Elphaba - Misplaced Pages

Fictional character from Wicked "Elphie" redirects here. For people and with fictional characters with similar names, see Elfi. Fictional character

Elphaba
The Wicked Years character
Myra Ruiz as Elphaba in the musical theatre version of Wicked, Brazil 2016
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	Idina Menzel (musical adaptation) Cynthia Erivo (Wicked, Wicked: For Good)
In-universe information
Full name	Elphaba Thropp Third Descending
Alias	Wicked Witch of the West, Fae, Sister Saint Ælphaba, Auntie Witch
Nickname	Elphie, Fabala, mcchicken
Family	Oscar Diggs (father) Melena Thropp (mother) Frexspar The Godly (step-father) Nessarose Thropp (half-sister) Sheltergod "Shell" Thropp (half-brother) Rain (granddaughter)
Significant other	Fiyero Tigelaar
Children	Liir Thropp (son)
Religion	None (atheist)
Nationality	Ozian Munchkinlander of American descent

Elphaba Thropp (/ˈɛlfəbə ˈθrɒp/) is the protagonist in the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, its musical theatre adaptation, and the musical's two-part film adaptation, Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025). Elphaba is a reimagining of the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

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."

Characterization

As Winnie Holzman observed in an interview with Playbill, "It was Maguire's brilliant idea to take this hated figure and tell things from her point of view, and to have the two witches be roommates in college, but the way in which their friendship develops – and really the whole plot – is different onstage." Schwartz justified the deviation, saying "Primarily we were interested in the relationship between Galinda – who becomes Glinda – and Elphaba...the friendship of these two women and how their characters lead them to completely different destinies." In addition to this change in focus, other major plot modifications include Fiyero's appearance as a scarecrow, Elphaba's survival at the end, Nessarose using a wheelchair instead of being born without arms, Boq having a continuing love interest for Glinda – and eventually becoming the Tin Woodman instead of Nick Chopper, the complete cutting of Elphaba's years in the Vinkus, the deletion of Liir's birth, Fiyero not having a wife and children, and Doctor Dillamond not being murdered.

Portrayals

The role was originated on Broadway and the West End by Idina Menzel, who won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Cynthia Erivo portrayed the character in the film adaptation of the first act of the musical, and will reprise the role in the adaptation of the second act. Karis Musongole played the character as a child in the first film.

References

Buckley, Michael (June 6, 2004). "Stage to Screens: A Chat with Wicked Nominee and TV Veteran Winnie Holzman". Playbill. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
"Wicked – Script". MusicalSchwartz.com. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
Maguire, Gregory (1995). Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. ReganBooks. ISBN 978-0-06-039144-7.
Hall, Margaret (15 May 2024). "15 Swankified Easter Eggs in Wicked's Official Trailer". Playbill. Retrieved 1 June 2024.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Books

Baum	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) Ozma of Oz (1907) Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) The Road to Oz (1909) The Emerald City of Oz (1910) The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913) Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) The Scarecrow of Oz (1915) Rinkitink in Oz (1916) The Lost Princess of Oz (1917) The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918) The Magic of Oz (1919) Glinda of Oz (1920)
Thompson	The Royal Book of Oz (1921) Kabumpo in Oz (1922) The Cowardly Lion of Oz (1923) Grampa in Oz (1924) The Lost King of Oz (1925) The Hungry Tiger of Oz (1926) The Gnome King of Oz (1927) The Giant Horse of Oz (1928) Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz (1929) The Yellow Knight of Oz (1930) Pirates in Oz (1931) The Purple Prince of Oz (1932) Ojo in Oz (1933) Speedy in Oz (1934) The Wishing Horse of Oz (1935) Captain Salt in Oz (1936) Handy Mandy in Oz (1937) The Silver Princess in Oz (1938) Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz (1939) Yankee in Oz (1972) The Enchanted Island of Oz (1976)
Other	The Magical Monarch of Mo (1899) Dot and Tot of Merryland (1901) The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902) Queen Zixi of Ix (1904) John Dough and the Cherub (1906) The Sea Fairies (1911) Sky Island (1912) Little Wizard Stories of Oz (1913) The Wonder City of Oz (1940) The Scalawagons of Oz (1941) Lucky Bucky in Oz (1942) The Magical Mimics in Oz (1946) The Shaggy Man of Oz (1949) The Hidden Valley of Oz (1951) Merry Go Round in Oz (1963) The Forbidden Fountain of Oz (1980) The Ozmapolitan of Oz (1986) The Wicked Witch of Oz (1993) The Giant Garden of Oz (1993) The Runaway in Oz (1995) The Rundelstone of Oz (2000) The Emerald Wand of Oz (2005) Trouble Under Oz (2006)

Characters

Baum

Post-Baum

Elements

Adaptations

Stage

The Wizard of Oz (1902)
The Woggle-Bug (1905)
The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (1913)
The Wizard of Oz (1942)
The Wiz (1974)
The Marvelous Land of Oz (1981)
The Wizard of Oz (1987)
The Wizard of A.I.D.S. (1987)
Twister (1994)
Wicked (2003)
The Wizard of Oz (2011)
The Woodsman (2012)

Films

The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910)
The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914)
The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914)
His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914)
The Wizard of Oz (1925)
The Wizard of Oz (1933)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Wizard of Oz (1950)
The Rainbow Road to Oz (unproduced)
Return to Oz (1964, TV)
The Wizard of Mars (1965)
The Wonderful Land of Oz (1969)
Ayşecik ve Sihirli Cüceler Rüyalar Ülkesinde (1971)
Journey Back to Oz (1972)
Oz (1976)
The Wiz (1978)
The Wizard of Oz (1982)
Os Trapalhões e o Mágico de Oróz (1984)
Return to Oz (1985)
Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz (1987)
The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story (1990)
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True (1995)
Lion of Oz (2000)
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)
Apocalypse Oz (2006)
After the Wizard (2011)
Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (2011)
Dorothy and the Witches of Oz (2012)
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)
OzLand (2014)
Guardians of Oz (2015)
The Wiz Live! (2015)
Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz (2016)
The Steam Engines of Oz (2018)
Rainbow (2022)
Wicked (2024)
Wicked: For Good (2025)

Television

Tales of the Wizard of Oz (1961)
Off to See the Wizard (1967–68)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1986–87)
The Wizard of Oz (1990)
The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz (1992–93)
The Oz Kids (1996)
Tin Man (2007)
"Wizard of Odd" (2010)
Once Upon a Time (2011–18)
Lost in Oz (2015–18)
Emerald City (2017)
Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (2017–20)

Books

The Wizard of the Emerald City (1939)
A Barnstormer in Oz (1982)
Mister Tinker in Oz (1985)
Dorothy of Oz (1989)
Sir Harold and the Gnome King (1991)
Was (1992)
Queen Ann in Oz (1993)
The Magic Dishpan of Oz (1994)
The Wicked Years
- Wicked (1995)
- Son of a Witch (2005)
- A Lion Among Men (2008)
- Out of Oz (2011)
Visitors from Oz (1998)
Paradox in Oz (1999)
Oz Before the Rainbow (2000)
The Hidden Prince of Oz (2000)
The Unknown Witches of Oz (2000)
Bloodstained Oz (2006)
The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls (2006)
Dorothy Must Die (2014)
The Wicked Will Rise (2015)

Comics

Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz (1904–05)
Adventures in Oz (1986–92)
The Enchanted Apples of Oz (1986)
Oz Squad (1991)
Lost Girls (1991–92)
Dorothy (2004–07)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2005)
Cheshire Crossing (2006–19)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2009)
The Marvelous Land of Oz (2010)

Games

The Wizard of Oz (1985)
The Wizard of Oz (1993)
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (2008)
Emerald City Confidential (2009)
Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love (2009)
The Wizard of Oz (2010)
The Wizard of Oz (2013)

Music

1939 film	"Over the Rainbow" "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" "We're Off to See the Wizard" "If I Only Had a Brain" "The Merry Old Land of Oz" "If I Were King of the Forest"
Wicked	"The Wizard and I" "Popular" "Defying Gravity" "As Long as You're Mine" "No Good Deed" "For Good"
Other	The Wozard of Iz (1968) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) Meco Plays The Wizard of Oz (1978) The Wizard of Oz: Live Australian Cast Recording (2001) Oz the Great and Powerful (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2013) Wicked: The Soundtrack (2024) Wicked: The Original Motion Picture Score (2024)

Category

The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire

Books

Characters

Stage musical

Wicked

Film adaptation	Wicked (2024) soundtrack score accolades Wicked: For Good
Songs	"The Wizard and I" "Popular" "Defying Gravity" "As Long as You're Mine" "No Good Deed" "For Good"

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