the late Rob Guest
Rob Guest
Robert John Guest, OBE was a British born New Zealand-Australian actor and singer, best known for his work in Australian musical theatre, particularly in various productions of The Phantom of the Opera...
.
Madame Morrible
Madame Morrible is the headmistressHead teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
of Shiz University's Crage Hall, which Elphaba and Galinda attend. Elphaba and her friends suspect Morrible to be responsible for the murder of Doctor Dillamond. At one point, she proposes that Elphaba, Galinda, and Nessarose become future behind-the-scenes rulers in Oz, a proposal that they never willingly accept. Elphaba suspects that Madame Morrible has at least some magical powers, and may have indeed controlled the fates of the three women. It is possible that she spies on Elphaba and sends messages to Liir through the Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
in the well at Elphaba's home in the Vinkus, because the Carp dies at about the same time as Morrible. It remains unknown whether Elphaba murdered her or if she died of natural causes minutes before Elphaba's attempt.
In the original Broadway production of the musical she was played by Carole Shelley
Carole Shelley
Carole Shelley is an English actress. Among her many stage roles are the character of Madame Morrible in the original Broadway cast of the musical Wicked.-Life and career:...
. Other actresses to play the role include the late Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
, Carol Kane
Carol Kane
Carolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
, Jayne Houdyshell
Jayne Houdyshell
Jayne Houdyshell is a Tony Award–nominated American theater actress.-Life and career:Raised in Topeka, Kansas, she is the youngest of four daughters born to Galen "Buzz" Houdyshell and Louella Taylor...
, Rondi Reed
Rondi Reed
Rondi Reed is an American stage actress, singer and performer.-Career:Reed has been a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, Illinois, for 30 years, appearing in 51 productions with the company....
, Julie Legrand, Barbara Robertson
Barbara Robertson
Barbara Robertson is an American actress and singer. She is currently playing the role of "Jan the Unnamed" for the American Theatre Company's Pre-Broadway Chicago production of "Yeast Nation". Recently she played the role of Mame at the Drury Lane Theatre....
, Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes, OBE is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence .-Early life:...
, Susie Blake
Susie Blake
Susie Blake is a British actress.-Personal life:Blake trained at the Arts Educational School and LAMDA in London. She is the granddaughter of the actress Annette Mills and a great - niece of the actor Sir John Mills...
, Harriet Thorpe
Harriet Thorpe
-TV:She was in the mid-to-late 1990s British television sitcom The Brittas Empire, playing Carole Parkinson, the receptionist who was prone to depression and fits of emotion who permanently kept her children with her, in drawers under her desk and would sometimes be seen feeding them or washing...
, Maggie Kirkpatrick
Maggie Kirkpatrick
Maggie Kirkpatrick is an Australian actress, who is best known for her portrayal of the iconic character Joan Ferguson, a sadistic and corrupt lesbian prison officer known to the prisoners as "The Freak" in the popular Australian television soap opera, Prisoner...
, and Jo Anne Worley
Jo Anne Worley
Jo Anne Worley is an American actress. Her work covers television, films, theater, game shows, talk shows, commercials, and cartoons. She is best known for her work on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.-Biography:...
.
Doctor Dillamond
Doctor Dillamond is a talking GoatGoat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
and professor at Crage Hall in Shiz. Assisted by Elphaba, Dr. Dillamond performs research on the differences between animals and Animals (sentient animals). He suspiciously dies from a slit throat; Madame Morrible claims that this is an accident, but her account is contradicted by Galinda’s chaperone, Ama Clutch, who claims to have witnessed the event. Ama Clutch's claim is that Morrible's clockwork servant Grommetik murdered Dillamond to keep the findings of his breakthrough hushed up.
In the original Broadway production he was played by William Youmans
William Youmans
William Youmans is an American Broadway, film and television actor and singer, best known for originating the role of Doctor Dillamond in Wicked.-Broadway:...
. Other actors to play the role include Sean McCourt
Sean McCourt
Sean McCourt is an American stage performer, born in Detroit. His Broadway credits include Wicked, Titanic and Mary Poppins.McCourt starred in the original Broadway cast of Wicked, as the Witch's Father, the Ozian Official, and many other characters in Oz. He also served as an understudy for both...
, Timothy Britten Parker
Timothy Britten Parker
Timothy Britten Parker , also known as Toby, is an American stage, film, and television actor.-Background:Parker was born in Iowa City, Iowa and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved to New York City with his family in 1977 as he began pursuing his professional career. Toby is one of eight children...
, Julian Forsyth, David Stoller, Steven Skybell, Martin Ball
Martin Ball
Martin Ball is an English theatre and television actor. He was born and grew up in Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent. He trained at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, and graduated in 1992.-Career:...
, Rodney Dobson, Paul Slade Smith, and Andy Mace.
Boq
Boq is a Munchkin who knew Elphaba as a child and reunites with her at Shiz University. At first, he is only interested in talking to Elphaba in the hope that it will help him to gain the attention of Galinda, his crush. However, over time Boq and Elphaba become close friends and help Dr. Dillamond with his research, along with his college mates Crope and Tibbett. Later in life, Elphaba meets Boq while she is on the hunt for Dorothy along the Yellow Brick Road. He is now married to Milla, one of Glinda's friends from the University and the two have many children.In the original Broadway production of the musical, he was played by Christopher Fitzgerald
Christopher Fitzgerald (actor)
Christopher Cantwell Fitzgerald is an American actor, singer, mime, clown, juggler, and acrobat. He is best known for his role as Boq in the musical Wicked and his role of Igor in Young Frankenstein, for which he earned Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award...
. Other actors to play the role - in various productions worldwide - include Robb Sapp
Robb Sapp
Robb Sapp is an American actor and singer who has appeared in musicals, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as in regional theatre.-Early life:...
, Justin Brill, Randy Harrison
Randy Harrison
Randolph Clarke Harrison is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Justin Taylor on the Showtime drama Queer as Folk.-Early life and college:...
, Logan Lipton, James Gillan
James Gillan (actor)
James Gillan is a Scottish stage actor born in Glasgow, and trained at The Arts Educational Schools in London....
, Jeremy Legat, Telly Leung, George Ure, Alex Jessop, and Anthony Callea
Anthony Callea
Anthony Cosmo Callea is an Australian singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 2004 season of Australian Idol when he became runner up. He was signed to Sony Music Australia until 2009 and is now an independent artist...
.
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is a 12 year-old girl who lands in Oz in her tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
propelled house, which crushes Nessarose. She takes Nessarose's shoes (the Silver Shoes
Silver Shoes
The Silver Shoes are the magical shoes that appear in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as Dorothy Gale's transport home. They were originally owned by the Wicked Witch of the East but passed to Dorothy when her house landed on the Witch...
) under the advice of Glinda. Many see these shoes as a symbol of power over Munchkinland. During her travels, many citizens of Oz are superstitious about her because of these shoes and her name: Her first name sounds like a reversal of the name of the "king" of her land (Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
). Because her name means "Goddess of Gifts" (the opposite of Theodore, "Gift of God"), it is implied that Dorothy may be the second coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Lurline
Queen Lurline
Queen Lurline is a fictional character in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum and other authors.The name "Lurline" is a variant of Loreley, the Rhine nymph; the name has been used for ships, and has other associations.-Descriptions in the Oz books:...
, who was also known by that title. The Gale Force fear her for her last name. The Wizard sends Dorothy to kill Elphaba, but Dorothy's intention is to ask her for forgiveness for killing Nessarose. Elphaba does not know whether to treat Dorothy with kindness or to fear her. When Elphaba demands the slippers, Dorothy pleads that, despite her best efforts, they will not come off. Dorothy accidentally kills Elphaba by pouring water on her in an attempt to put out a fire on Elphaba's dress.
Liir
Liir is a boy who leaves the mauntery with Elphaba for the Vinkus. It is strongly implied that Liir is the son of Elphaba and Fiyero, and he is often referred to as such. She does indeed admit that there is a year of her life she does not remember, during which she could have given birth to Liir. Extremely chubby, Liir plays with his supposed half-siblings while he and Elphaba stay with Fiyero's widow. At the end of Wicked it is stated that he intends to find a way of rescuing his half-sister Nor from her slavery. He is also the protagonist of Maguire's sequel to Wicked, Son of a WitchSon of a Witch
Son of a Witch is a fantasy novel written by Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz originally conceived by L. Frank Baum. It is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
. In this book, Liir unknowingly impregnates a Quadling girl named Candle, which results in the birth of a green baby. This finally proves that Liir is indeed the son of Elphaba and Fiyero. Gregory Maguire has described Liir as "Elphaba's bastard son" in interviews. It's also revealed in Son of a Witch that Liir is bisexual.
Yackle
Yackle is a mysterious crone who appears frequently in Elphaba's life. Elphaba suspects that Yackle may be exerting control over her fate, and may be Kumbricia, the ambivalent goddess of Ozian myth. Her appearance is also reminiscent of a fiend called the "Yakal" which is pictured in the Grimmerie, implying that she may be a demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
. Nanny first mentions her as an old gypsy woman from whom she bought the medicine, which would stop Melena’s second child being born green. Later, she appears as an old woman guarding the door to the Philosophy Club and later still, she appears as Mother Yackle, a maunt (a sort of Ozian nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
) at the mauntery (a unionist convent) who takes care of the homeless Elphaba. Yackle's story is more deeply explored in "A Lion Among Men," in which she is the secondary protagonist.
Mister Boss
Mister Boss is a dwarf who claims to be an immortalImmortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
sent to Oz to prevent the Grimmerie from returning to Earth. With his Clock of the Time Dragon, he seems to Elphaba to either be able to control fate or predict it.
Grommetik
Grommetik is a tik-tok creature robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
of sorts who is a servant to Madame Morrible. It is strongly implied that he is involved in a sinister plot orchestrated at least in part by his mistress. Ama Clutch witnessed Grommetik kill Doctor Dillamond. From what is described in the novel, he bears a similarity to Tik-Tok, a character from Baum's original Oz series.
Nanny
Nanny is a member of the Thropp family, though whether by blood or employment is never explicitly revealed. By the conclusion of the book, she has raised three generations of the Thropps, most notably having acted as chaperone to Nessarose, Elphaba and Glinda during their years at Shiz. She is still vital well into her eighties. Her attitude reflects this, as she is stoic, speaks her mind, and holds to somewhat inflammatory 'Lurlinistic' pagan beliefs.Brother Frexspar the Godly
Brother Frexspar the Godly is Elphaba, Nessarose, and Shell's father (at least in the emotional and physical sense; whether he shares a genetic link with some of the children is questionable). Frex is a devout Unionist priestPriest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. Nessarose was his favorite child, and to her he gave the famous jeweled slippers
Ruby slippers
The ruby slippers are the shoes worn by Dorothy in the 1939 MGM movie The Wizard of Oz. Because of their iconic stature, they are now among the most treasured and valuable of film memorabilia. As was customary for important props, a number of pairs were made for the film, though no one knows...
. It is implied that he is at least the father of Shell, as the Wizard of Oz is Elphaba's father, and it is heavily implied that Turtle Heart is Nessarose's father. It is implied that he, along with Melena, was in a threesome
Threesome
A threesome is a group of three engaged in the same activity. In relation to a sexual activity a threesome refer to the activity involving three people of any gender or sexual orientation...
relationship with Turtle Heart. In L. Frank Baum's original novel, the slippers are silver. In the 1939 film, they are ruby. Maguire's novel describes the slippers equivocally, allowing either interpretation; he is careful not to describe them as either simply "silver" or "ruby".
Chistery Nikko, Killyjoy, the Bees, and the Crows
Chistery Nikko, Killyjoy, the BeeBee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s, and the Crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
s are animals which accompany Elphaba on her way to Kiamo Ko by coach, and which also become her familiar
Familiar spirit
In European folklore and folk-belief of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, familiar spirits were supernatural entities believed to assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic...
s. The bees are taken along as a source of honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
for the travelers, and it is suggested that through dormant magical talent, Elphaba unconsciously sets them upon the coach cook, whom she dislikes and who is later found stung to death at the edge of a cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
. Killyjoy, the cook's dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, takes an instant liking to Liir, who decides to keep him. Princess Nastoya gives the crows to Elphaba, then specifically states that Elphaba is to send them to her if she needs help with anything. Princess Nastoya also tells Elphaba directly that they are to be her familiars. On the way to Kiamo Ko, they run across Chistery Nikko, an abandoned infant snow monkey
Japanese Macaque
The Japanese macaque , historically known as saru , but now known as Nihonzaru to distinguish it from other primates, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to Japan....
, whom Elphaba rescues through another unconscious act of magic (creating ice under her feet as she runs across a pond to save him from Killyjoy). Later in the book, Elphaba teaches him to speak, in hopes of completing Doctor Dillamond's study into the supposed connections between all lifeforms. In Wicked, he only manages to mimic what others say, although he gains the ability to speak in full, comprehensible sentences by the time readers meet him again in Son of a Witch
Son of a Witch
Son of a Witch is a fantasy novel written by Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz originally conceived by L. Frank Baum. It is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
. Elphaba sews wings onto the backs of him and the other monkeys in a combination of Doctor Dillamond's studies and her own practice of magic, thus creating the winged monkeys
Winged monkeys
Winged monkeys are characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, of enough impact between the books and the 1939 movie to have taken their own place in popular culture, regularly referenced in comedic or ironic situations as a source of evil or fear.-Details:In the original Oz novels, these were...
.
Melena Thropp
Melena Thropp is Elphaba, Nessarose, and Shell's mother. Melena comes from a high-class family, and has mostly pagan traditions, which contradicts Frex's statements. She has very loose morals (having at least two extramarital affairs) and dreams of her days as a pampered girl, despite her rebelling against it at the time. She has a taste for alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and pinlobble leaves (which act as a tranquiliser). She dies shortly after her son Shell is born, leaving her children to be cared for by Frex and Nanny.
Avaric Tenmeadows
Avaric Tenmeadows is a friend of Boq's and Galinda's. He is of the Gillikenese nobility and is the son of, and later is himself, The Margreave of Tenmeadows. He is described as being handsome and the "perfect friend." Late in the novel, after killing Madame Morrible, Elphaba visits him, and they discuss the nature of evilEvil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
with some of his friends.During the visit, he seems to have a selective memory, since he doesn't remember Elphaba and says he does not keep "unimportant details" in his head. Most of Avaric's characteristics are given to Fiyero in the musical, and he makes a short cameo appearance as Fiyero's driver.
Crope and Tibbett
Crope and Tibbett are two boys who attend Shiz University along with Boq. They later become members of the main group of friends that features in the second part of the book. They are both Emerald City boys, sons respectively of a tax collector and a palace security advisor. It is subtlely implied several times that they may be gay or bisexual. Towards the end of the 2nd section of the book, Tibbett plays a role as being chosen for the sex act that takes place at The Philosophy Club following Ama Clutch's funeral. Though the act is left unfinished by the author, it is implied that Tibbett is sodomized by a Tiger. Tibbett is later mentioned in the 4th section as being brought to Elphaba's nunnery with an incurable disease. It is never explained what this illness is or why he got it, though some speculate it was due to the forementioned rape. His death inspires Elphaba to leave the nunnery. Crope is mentioned in the 3rd part of the book as having become an actor and managing an arts auction house. He is later shown with Glinda shopping and having tea with Fiyero.Turtle Heart
Turtle Heart is a wandering glassblower from Quadling CountryQuadling Country
The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings. Like the Munchkin Country, the outer regions of the Quadling Country are rich, pleasant and...
. He comes upon Melena's home while Frex is out preaching. Melena and Turtle Heart have an extended affair, and it is implied that Frex had intimate relations with him, as well, sharing him equally. It is also strongly suggested that he is the father of Nessarose; a family timeline at the beginning of A Lion Among Men lists Frex as father to Nessarose and Shell. It is mentioned he was killed at Colwen Grounds, on the day that Nessarose was born, as a human sacrifice to bring rain to Munchkinland (Munchkinland is experiencing extreme drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
s as mentioned throughout the book). His death is what convinces Frex and Melena to travel to Quadling Country to convert people to Unionism.
Ama Clutch
Galinda’s chaperone at Shiz, Ama Clutch is present throughout Galinda and Elphaba's time at the university. She "loses" her sanity in a suspicious fashion when she witnesses the murder of Doctor Dillamond. It is strongly suggested that Madame Morrible hexed Ama Clutch, afflicting her with the same crazed behaviour that Galinda (falsely) claimed was responsible for Ama Clutch's absence from the roommate negotiations; namely talking to inanimate objects like chairChair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
s, rusty nails and evening gown
Evening gown
An evening gown is a long flowing women's dress usually worn to a formal affair. It ranges from tea and ballerina to full-length. Evening gowns are often made of a luxury fabric such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or silk...
s as if they were people. Just prior to her death, Galinda (now Glinda) magically restores Ama Clutch's sanity for a brief period, giving her the opportunity to reveal that Grommetik was responsible for the death of Doctor Dillamond. It should be noted that Galinda made up Ama Clutch's ailment when she first privately met with Madame Morrible.
Shell Thropp
Shell Thropp is Elphaba and Nessarose's younger brother. Their mother dies giving birth to him. Although he is never actually seen in the book, Elphaba says that he would have been their mother's favorite, because he was a boy. Shell plays a much larger part in the sequel Son of a Witch and is mentioned in A Lion Among Men.Sarima
Sarima is Fiyero's wife and the mother of his three legitimate children. She is first mentioned in the 2nd and 3rd parts of the book, but takes a major role in the 4th part. In this part, she is now the Dowager Princess of The Arjikis. When Elphaba arrives, she tries to tell Sarima the truth of Fiyero's death but she refuses to hear it, though she welcomes Elphaba into her home for the winter. She develops a friendship with Elphaba and soon reveals she believed Fiyero was having an affair with Glinda, and that Sir Chuffrey was behind his death. She is taken away by Commander Cherrystone at the end of the 4th part, and it is later revealed she was killed by an unknown assailant.Irji
Irji is the son of Fiyero and Sarima. He is brother to Manek and Nor, and an implied half-brother to Liir. Irji is the oldest of the three and is next in line to be the Prince of the Arjiki tribe, but his aunts believe that Manek would be better. Throughout the novel, Irji grows as a character both physically and mentally. Mentally he becomes more strong-willed and open like his brother. Physically, he experiences puberty. It is noted in one chapter that the sight of Liir's naked body being greased causes him toParaffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
Necklace
Necklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal jewellery chain. Others are woven or manufactured from cloth using string or twine....
. Irji is not present in the musical presentation of Wicked. This is because Sarima was not introduced in the musical; thus, Fiyero and Sarima never were married, and Irji was never born.
Manek
Manek is the son of Fiyero and Sarima. His character is a trouble-maker and borderline sociopath, and he frequently engages in licentious activities. For instance, he tricks his brother, Irji, and Elphaba's implied son, Liir, to urinate off the wall as a sport while his sister, Nor, is watching. He also makes Liir take off his trousers to see if his genitals are green like Elphaba's skin. Manek is very strong-willed and is considered by his aunts a better choice as prince of the Arjiki tribe than Irji, the heir. In the book, he is killed by a falling icicleIcicle
An icicle is a spike of ice formed when water dripping or falling from an object freezes. Typically, icicles will form when ice or snow is melted by either sunlight or some other heat source , and the resulting melted water runs off into an area where the ambient temperature is below the freezing...
, charmed (possibly accidentally) by Elphaba as punishment for Manek's tricking Liir into being trapped in the fishwell and almost dying, and then keeping it a secret while the rest of the household was searching for the missing Liir. Manek as well as his mother, siblings and aunts are not present in the musical version of Wicked.
Nor
Nor is the daughter of Fiyero and Sarima. When first introduced, she is a nine-year old girl who resides with her mother, siblings and five aunts at Kiamo Ko. She is often bullied by her brother Manek; Nor and her other brother Irji often have to work together to stand up to Manek. After Manek's death, that bond disappears, and Nor becomes more independent. Nor enjoys snooping around Elphaba's room and possessions, and it is she who first makes Elphaba see that her broom is magical. Towards the end of the novel, she and her family are taken captive by the Gale Force. While the others are killed out of political considerations, Nor is held prisoner (in a very cruel fashion) by the Wizard and used to blackmail Elphaba. She returns in A Lion Among Men as Illianora.Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six
Two, Three, Four, Five and Six are Sarima's sisters.For reasons unknown, Sarima's widowhood means they cannot marry and so they resent her. They seem to do most of the work around the castle. They try to set up Sarima and Commander Cherrystone because a remarriage of Sarima would mean they could marry as well, but it fails. They are reported as being killed by an unknown soldier.Commander Cherrystone
Commander Cherrystone is the head of the soldiers who stay at Kiamo Ko. He returns in Son of a WitchSon of a Witch
Son of a Witch is a fantasy novel written by Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz originally conceived by L. Frank Baum. It is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West...
as more of a father-figure to Liir.
Brrr
Brrr is a Lion cub saved from a science experiment in the Life Sciences class by Elphaba. As an adult he becomes a companion of DorothyCowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion is the main character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is a Lion, but he talks and interacts with humans....
. He is the starring character of A Lion Among Men.
Milla
Milla is a Shiz girl of Galinda's social class, though she appears much less frequently than Pfanee and Shenshen, who have much more dialogue during the girls' school years. She is later unhappily married to Boq, and frequently attempts suicide.Pfannee
Pfannee is one of Galinda's friends.She is a munchkinlander of diminutive size. She invites Elphaba to Lake Chorge as a joke.Professor Lenx
Professor Lenx is a BoarBoar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
who teaches Math. He joins Doctor Dillamond in storming out when Madame Morrible recites a poem that insults Animals.
Rhinoceros
RhinocerosRhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
is a librarian at Three Queens. He was a bit of an absent boss, as he failed to notice Boq, Crope and Tibbett (who were supposed to spend their summer working for him) shirking their work duties to help Elphaba and Doctor Dillamond's work.
Doctor Nikidik
Doctor Nikidik is Dr. Dillamond's replacement, as well as the teacher who seems to be responsible for taking the lion cub, Brrr, from his mother, which enrages Elphaba.Miss Greyling
Miss Greyling is a professor of Sorcery. She is described as incompetent, but friendly, and her failures inspire the girls to be willing to try their own magic.Malky
Malky is Elphaba's cat in the Emerald City. It is revealed in A Lion Among Men that he is actually a CatCat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
hired by the Wizard's government to spy on Elphaba. He plays a little role in Fiyero's death.