Elphaba Thropp /ˈɛlfəbə ˈθrɒp/ is the protagonist in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, in its musical theatre adaptation Wicked, and in the musical's upcoming two-part film adaptation. The character is identified with the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
| Elphaba | |
|---|---|
| The Wicked Years character | |
 Myra Ruiz as Elphaba in the original Brazilian production of the musical version of Wicked. | |
| First appearance | Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) |
| Created by | Gregory Maguire |
| Based on | Wicked Witch of the West by L. Frank Baum |
| Portrayed by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Elphaba Thropp |
| Alias | Wicked Witch of the West |
| Family | Oscar Diggs (father) Nessarose Thropp (half-sister) |
| Significant other | Fiyero Tigelaar |
| Children | Liir Thropp (son) |
| Nationality | Ozian |
In the Baum novel, the Witch is unnamed and little is explained about her life; Wicked creates a backstory for her and explores the world of The Wizard of Oz from her perspective. Elphaba is modeled after Margaret Hamilton's portrayal in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz: green-skinned, clad entirely in black and wearing a tall peaked hat. Maguire formulated the name "Elphaba" from the pronunciation of Baum's initials—"L.F.B."
Portrayals
editThe role was originated on Broadway and the West End by Idina Menzel, who won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The role is currently slated to be played by Cynthia Erivo in the upcoming two-part film adaptation of the musical, with Karis Musongole portraying the character as a child in the first film.[1]
References
edit- ^ Hall, Margaret (15 May 2024). "15 Swankified Easter Eggs in Wicked's Official Trailer". Playbill. Retrieved 1 June 2024.