The powerful performance of “Wicked,” one of the few musical theater productions that has had a lasting impression on its audience since its Broadway debut, has captivated numerous people and audiences with its astonishing visuals as well as angelic songs. It has a compelling narrative that moves the minds of many. It’s centered around an adaptation of one of the most infamous characters in literature ‘The Wicked Witch of the West’. It offers an alternative view of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” which retakes and transforms this classic tale of the kind-minded and the good versus the bad, destructive, and evil, exploring friendship and identity with the complications of morality.
“Wicked” is an adaptation movie that follows two roommates, Glinda and Elphaba, throughout college. What makes this story different from any other coming-of-age movie is how it explores so many touching topics in our society. It creates this mix of a childish presentation with much deeper mature topics which makes it relatable for young teens. Adolescence is a period where doubt and uncertainty surround teenagers, feeling pressured to succumb to social and group labels while experiencing identity issues. It touches on the current confusion and support that so many teens can feel and search for. This then created so much buzz surrounding the release of the film and it did not stop once it appeared in movie theaters.
Before people are able to connect to the actual movie’s content they have to be drawn to theaters to actually watch it. “Wicked” has had one of the most aggressive and extensive marketing campaigns in the current film industry. The strategic marketing has expanded into drinks, apparel, accessories, luggage, cosmetics, nail polish, lego sets, and sweaters (most notably, Universal Pictures collaborated with Starbucks on some exclusive cups and merchandise available in stores only.) “Wicked” has made a surprising number of partnerships having deals with over 400 companies. Other than just the interesting visual appeals, “Wicked” touches on many controversial topics that the original “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” wasn’t able to get across. The most noticeable among the allegory is that of discrimination. The social divide between the main protagonists is clear, Elphaba is viewed as an outcast and is treated vastly differently than Glinda who is favoured. Talking about our ‘society,’ it also specifically relates to The Village School as we center ourselves around our diversity and inclusion which is part of what “Wicked” seems to be trying to bring light to. Being the number one most diverse school in Texas, according to Niche.com, this becomes a true part of its identity as a school and relates to how many students live in its school community.
Overall, its fascinating adaptive storyline, visuals, and its take on discrimination created a long lasting impact on many groups in society. This last societal issue specifically relates to The Village School, because it is not something students experience on a daily basis. As international students, The Village School’s student body surrounds themselves with people of intricately different backgrounds, no one has the same story. Therefore, they “hold space” for diversity and inclusion to be a part of their everyday life.