Wicked
Wikipedia
Musicals for Middle School Readers
Wicked is a 2003 Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, itself a retelling of the classic 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz.
The musical is told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz; its plot begins before and continues after Dorothy Gale arrives in Oz from Kansas, and includes several references to the 1939 film and Baum's novel. Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (whose name later changes to Glinda the Good Witch), who struggle through opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's private fall from grace.
The original production of Wicked premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003, after completing pre-Broadway tryouts at San Francisco's Curran Theatre in May/June of that same year. Its original stars included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Galinda, and Joel Grey as the Wizard. The original Broadway production won three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards, while its original cast album received a Grammy Award.
Wicked celebrated its sixteenth anniversary on Broadway on October 30, 2019. On October 28, 2019, with its 6,681st performance, it surpassed Les Misérables to become Broadway's fifth-longest running show. A typical performance takes approximately two hours and 30 minutes, plus a 15-minute intermission.
The success of the Broadway production has spawned several other productions worldwide, including various North American productions, a long-running Laurence Olivier Award–nominated West End production, and a series of international productions. Since its 2003 debut, Wicked has broken box-office records around the world, currently holding weekly-gross-takings records in Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, and London. In the week ending January 2, 2011, the London, Broadway, and both North American touring productions simultaneously broke their respective records for the highest weekly gross. In the final week of 2013, the Broadway production broke this record again, earning $3.2 million.
In March 2016, Wicked surpassed $1 billion in total Broadway revenue, joining both The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King as the only Broadway shows to do so. In July 2017, Wicked surpassed The Phantom of the Opera as Broadway's second-highest grossing musical, trailing only The Lion King.
In the Land of Oz, the Ozians are rejoicing over the demise of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good Witch floats in and discusses Elphaba's past, wherein Elphaba's mother had had an affair with a travelling salesman, after Elphaba's father, the governor of Munchkinland, goes out of town. As her mother has this affair, her lover gives her a green elixir, and she drinks it. She becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl with green skin ("No One Mourns the Wicked"). An Ozian asks Glinda if she and Elphaba were friends. She admits that they were, leading Glinda to tell them the story of how they became best friends. A flashback starts with a scene at the college, Shiz University, when Elphaba arrives with her father and younger sister, Nessarose ("Dear Old Shiz").
Due to her green skin, Elphaba's father resents her and showers his affection on Nessarose, who is physically disabled and uses a wheelchair, due to a birth defect that contributed to their mother's death in childbirth. As their father says goodbye, he gives Nessarose a pair of silver slippers. The headmistress and witch, Madam Morrible, decides to take Nessarose under her protection because Nessarose is disabled and her father's favorite, leaving Elphaba and the beautiful and popular Galinda as roommates, to their chagrin. Elphaba attempts to take back her sister, and her anger makes Nessarose come back into her hands, telekinetically. Madame Morrible recognizes that Elphaba has special powers, and decides to teach her sorcery. She tells Elphaba her powers might allow her to one day work with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, something Elphaba has dreamed of her whole life ("The Wizard and I"). Both Galinda and Elphaba immediately dislike each other ("What Is This Feeling?") and they fight constantly, even in their classes, such as their history class with Dr. Dillamond, a goat, who as the only animal professor at the university is beginning to suffer from discrimination. He tells Elphaba a conspiracy is afoot to stop animals from speaking, and she wants to let the Wizard know, for he would surely stop it ("Something Bad").
Later, the Winkie Prince Fiyero Tiggular arrives at Shiz and introduces the other students to his philosophy of simply "Dancing through life". Fiyero decides to have an orientation party at the Ozdust Ballroom, that evening, and everyone agrees to go. Boq, a Munchkin who has developed a crush on Galinda, tries to ask her to dance with him at the party, but she convinces him to ask Nessarose out, instead, in order to shoo him away, leaving Galinda free to go with Fiyero. Nessarose, who has a crush on Boq, is delighted and tells her sister how Galinda made it happen and how happy it has made her. Galinda gives a black witch's hat to Elphaba to wear at the party, as a prank. At the party that evening, Boq tries to tell Nessarose the real reason he invited her but is too nice to hurt her feelings ("Dancing through life"). She continues to fall for him.
Madame Morrible arrives to tell Galinda she can join her sorcery class, at Elphaba's obliging request, and gives her a wand. Elphaba arrives wearing the witch's hat, only to find the other students laughing and staring while she awkwardly dances alone. Galinda feels regretful and starts dancing with Elphaba. Soon, everyone joins them, and the two girls look at each other in a new light. Back in their room, they continue to bond, by sharing secrets. Galinda tells Elphaba that she plans to marry Fiyero and Elphaba tells Galinda about the bottle of green potion, which she sleeps with behind her pillow. The bottle belonged to her mother, who had died giving birth to Nessarose. Their mother had chewed milk flowers in order for Nessarose to not be born with green skin. Elphaba tells Galinda that she blames herself for her mother's death and her father's resentment. Galinda then decides to give Elphaba a makeover ("popular").
The next day in class, Dr. Dillamond tells the students that he has been excommunicated. Elphaba wants to help, but no one will stand up with her. Afterward, a replacement teacher arrives and introduces the students to the cage, which will keep animals controlled, so they never learn to speak. The cage being shown contains a small lion cub. Elphaba's fury cannot be contained, and she accidentally casts a spell on her fellow students, causing them to gyrate involuntarily. She and Fiyero steal the lion cub in the cage and escape. They share a tender moment before he leaves, embarrassed, to free the lion cub. Elphaba reminds herself how pointless it is to wish for something to happen between them, for he loves Galinda, as it starts to rain ("I'm Not That Girl"). Madame Morrible comes to tell her that the Wizard has decided to meet her. Nessarose and Galinda come to see her off, and Fiyero meets her too. Fiyero gives Elphaba a bouquet of poppy flowers but ignores Galinda. Galinda tries to win Fiyero's respect by changing her name to ‘Glinda', in solidarity with Dr. Dillamond, who always mispronounced her name, but Fiyero is not impressed, saying goodbye to Elphaba, instead. Elphaba invites Glinda to the Emerald City with her ("One Short Day").
The two girls meet The Wizard of Oz, who turns out to be not quite as intimidating as they thought ("A Sentimental Man"). He promises Elphaba that he will grant her request if she proves herself. Madame Morrible appears; she is the Wizard's new ‘press secretary'. She gives Elphaba an ancient book of spells, called the Grimmerie, which only the magically gifted can read. Elphaba is asked to try a levitation spell on the Wizard's monkey servant, Chistery. However, the spell does not go the way Elphaba plans. Chistery sprouts wings, and she realizes that the Wizard is the one behind the suppression of the animals. Elphaba realizes the Wizard has no powers and he is merely a fraud. She runs away, and to prevent the truth from getting out, Madam Morrible spreads reports that Elphaba is a ‘wicked witch'. Elphaba then swears revenge on the Wizard for removing speech from the animals. She performs a spell on a broom and flies away from the Emerald City ("Defying Gravity").
Sometime later, Elphaba's opposition to the Wizard's regime has earned her the title 'Wicked Witch of the West'. Glinda has become the positive public front of the Wizard's regime, given the title ‘Glinda the Good' and positioned by The Wizard as the nation's defender against Elphaba ("No One Mourns the Wicked" (reprise)). A press conference to celebrate Fiyero's appointment as captain of the guard (a position he accepted to find Elphaba) is hijacked by the crowd's panicked rumors about Elphaba, including a story that she can be melted by water. Fiyero is incredulous and not convinced by Glinda's insistence that Elphaba does not want to be found. He is further angered when Madame Morrible announces his engagement to Glinda and runs off. Glinda attempts to keep a cheerful front for the press, but clearly realizes her dream life has come at a great price ("Thank Goodness").
Elphaba pays a visit to Nessarose, now governor of Munchkinland following the death of their father. Nessarose has taken away the rights of the Munchkins in a desperate attempt to keep Boq at her side. Elphaba tries to convince her sister to side with her against the Wizard, but Nessarose is more concerned with her own problems. Elphaba tries to help by giving Nessarose the power to walk, by turning the silver slippers into ‘ruby slippers'. Convinced that Boq must love her now, Nessarose calls for him, but he only sees this as proof that she does not need him anymore, and the opportunity to take his last chance to tell Glinda that he loves her, as she is now engaged to Fiyero. This news breaks Elphaba's heart, but she isn't surprised. Hurt, Nessarose takes Elphaba's spellbook and tries to cast a spell to make Boq fall in love with her. Nessarose mispronounces the words to the spell, and accidentally shrinks Boq's heart, earning the title "Wicked Witch of the East" ("The Wicked Witch of the East"). Elphaba works another spell to save his life, if in a different condition than he was before. She then tells Nessarose that she has to return to the palace in order to set the monkeys free, however, Nessarose knows that she is only going back to find Fiyero. When Boq awakens, he is disgusted at his new state as a man made of tin and flees the mansion.
Elphaba returns to the Wizard's palace to free the monkey servants and encounters the Wizard. He tries once again to convince her to work with him, telling her that he is not evil, but just an average man who came into his position by chance, and he offers to redeem Elphaba's reputation ("Wonderful"). She is almost won over, until she sees Dr. Dillamond, under a blanket, who has lost the power of speech. Angered by this, Elphaba accuses the Wizard, but he calls the guards to arrest Elphaba. In response, Fiyero and the guards enter, followed by Glinda. However, Fiyero helps Elphaba escape and leaves with her. Although heartbroken at Fiyero switching sides with Elphaba ("I'm Not That Girl" (reprise)), Glinda suggests to the Wizard and Madame Morrible that the way to apprehend Elphaba is to use her sister, Nessarose, as bait, by spreading a rumor that she's in danger, allowing the officials to capture Elphaba once and for all. Madame Morrible agrees and conjures a tornado.
Elphaba and Fiyero are both taken by surprise by the strength of their feelings for each other, and even though they acknowledge that there is no hope for them as a pair, they will enjoy being together just for that moment. ("As long As You're Mine"). Their happiness is interrupted when Elphaba has a vision of Nessarose being in danger and sees a house flying through the air in a tornado. Before Elphaba leaves to investigate, Fiyero tells her about a castle, Kiamo Ko, that his family owns and in which she can stay.
Glinda and Elphaba meet in Munchkinland, the site where Nessarose has been crushed by a house with a girl named Dorothy Gale and a dog named Toto inside. Upon arriving, Elphaba finds out that Glinda has given Dorothy Nessarose's ruby slippers and sent her on her way on the yellow brick road. Fueled by the rivalry over Fiyero, the two have a heated argument and fight. The guards arrive to arrest Elphaba. Fiyero arrives and holds Glinda hostage until Elphaba is allowed to go free. Glinda pleads for the guards not to harm him, but they do not listen, as they escort Fiyero to a nearby cornfield where they can interrogate and torture him (by crucifixion). Elphaba tries to cast a spell to protect him but is crestfallen by the limitations of her power. She decides that from this point on, she will live up to her reputation ("No Good Deed").
Later, back at Oz's capital, all of its citizens unite, declaring war on Elphaba, due to the now full-grown lion, that Elphaba and Fiyero rescued, and Boq's testimony against her. Meanwhile, Glinda has realized Madam Morrible, who can control the weather, is responsible for Nessarose's death. Glinda flees in horror to warn Elphaba, as the angry mob sets out to take Kiamo Ko ("March of the Witch Hunters").
Back at the castle, Elphaba has captured Dorothy and Toto, refusing to release them until Dorothy gives Elphaba Nessarose's ruby slippers – the only things left of her dead sister. Glinda travels to Elphaba's castle to warn her of the danger and persuade her to let Dorothy and Toto go. Elphaba refuses until she receives a letter saying that Fiyero has died. The two women forgive each other, acknowledging they have both made mistakes. To help her in her future, Elphaba gives the Grimmerie to Glinda. The two friends embrace for the last time, before saying goodbye ("For Good"). As the mob arrives, Elphaba tells Glinda to hide, and she watches helplessly from the shadows as Dorothy throws a bucket of water on Elphaba, 'melting' her. Shaken, Glinda sees that all that remains of her friend is her hat and the bottle of the green potion that her mother drank.
In the Emerald City, Glinda confronts the Wizard with Elphaba's bottle, which he recognizes as identical to his own. He was Elphaba's biological father, her mother's lover, and the cause of her green skin. He breaks down in sorrow, and Madame Morrible surmises that Elphaba's powers were so strong because she was a child of two worlds. Glinda banishes the Wizard from Oz and sends Madame Morrible to prison.
Meanwhile, back at Kiamo Ko, Fiyero (now a scarecrow) comes to the spot where Elphaba melted. Making sure that no one is watching, he knocks on the floor and out from a trap door steps Elphaba, very much alive; she had pretended to melt to convince her enemies of her death and to be with Fiyero, who was transformed into a scarecrow by her spell. Before leaving, Elphaba regrets that she will never see Glinda again and tell her that they are alive. Simultaneously, the musical returns to its starting point. Glinda finishes the story and promises the people of Oz that she will properly earn her title as Glinda the Good. As the people celebrate and Glinda quietly mourns, Elphaba and Fiyero leave Oz ("Finale").
The musical is told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz; its plot begins before and continues after Dorothy Gale arrives in Oz from Kansas, and includes several references to the 1939 film and Baum's novel. Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (whose name later changes to Glinda the Good Witch), who struggle through opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's private fall from grace.
The original production of Wicked premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003, after completing pre-Broadway tryouts at San Francisco's Curran Theatre in May/June of that same year. Its original stars included Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Galinda, and Joel Grey as the Wizard. The original Broadway production won three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards, while its original cast album received a Grammy Award.
Wicked celebrated its sixteenth anniversary on Broadway on October 30, 2019. On October 28, 2019, with its 6,681st performance, it surpassed Les Misérables to become Broadway's fifth-longest running show. A typical performance takes approximately two hours and 30 minutes, plus a 15-minute intermission.
The success of the Broadway production has spawned several other productions worldwide, including various North American productions, a long-running Laurence Olivier Award–nominated West End production, and a series of international productions. Since its 2003 debut, Wicked has broken box-office records around the world, currently holding weekly-gross-takings records in Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, and London. In the week ending January 2, 2011, the London, Broadway, and both North American touring productions simultaneously broke their respective records for the highest weekly gross. In the final week of 2013, the Broadway production broke this record again, earning $3.2 million.
In March 2016, Wicked surpassed $1 billion in total Broadway revenue, joining both The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King as the only Broadway shows to do so. In July 2017, Wicked surpassed The Phantom of the Opera as Broadway's second-highest grossing musical, trailing only The Lion King.
In the Land of Oz, the Ozians are rejoicing over the demise of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good Witch floats in and discusses Elphaba's past, wherein Elphaba's mother had had an affair with a travelling salesman, after Elphaba's father, the governor of Munchkinland, goes out of town. As her mother has this affair, her lover gives her a green elixir, and she drinks it. She becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl with green skin ("No One Mourns the Wicked"). An Ozian asks Glinda if she and Elphaba were friends. She admits that they were, leading Glinda to tell them the story of how they became best friends. A flashback starts with a scene at the college, Shiz University, when Elphaba arrives with her father and younger sister, Nessarose ("Dear Old Shiz").
Due to her green skin, Elphaba's father resents her and showers his affection on Nessarose, who is physically disabled and uses a wheelchair, due to a birth defect that contributed to their mother's death in childbirth. As their father says goodbye, he gives Nessarose a pair of silver slippers. The headmistress and witch, Madam Morrible, decides to take Nessarose under her protection because Nessarose is disabled and her father's favorite, leaving Elphaba and the beautiful and popular Galinda as roommates, to their chagrin. Elphaba attempts to take back her sister, and her anger makes Nessarose come back into her hands, telekinetically. Madame Morrible recognizes that Elphaba has special powers, and decides to teach her sorcery. She tells Elphaba her powers might allow her to one day work with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, something Elphaba has dreamed of her whole life ("The Wizard and I"). Both Galinda and Elphaba immediately dislike each other ("What Is This Feeling?") and they fight constantly, even in their classes, such as their history class with Dr. Dillamond, a goat, who as the only animal professor at the university is beginning to suffer from discrimination. He tells Elphaba a conspiracy is afoot to stop animals from speaking, and she wants to let the Wizard know, for he would surely stop it ("Something Bad").
Later, the Winkie Prince Fiyero Tiggular arrives at Shiz and introduces the other students to his philosophy of simply "Dancing through life". Fiyero decides to have an orientation party at the Ozdust Ballroom, that evening, and everyone agrees to go. Boq, a Munchkin who has developed a crush on Galinda, tries to ask her to dance with him at the party, but she convinces him to ask Nessarose out, instead, in order to shoo him away, leaving Galinda free to go with Fiyero. Nessarose, who has a crush on Boq, is delighted and tells her sister how Galinda made it happen and how happy it has made her. Galinda gives a black witch's hat to Elphaba to wear at the party, as a prank. At the party that evening, Boq tries to tell Nessarose the real reason he invited her but is too nice to hurt her feelings ("Dancing through life"). She continues to fall for him.
Madame Morrible arrives to tell Galinda she can join her sorcery class, at Elphaba's obliging request, and gives her a wand. Elphaba arrives wearing the witch's hat, only to find the other students laughing and staring while she awkwardly dances alone. Galinda feels regretful and starts dancing with Elphaba. Soon, everyone joins them, and the two girls look at each other in a new light. Back in their room, they continue to bond, by sharing secrets. Galinda tells Elphaba that she plans to marry Fiyero and Elphaba tells Galinda about the bottle of green potion, which she sleeps with behind her pillow. The bottle belonged to her mother, who had died giving birth to Nessarose. Their mother had chewed milk flowers in order for Nessarose to not be born with green skin. Elphaba tells Galinda that she blames herself for her mother's death and her father's resentment. Galinda then decides to give Elphaba a makeover ("popular").
The next day in class, Dr. Dillamond tells the students that he has been excommunicated. Elphaba wants to help, but no one will stand up with her. Afterward, a replacement teacher arrives and introduces the students to the cage, which will keep animals controlled, so they never learn to speak. The cage being shown contains a small lion cub. Elphaba's fury cannot be contained, and she accidentally casts a spell on her fellow students, causing them to gyrate involuntarily. She and Fiyero steal the lion cub in the cage and escape. They share a tender moment before he leaves, embarrassed, to free the lion cub. Elphaba reminds herself how pointless it is to wish for something to happen between them, for he loves Galinda, as it starts to rain ("I'm Not That Girl"). Madame Morrible comes to tell her that the Wizard has decided to meet her. Nessarose and Galinda come to see her off, and Fiyero meets her too. Fiyero gives Elphaba a bouquet of poppy flowers but ignores Galinda. Galinda tries to win Fiyero's respect by changing her name to ‘Glinda', in solidarity with Dr. Dillamond, who always mispronounced her name, but Fiyero is not impressed, saying goodbye to Elphaba, instead. Elphaba invites Glinda to the Emerald City with her ("One Short Day").
The two girls meet The Wizard of Oz, who turns out to be not quite as intimidating as they thought ("A Sentimental Man"). He promises Elphaba that he will grant her request if she proves herself. Madame Morrible appears; she is the Wizard's new ‘press secretary'. She gives Elphaba an ancient book of spells, called the Grimmerie, which only the magically gifted can read. Elphaba is asked to try a levitation spell on the Wizard's monkey servant, Chistery. However, the spell does not go the way Elphaba plans. Chistery sprouts wings, and she realizes that the Wizard is the one behind the suppression of the animals. Elphaba realizes the Wizard has no powers and he is merely a fraud. She runs away, and to prevent the truth from getting out, Madam Morrible spreads reports that Elphaba is a ‘wicked witch'. Elphaba then swears revenge on the Wizard for removing speech from the animals. She performs a spell on a broom and flies away from the Emerald City ("Defying Gravity").
Sometime later, Elphaba's opposition to the Wizard's regime has earned her the title 'Wicked Witch of the West'. Glinda has become the positive public front of the Wizard's regime, given the title ‘Glinda the Good' and positioned by The Wizard as the nation's defender against Elphaba ("No One Mourns the Wicked" (reprise)). A press conference to celebrate Fiyero's appointment as captain of the guard (a position he accepted to find Elphaba) is hijacked by the crowd's panicked rumors about Elphaba, including a story that she can be melted by water. Fiyero is incredulous and not convinced by Glinda's insistence that Elphaba does not want to be found. He is further angered when Madame Morrible announces his engagement to Glinda and runs off. Glinda attempts to keep a cheerful front for the press, but clearly realizes her dream life has come at a great price ("Thank Goodness").
Elphaba pays a visit to Nessarose, now governor of Munchkinland following the death of their father. Nessarose has taken away the rights of the Munchkins in a desperate attempt to keep Boq at her side. Elphaba tries to convince her sister to side with her against the Wizard, but Nessarose is more concerned with her own problems. Elphaba tries to help by giving Nessarose the power to walk, by turning the silver slippers into ‘ruby slippers'. Convinced that Boq must love her now, Nessarose calls for him, but he only sees this as proof that she does not need him anymore, and the opportunity to take his last chance to tell Glinda that he loves her, as she is now engaged to Fiyero. This news breaks Elphaba's heart, but she isn't surprised. Hurt, Nessarose takes Elphaba's spellbook and tries to cast a spell to make Boq fall in love with her. Nessarose mispronounces the words to the spell, and accidentally shrinks Boq's heart, earning the title "Wicked Witch of the East" ("The Wicked Witch of the East"). Elphaba works another spell to save his life, if in a different condition than he was before. She then tells Nessarose that she has to return to the palace in order to set the monkeys free, however, Nessarose knows that she is only going back to find Fiyero. When Boq awakens, he is disgusted at his new state as a man made of tin and flees the mansion.
Elphaba returns to the Wizard's palace to free the monkey servants and encounters the Wizard. He tries once again to convince her to work with him, telling her that he is not evil, but just an average man who came into his position by chance, and he offers to redeem Elphaba's reputation ("Wonderful"). She is almost won over, until she sees Dr. Dillamond, under a blanket, who has lost the power of speech. Angered by this, Elphaba accuses the Wizard, but he calls the guards to arrest Elphaba. In response, Fiyero and the guards enter, followed by Glinda. However, Fiyero helps Elphaba escape and leaves with her. Although heartbroken at Fiyero switching sides with Elphaba ("I'm Not That Girl" (reprise)), Glinda suggests to the Wizard and Madame Morrible that the way to apprehend Elphaba is to use her sister, Nessarose, as bait, by spreading a rumor that she's in danger, allowing the officials to capture Elphaba once and for all. Madame Morrible agrees and conjures a tornado.
Elphaba and Fiyero are both taken by surprise by the strength of their feelings for each other, and even though they acknowledge that there is no hope for them as a pair, they will enjoy being together just for that moment. ("As long As You're Mine"). Their happiness is interrupted when Elphaba has a vision of Nessarose being in danger and sees a house flying through the air in a tornado. Before Elphaba leaves to investigate, Fiyero tells her about a castle, Kiamo Ko, that his family owns and in which she can stay.
Glinda and Elphaba meet in Munchkinland, the site where Nessarose has been crushed by a house with a girl named Dorothy Gale and a dog named Toto inside. Upon arriving, Elphaba finds out that Glinda has given Dorothy Nessarose's ruby slippers and sent her on her way on the yellow brick road. Fueled by the rivalry over Fiyero, the two have a heated argument and fight. The guards arrive to arrest Elphaba. Fiyero arrives and holds Glinda hostage until Elphaba is allowed to go free. Glinda pleads for the guards not to harm him, but they do not listen, as they escort Fiyero to a nearby cornfield where they can interrogate and torture him (by crucifixion). Elphaba tries to cast a spell to protect him but is crestfallen by the limitations of her power. She decides that from this point on, she will live up to her reputation ("No Good Deed").
Later, back at Oz's capital, all of its citizens unite, declaring war on Elphaba, due to the now full-grown lion, that Elphaba and Fiyero rescued, and Boq's testimony against her. Meanwhile, Glinda has realized Madam Morrible, who can control the weather, is responsible for Nessarose's death. Glinda flees in horror to warn Elphaba, as the angry mob sets out to take Kiamo Ko ("March of the Witch Hunters").
Back at the castle, Elphaba has captured Dorothy and Toto, refusing to release them until Dorothy gives Elphaba Nessarose's ruby slippers – the only things left of her dead sister. Glinda travels to Elphaba's castle to warn her of the danger and persuade her to let Dorothy and Toto go. Elphaba refuses until she receives a letter saying that Fiyero has died. The two women forgive each other, acknowledging they have both made mistakes. To help her in her future, Elphaba gives the Grimmerie to Glinda. The two friends embrace for the last time, before saying goodbye ("For Good"). As the mob arrives, Elphaba tells Glinda to hide, and she watches helplessly from the shadows as Dorothy throws a bucket of water on Elphaba, 'melting' her. Shaken, Glinda sees that all that remains of her friend is her hat and the bottle of the green potion that her mother drank.
In the Emerald City, Glinda confronts the Wizard with Elphaba's bottle, which he recognizes as identical to his own. He was Elphaba's biological father, her mother's lover, and the cause of her green skin. He breaks down in sorrow, and Madame Morrible surmises that Elphaba's powers were so strong because she was a child of two worlds. Glinda banishes the Wizard from Oz and sends Madame Morrible to prison.
Meanwhile, back at Kiamo Ko, Fiyero (now a scarecrow) comes to the spot where Elphaba melted. Making sure that no one is watching, he knocks on the floor and out from a trap door steps Elphaba, very much alive; she had pretended to melt to convince her enemies of her death and to be with Fiyero, who was transformed into a scarecrow by her spell. Before leaving, Elphaba regrets that she will never see Glinda again and tell her that they are alive. Simultaneously, the musical returns to its starting point. Glinda finishes the story and promises the people of Oz that she will properly earn her title as Glinda the Good. As the people celebrate and Glinda quietly mourns, Elphaba and Fiyero leave Oz ("Finale").