Witches & Wizards
In The Wiz, this witch is known for her hit song “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News.”
Evilene (Wicked Witch of the West)
This upbeat anthem from The Wiz encourages Dorothy to stay on the path to her destiny.
Ease on Down the Road”
Both stories teach that what you’re searching for (heart, courage, brains, belonging) has been where all along?
Inside yourself
The Wiz was originally released as a movie in this year.
1978
Dorothy’s three companions are the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the ____.
Cowardly Lion
In Wicked, this witch’s skin is famously green.
Elphaba
Wicked’s most famous song, sung as Elphaba takes flight, is this.
“Defying Gravity”
In Wicked, Elphaba fights for this group that can’t speak for themselves.
The Animals
Wicked opened on Broadway in this year.
2003
In Wicked, Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship begins here.
At Shiz University
In Wicked, Glinda is the Good Witch of the North. In The Wiz, Glinda is the Good Witch of the ____.
South
The emotional closing song “Home” from The Wiz mirrors this song of reflection from Wicked.
“For Good”
Dorothy learns that “home” isn’t a place, but this.
A feeling / being where you belong
The Wiz starred this pop icon as the Scarecrow.
Michael Jackson
The Wiz grants Dorothy’s friends’ wishes not through magic, but through this realization.
They already had what they wanted inside
Both The Wiz and Wicked show this witch as misunderstood rather than purely evil.
The Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba / Evilene)
Both musicals feature this type of music that blends traditional showtunes with R&B or pop elements.
Contemporary musical theater / pop-fusion
Wicked reframes the “Wicked Witch” as this kind of figure.
A misunderstood hero / freedom fighter
The role of Elphaba was originally played by this powerhouse singer.
Idina Menzel
Wicked’s “For Good” expresses this bittersweet truth about friendship.
That people change each other’s lives forever
In Wicked, the Wizard’s public image hides this shocking truth about him
He’s an ordinary man pretending to be powerful / a fraud.
This composer wrote the score for Wicked
Stephen Schwartz
Both stories highlight the danger of this — when people blindly follow authority.
Conformity
Both stories are based on this author’s original novel.
L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
In both Wicked and The Wiz, friendship helps the heroes challenge this force.
Corruption / fear-based control / false authority