Find out why Elphaba from “Wicked” was born with skin tone unlike any other in Oz
Arriving in theaters last Thursday, 21st, “Wicked” follows Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who would later become known, respectively, as the Good Witch of the North and the Wicked Witch of the West, presented in “The Wizard of Oz”.
In the plot, they come together when they enter Shiz University, forming an unexpected friendship — which unfortunately has an expiration date. This is because, after visiting the ruler of Oz in search of help to solve a growing problem where they live, the differences between them will come to the surface like never before, and these will forever transform the relationship they have and how they are known in Oz.
Although to discover how the ideals and values of the two are different it is necessary to watch the new plot, there is a difference between them that can be noticed since they were introduced to the world of cinema in the adaptation of the book “The Wizard of Oz” (1900) , by the author L. Frank Baumshown on the big screen during 1939, as it was in this film that Elphaba gained a unique characteristic.
It turns out that, while Glinda’s look stands out due to the mostly pink outfits, Elphaba’s is notable not only because of the dark tones of the costumes she wears, but also because of the tone of her skin, since, Unlike any other in Oz, it is green!
So much so that, in the plot, due to the unique color of her skin, as well as her not yet discovering the true power she has, Elphaba is misunderstood by those around her.
But why does Elphaba have greenish skin?
It is worth remembering that Elphaba did not have this physical attribute in the original book, but as it was included in the film released in the late 1930s, the prelude to “The Wizard of Oz”, “Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz”, written by Gregory Maguire and published in 1995 — which was adapted into a Broadway musical released in 2003, and into the current plot — set out to justify why the witch was born green.
[CUIDADO! O TEXTO A SEGUIR POSSUI SPOILERS DE ‘WICKED’]
As revealed by the atornalCinema portal, the first version of the story of Maguire explains that Elphaba is the result of a romance that her mother had with a mysterious man, who gave her a green drink, which acted in the body like a type of drug, and made their relationship happen in a non- consensual. This dark origin has undergone reformulations and, in the most recent adaptations, the elixir is drunk by Elphaba’s mother of her own free will.
Furthermore, in the Broadway musical, it is revealed that the mysterious man is the Wizard of Oz! With this, it is explained that being the daughter of a woman from Oz and a man from Earth, granted her unique magical abilities.
Also read: Wicked: The difference between Glinda in the musical and the film
Source: Recreio
