I Can’t Sleep - Wicked the Musical | Calm Bedtime Reading for Sleep

Episode Date: November 21, 2024

Relax with this calm bedtime reading about Wicked, the beloved Broadway musical, created to ease insomnia and bring gentle rest. In this soothing episode, Benjamin explores the origins of the show, its adaptation from Gregory Maguire’s novel, and its reimagining of the Land of Oz through the stories of Elphaba and Glinda. His steady, comforting narration turns theatrical history and cultural impact into peaceful storytelling, helping you release stress and quiet your thoughts. There is no whispering or hypnosis, only calm, fact-filled narration. Press play, close your eyes, and let the story of Wicked carry you into slumber. Want More? Request a Topic: https://www.icantsleeppodcast.com/request-a-topic Ad-Free Episodes: https://icantsleep.supportingcast.fm/ Shop Sleep-Friendly Products: https://www.icantsleeppodcast.com/sponsors Join the Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/myhGhVUhn7 This content is derived from the Wikipedia article on Wicked (musical), available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. Read the full article: Wikipedia – Wicked (musical). Happy sleeping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to a Glassbox media podcast. What if I told you that most of the modern day self-help advice you've been hearing could actually make you worse? The key to a better life isn't about feel-good gimmicks that sound catchy. The Mentally Stronger Podcast gives you access to a licensed therapist who shares science-backed tools that will actually change your life. Hi, I'm Amy Morin, psychotherapist, mental strength trainer, and international best-selling author. In each episode, we cover research-back strategies, like how to stop relying on willpower and start creating habits for lasting change. And the five mental strength-building exercises you can do from your couch.

I also speak to world-class experts like Dr. Nicole Kane, who shares how to permanently heal anxiety by addressing the root cause. With over 200 episodes in our catalog, this podcast is for you if you're ready to crush self-doubt, conquer challenges, and become stronger than ever with therapist-approved strategies that can change your life. Listen to Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin, wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast, where I read random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster. Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled Wicked, The Musical.

Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holtzman. It is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel, Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is in turn based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and its 1939 film adaptation. The musical is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Glinda, before and after Dorothy's arrival in Oz. The story explores a complex friendship between Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West,

and Galinda, who becomes Glinda the Good. Their relationship is tested by their contrasting personalities, conflicting viewpoints, shared love interest, reactions to the corrupt rule of the Wonderful Wizard, and ultimately Elphaba's Tragic Fall. Produced by Universal Stage Productions with producers Mark Platt, John B. Platt, and David Stone, director Joe Mantello, and choreographer Wayne Salento. The original production of Wicked premiered on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater in October 2003. After completing pre-Broadway triads at San Francisco's Curran Theater

in May and June of that year. Its original stars included Edina Mansell as Alphaba, Kristen Chenowis as Glinda, Norbert Leo Buds as Fierro, and Joel Gray 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. The success of the Broadway production has spawned many productions worldwide. including a long-running West End production. Wicked has broken box office records around the world, 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 2016, Wicked surpassed $1 billion in total Broadway revenue, joining The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King as the only Broadway shows to do so. In 2017, Wicked surpassed the Phantom of the Opera as Broadway's second highest grossy musical, trailing only the movie. the Lion King. A two-part film adaptation directed by John M. Chu and starring Cynthia Arivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Galinda, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeo as Madame Morrible,

and Jonathan Bailey as Fierro is in the works. The first part is scheduled for release on November 22, 2024, with a second part to follow on November 26, 2025. Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz discovered McGuire's 1995 novel, Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, while on vacation, and saw its potential for a dramatic adaptation. However, McGuire had released the rights to Universal Pictures, which had planned to develop a live-action feature film. In 1998, Schwartz persuaded McGuire to release the rights to a stage production, while also

making what Schwartz himself called an impassioned plea to Universal producer Mark Platt to realize Schwartz's own intended adaptation. Persuaded, Platt signed on as joint producer of the project with Universal and David Stone. The novel, described as political, social, and ethical commentary on the nature of good and evil, takes place in the land of Oz in the years surrounding Dorothy's arrival. The story centers on Elphaba, a misunderstood, smart, and fiery girl with emerald green skin, who grows up to become the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, the beautiful blonde, popular girl, who grows up to become Glinda the Good.

The story is divided into five scenes based on the location and presents events, characters, and situations adapted from L. Frank Baum's, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. 1900 and its 1939 film adaptation in new ways. It is designed to set the readers thinking about what it really is to be wicked, and whether good intentions with bad results are the same as bad intentions with bad results. Schwartz considered how best to condense the novel's dense and complicated plot into a sensible script. To this end, he collaborated with Emmy Award-winning writer Winnie Holtzman, who developed the outline of the plot over the course of a year. While meeting with producer Mark Blatt to refine the structural outline of the show,

creating an original stage piece rather than a strict adaptation of McGuire's work. While the draft followed McGuire's idea of retelling the story of the 1939 film from the perspective of its main villain, the storyline of the stage adaptation goes far afield from the novel. Holtzman observed in an interview with Playbill that it was McGuire'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 on stage. Schwartz justified the deviation, saying, primarily we were interested in the relationship between Gilda, who becomes Glynda, and Elphaba. The friendship of these two women and how their characters led them to completely different destinies.

Other major plot modifications include Fierro's appearance as the scarecrow, Elfabah's survival at the end. Nessa rose using a wheelchair instead of being born without arms. Bach having a continuing love interest for Glinda. and eventually becoming the tin woodman instead of Nick Chopper, cutting Alphabas years in the vacus, the deletion of Lear's birth, Fierro not having a wife and children,

Dr. Dillamon being fired instead of being murdered, and Madame Morrible going to prison instead of dying. The book, lyrics, and score for the musical were developed through a series of readings. In these developmental workshops, Christian Chenowis, the Tony Award-winning actor, whom Schwartz had in mind while composing the music for the character, joined the project as Glinda. Stephanie J. Block played Alphabet in the workshops. She played Elphaba in the first national tour,

and later as a Broadway cast replacement, before Adina Mansell was cast in the role in late 2002. Earlier that year, the creators recruited New York producer Stone, who began planning the Broadway production. Joe Mantello was engaged as director and Wayne Salento as choreographer, while designer Eugene Lee created the sad and visual style for the production, inspired by W.W. Denslow's original illustrations for BOM's novels and McGuire's concept of the story being told through a giant clock. Costume designer Susan Hilfordi created a twisted Edwardian style and building more than 200 costumes, while lighting designer can as Posner used more than 800 lights to give each of the 54 distinct scenes and locations its own mood.

By April 2003, the show was in rehearsals. Following the out-of-town tryout in San Francisco in May in June 2003, which received Mick's critical reception, the creative team made extensive changes before its transfer to Broadway. Holtzman recalled, Stephen wisely had insisted on having three months to rewrite in between the time we closed in San Francisco and when we were to go back into rehearsals in New York. That was crucial. That was the thing that made the biggest difference in the life of the show.

That time is what made the show work. Elements of the book were rewritten, while several songs underwent minor changes. Which way is the party, the introductory song to the character Fierro, was replaced by dancing through life. Concern existed that Mansell's elphaba got a little overshadowed by Chenoweth Glinda, with San Francisco Chronicle critic Robert Hurwit writing, Mansell's brightly intense Alphaba, the Wicked Witch, needs a chance of holding her own alongside Chenoweth's gloriously, insidiously bubbly Glinda.

As a result, the creative team set about making Elphaba more prominent In making the Broadway revisions, shorts recalled, It was clear there was work to be done and revisions to be made in the book and the score. The critical community was frankly very helpful to us. Act 1 The citizens of the land of Oz are celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glenda the Good then appears and tells the Wicked Witch's backstory.

Her mother had an affair with a traveling salesman, while her husband, the governor of Munchkinland, was away. As a result of the affair, a daughter with green skin, Elphaba, is born. Her stepfather refused to accept her, cursing Elphaba to have a troubled childhood. This is where the song No One Morns the Wicket Comes in. When a man asks Glinda if it was true that she was Elfaba's friend, Glinda begins to reminisce about their past. Many years earlier, Elphabah Throb arrives at Chis University with her younger sister, Nessa Rose,

dear old Chis is the song sung here, who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. The school's headmistress, Madame Morrible, assigns shy and nerdy Elphaba to share a dorm with bubbly and popular Golinda Upland. worried about being separated from her sister, Elphaba uses magic to pull back Nessa Rose's wheelchair after Madame Morrible attempts to depart with her. Recognizing Elfabah's potential, Madame Morrible decides to privately tutor her in sorcery. She also says that Elphaba has a chance to work with the wonderful Wizard of Oz, something which she has dreamed of her whole life. the song The Wizard and I enters.

Galinda is disdainful towards Elphaba, and Elphaba grows to loathe her just as much. They clash with each other constantly. Enter the song, What is this feeling? In a history class taught by Dr. Dilliman, the only animal professor at Chis, he begins to suffer from discrimination, even from the students.

Dilliman informs Elphaba of a conspiracy to stop all animals from speaking. Elphaba vows that if she ever meets the wizard, she will inform him of the conspiracy and help him stop it. A song, Something Bad. Meanwhile, a roguish prince, Fierro, begins attending shizz. Galinda is charmed by Fierro's good looks and shallow philosophy. Fierro arranges a party for his fellow students. Bach, a munchkin who has a crush on Galinda, tries to invite her as his date, who in turn convinces him to instead invite Nessa Rose out of pity, leaving her free to go with Fiera. Nessa becomes enamored with Bach and tells Elphaba to thank Galinda for her help.

At the party, Madame Morrible stops by to tell Galinda that Elphaba had asked her to admit Galinda into her sorcery class. Elphaba arrives, wearing a hat that Galinda gave her as a practical joke. The other students laugh at her. Galinda has a change of heart and decides to dance with Elvaba, and soon everyone joins them, finally allowing the girls to bond, the song Dancing Through Life. Back in their dormitory, Galinda decides to give Elphaba a makeover, the song popular. The next day, Dr. Dilliman tells you. as the class that he is leaving Shiz, as he is no longer permitted to teach.

Elphaba is the only student who objects. A human professor then introduces them to the technical advantages of the cage, which is designed to prevent any animal from speaking. Elphaba again refuses to contain her anger, and in the ensuing chaos, she escapes alongside Fiera, taking with them the lion cub that was in, imprisoned within the cage. Elphaba and Fierro share a private moment. He then leaves. Elfaba laments that Fierro could never love her. The song, I'm not that girl. Madame Morrible arrives and tells

Elfabah that the wizard wants to meet her. Bach, Nessa, Fierro, and Golinda say goodbye to Elfabah at the train station. Belinda tries to impress Fierro by changing her name to Dr. Dilliman's pronunciation of it, Glinda, but he barely notices. Elphaba invites Glinda to go with her to the Emerald City, the song One Short Day. Elphaba and Glinda meet the Wizard of Oz, who is not as scary as they expected. A sentimental man is the song. He promises to grant Alvaba's request if she proves herself. Madame Morrible appears and explains she is the wizard's new press secretary. She gives Elphaba's a grimery, a book of spells only the magically gifted can read. Elphaba is then asked to perform a levitation spell on the wizard's monkey servant, Chistri.

Her attempt allows him to fly, but only by making him sprout wings painfully. Elphaba discovers that the wizard is behind the suppression of the animals, and that he is a fraudster who uses simileged. simple parlor tricks and lies to stay in power. Shocked, she flees his chamber. Madam Morrible begins to spread a message throughout Oz that Elphaba is a wicked witch. Glinda finds Elphaba and begs her to go back and apologize.

Elphaba refuses and declares she must do what is right. She offers to take Glinda with her. Glinda declines but decides to secretly support Elphabha. who repeats the levitation spell on a broom and flies away from the Emerald City, leaving Glinda behind. A song defying gravity. Act 2

Alphabha's opposition of the wizard's regime and the public's fear of her has earned her the title, The Wicked Witch of the West. Meanwhile, Glinda has become the lead spokesperson for the wizard, given the title Glinda the good. and publicly positioned by Madame Morrible as the nation's defender against the Wicked Witch. A press conference to celebrate Fierro's appointment as Captain of the Guard,

a position he is accepted in the hopes of finding Alphaba, is hijacked by the public's panicked rumors about her, one of them claiming that she can be melted by water. Fierro is furious at the absurdity of the rumors, and Glinda unsuccessfully tries calming him, by insisting that Elfaba does not want to be found. Fioro is further shocked, when without his consent or knowledge, Matamorable announces that he and Glinda are engaged.

He abruptly leaves, angry with Glinda, for not informing him of the announcement. She attempts to act cheerful, but knows her dream life did not come as expected. The song, thank goodness. Elphaba visits Nessa Rose, who is now the governor of Munchkin land following the death of their father. It is revealed that Nessa Rose has taken away the Munchkin's few rights to prevent Bok from leaving her.

Alphabet tries to convince Nessa Rose to join the rebellion against the wizard, but Nessa Rose refuses. She is bitter and resentful that Alphabet never tried to use her powers to help her. Feeling guilty, Alphaba enchanced Nessa Rose's silver shoes. giving her the ability to walk. Nessa Rose is thrilled and now believes Bach will truly love her. To Nessa Rose's shock, however, Bach sees this as proof that she no longer needs him and declares he intends to tell Glinda of his love for her

before she marries Fierro. Furious and unwilling to let him go, Nessa Rose takes the grimry in order to cast a love spell on Bach to make him fall in love with her. She pronounces the incantation wrong and accidentally shrinks his heart. She cries for Elphaba to save him and prevent her from having to live a life of loneliness. The song The Wicked Witch of the East, Elphaba casts another spell to save Bach's life, transforming him into a tin man who does not need a heart to live.

Bach is horrified by his new body and flees in shock. yelling after him Nessa Rose claims that Elphaba was responsible. Alphaba returns to the Emerald City to free the wizard's monkey servants and is caught by him. The wizard tries once again to convince her to work with him, explaining that he is simply a mediocre man who came into this position by chance and was led to stay by the citizens of Oz, who revered him. The song Wonderful. Elphaba is almost one over until she discovers Dr. Dilliman, who has lost his ability to speak.

She vows to fight the wizard to the end. Fioro and the guards then enter, followed by Glinda. Fioro helps Alphaba escape and decides to go with her, leaving Glinda behind. Heartbroken, she tells the wizard and Mademorable a way they can capture Elfaba, spreading a rumor. that Nessa Rose is in trouble, so she will be forced to show herself to save her. Spreading a rumor that Nessa rose is in trouble so she will be forced to show herself to save her. Upset by Fero's betrayal, Glinda leaves the room. Morrible and the wizard decide a mere rumor would not fool Alphabet,

and Morable proposes a change in the weather. Alone Glinda laments that Fiora always loved Elphaba, and it is unlikely he ever loved her. I'm not that girl, reprise. Hidden away in the forest, Elphaba and Fierro confess their love for each other, the song, as long as your mind. Her happiness is interrupted when Elphaba senses Nessa Rose is in danger. She is correct. A house has fallen out of the sky and crushed Nessa Rose. Elphaba arrives at the scene and finds Glinda has given Nessarosa's shoes to the house's occupant, Dorothy Gale. After a fight between the two, the wizard's guards arrive.

Fierro arrives and holds Glinda hostage to allow Alphaba to flee. Glinda pleads for the guards not to harm him, but they do not listen. At Cayamoco Castle, Elphaba casts the spell to make Fierro invincible. to any weapon. However, he presumably died, and Alphaba accepts that every good thing she did was always seen as evil, and that she is a wicked witch, a song, no good deed. Meanwhile, the citizens of Oz, led by Madame Morrible and Bog, set off to capture Alvaba. While talking with her, Glinda realizes Madame Morable summoned the tornado that caused the house to crush Nessa Rose. Morrible threatens her, alleging that she is not as virtuous as she pretends to be.

Glinda flees in horror as the crowd calls for the wicked witch's death, the song March of the Witch Hunters. Meanwhile, Elphaba has captured Dorothy, refusing to release her until she relinquishes Nessa Rose's shoes. Linda arrives to warn Elphaba of the danger she is in and tries to convince her to let Dorothy go. Although Elphaba refuses, the two forgive each other. Elphaba gives the grimry to Glinda, and they embrace for the last time before sharing a tearful goodbye, the song, for good. As the citizens of Oz arrive to kill Elphaba, she tells Glinda to hide. Before she leaves, Elphaba convinces Glinda not to try to clear her name for fear that the people would turn against her too.

Glinda watches from the shadows as Dorothy throws a bucket of water on Elphaba, melting her. The only remains of her are her point he had in the bottle of green elixir that belonged to her mother. Back in the Emerald City, Glinda confronts the wizard with the elixir, which he recognizes as his own. He was the man Elphabah's mother had an affair with, therefore her biological father, and the elixir was a cause of her green. skin. As the wizard agonizes, Madame Morrible laments that this was why Alphaba was so powerful, as she was a child of both worlds. Glinda then banishes the wizard from Oz, and has Madame Morable arrested for murdering Nessarose. Meanwhile, Fioro, revealed to be alive, and having become a scarecrow due to Elfabas spell, arrives at the spot where she supposedly melted. He doesn't. He

knocks on the floor, and Elphaba steps out from a trap door, having faked her death. They embrace, and Elphaba laments that she will never be able to see Glinda again. Meanwhile, Glinda informs everyone that the Wicked Witch is dead, and that she would like to earn her title as Glinda the Good. As Oz celebrates and Glinda mourns her friend quietly, Elphaba and Fear I'll leave Oz together. The finale song. A cast recording of the original Broadway production was released on December 16, 2003 by Universal Music. All of the songs featured on stage are present on the recording, with the exception of The Wizard and I reprise,

a sentimental man reprise, and the Wicked Witch of the East. The short reprise of No One Morns the Wicked That Opens Act 2 is attached to beginning of thank goodness. The music was arranged by Stephen Oramis, who was also the conductor and musical director, and James Lynn Abbott, with orchestrations by William David Braun. The recording received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show album in 2005, and was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 30, 2006. The album was certified double platinum on November 8, 2010. A fifth anniversary special edition of the original Broadway cast recording was released on October 28, 2008, with a bonus CD, including tracks from the Japanese and German cast recordings,

making good, a song later replaced by The Wizard and I, sung by Stephanie J. Block, with shorts at the piano. I'm Not That Girl by Carrie Ellis, featuring Brian May on guitar, Mansell's dance mix of defying gravity, and for good, sung by Leanne Rhymes and Delta Goodrum. A German recording of the Stuttgart production was released on December 7, 2007, featuring a track listing and arrangements identical to those of the Broadway recording. The Japanese cast recording was released on July 23, 2008, featuring the original Tokyo cast. It is notable for being the first, and so far the only cast album of the show that includes Glinda's final dialogue.

Wicked officially opened on June 10th, 2003, at the current theater in San Francisco, after previews began on May 28th, in a pre-Broadway tryout presented by SHN. The cast included Kristen Chenowas as Glinda, Adina Mansell as Elphaba, Robert Morse as the Wizard, Norbert Leobutz as Fierro, Michelle Federer as Nessa Rose, Carol Shelley as Madame Morrible, John Horton as Dr. Dillamond, and Kirk MacDonald as Bach. Stephanie J. Block, who originally read the role of Alphaba in Workshop Development, was Menzel's standby during triads, but left before the show moved to Broadway to take a role in The Boy from Oz, but she would then lead the first national tour opposite Kendra Kasbaum as Glinda.

The tryout closed on June 29, 2003, and after extensive retooling, the musical began previews on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater on October 8, 2003, and made its official premiere on October 30th. Most of the original production team and cast members remained with the show. Principal casting changes included Joel Gray as a wizard, William Eumann's as Dr. Dillman, and Christopher Fitzgerald. this book.