Discover the hidden gems in "Wicked" Part 1 that pay homage to "The Wizard of Oz"! From familiar fonts to iconic accessories, we're unveiling the clever nods to the classic film. Join us as we explore the magical connections between these two Oz tales, revealing how "Wicked" honors its roots while weaving its own enchanting story.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're pulling back the curtain on our picks for the ways
00:10Wicked Part 1 pays homage to The Wizard of Oz.
00:13If you haven't seen the movie yet or don't know how the musical plays out, this is your
00:17spoiler warning.
00:18Good to see me, isn't it?
00:21Number 10.
00:22A Familiar Font
00:24With all the next-level marketing for this movie, you've probably spotted the Wicked
00:28logo on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs.
00:37Yet for the movie itself, they opted for a totally different font.
00:41It's a small, subtle change, but a genius nod to where it all started.
00:45Yep, it's the same style used in The Wizard of Oz title card.
00:55It tells the story of Oz long before Dorothy stirred up a storm, but as you probably know,
01:01her story overlaps with what's coming in Part 2.
01:14The To Be Continued card at the end of Part 1 also uses that same font, tying the past
01:19and future together in one perfect little detail.
01:23Number 9.
01:24The Mustache Man
01:25As Elphaba gets ready to board the train to the Emerald City, Galinda, now Glinda, keeps
01:30referring to the train conductor by his mustache.
01:37At first, it feels like a throwaway joke.
01:40Let's be honest, it's quite the facial feature, we'd probably do it too.
01:43But here's the fun part.
01:45It may reference one of the busiest actors on The Wizard of Oz set.
01:56Frank Morgan played multiple roles, including Professor Marvel, the gatekeeper, carriage
02:01driver, a guard, and of course, the wizard himself.
02:05In most of those roles, he sports some rather hearty mustaches.
02:09Much like the conductor, he essentially also has the task of bringing our protagonists
02:13to their audience with the wizard.
02:23Number 8.
02:24Hot Air Balloons
02:25In The Wizard of Oz, we learn how the wizard ended up in Oz.
02:28Wicked honors his roots with small details referencing his past circus career.
02:45One of his tricks involved a hot air balloon, which, as we saw, was also the vehicle that
02:50brought him to Oz.
02:51Indeed, a hot air balloon follows the wizard throughout Part 1.
03:05We see it in Little Elphaba's pop-up book, and he even uses one to send Elphaba an invitation
03:09to his palace.
03:11Perhaps the most obvious reference is the hot air balloon Elphaba and Glinda try to
03:15escape in, seemingly the very same one that first brought the wizard to Oz.
03:20Number 7.
03:25Glinda's Bubble and Bubble Dress
03:29If you've seen the Broadway show, you know Glinda's bubble dress is blue.
03:33But for this movie, they went pink, just like Billy Burke's famous dress in the 1939 film.
03:38For costume designer Paul Taswell, the moment Glinda comes down in her bubble and steps
03:42out in that beautiful pink fairy princess gown is one of the most striking images, and
03:47it inspired her look here.
03:49Even the details of her dress reflect her bubble.
04:01Taswell imagined Ariana Grande stepping out of her bubble to reveal her own stunning pink
04:06dress.
04:07It's a beautiful modern take on the classic gown that would probably even make Burke's
04:10Glinda a little envious.
04:16Number 6.
04:18Whether you know it or not, you've already met Dorothy's future companions in Part 1
04:23of Wicked.
04:24Where, you ask?
04:25Well, in one of director Jon M. Chu's favorite Easter eggs — major spoiler alert for Act
04:302 — Fierro stands between two pillars with his arms outstretched, almost scarecrow-like.
04:36Then when Bok introduces himself to Glinda, he awkwardly holds a mallet over his shoulder,
04:41creating a silhouette that might look something like this.
04:44Finally, there's the poor little lion cub Alphaba and Fierro rescue.
04:52Its little head pops up out of the basket as they cycle it away to safety.
04:55Now, where have we seen that image before?
04:58It's no coincidence, either.
04:59The music from that scene plays in the background here, too.
05:09Number 5.
05:10The Yellow Brick Road
05:11We've talked about how Wicked follows the Yellow Brick Road from the 1939 movie, so
05:15it's only right to mention the actual road.
05:18Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
05:20Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
05:22Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
05:23Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
05:25Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the Yellow Brick Road!
05:28In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's journey begins from a spiral in Munchkinland, which is alluded
05:33to during No One Mourns the Wicked.
05:35The film even gives the path its own origin story.
05:38I give you the Oz of tomorrow.
05:43The Wizard shows Alphaba and Glinda his plans for the Oz of tomorrow, but it's missing a
05:47final touch, a vibrant color for the path to the Emerald City.
05:51Alphaba and Glinda settle on yellow, though The Wizard would probably never give them
05:56credit.
05:57After all, he built it so that Ozians can follow, follow, follow, follow it back to
06:01him.
06:02People need direction.
06:03When this thing gets built, everybody is going to remember that if you just follow the road,
06:07it's going to lead you right to me.
06:12Number 4.
06:13Poppies.
06:14In the opening scene of Wicked, young Munchkinlanders race through a field of tulips to deliver
06:18the news about the Wicked Witch.
06:20According to production designer Nathan Crowley, they actually planted nine million tulips
06:25to resemble a rainbow.
06:26We must be over the rainbow.
06:29The film also throws back to the poppy scene from The Wizard of Oz, where the Wicked Witch
06:32uses the flowers to put Dorothy into a deep sleep.
06:35Oh, this is terrible.
06:36You can't budger a ninch.
06:37This is a spell, this is.
06:38It's the Wicked Witch.
06:39What do we do?
06:43In Wicked, Alphaba brings a bunch of poppies to Dr. Dillamond, his favorites, but never
06:48gets to give them to him.
06:50When their new history teacher ignores the Lion Cub's trembles, Alphaba's outrage makes
06:54the poppies levitate, knocking out nearly everyone in class.
06:58Talk about planting seeds for the fans.
07:00That was you who made all that happen.
07:03How did you do it?
07:06I don't know.
07:07I've never known.
07:08Number 3.
07:09A musical trail
07:10One of the genius parts of Stephen Schwartz's music in Wicked is how he honors Herbert Stothart,
07:15who composed The Wizard of Oz score.
07:17Before anyone even sings a note, we get our first musical reference when the kids run
07:21through the tulips.
07:22Get me out!
07:23The witch!
07:24She's dead!
07:25You can also hear echoes of Follow the Yellow Brick Road in songs like Defying Gravity
07:29and One Short Day, where you can also hear hints of this.
07:45Fans might recognize the over-the-rainbow melody in the Unlimited theme.
07:48If you're thinking, but they don't sound the same, they use the same notes, just at a different
07:53tempo and with new chords.
07:55It's completely different rhythmically and harmonically.
07:58It goes somewhere over the rainbow.
08:06And the Unlimited theme is...
08:13It goes one step further in the Wizard and I scene, with an actual rainbow and bluebirds
08:18flying.
08:20Number 2.
08:21Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion's quick cameo
08:25Come on, could we even talk about Wizard of Oz Easter eggs without mentioning the cameo
08:29from the OG gang?
08:38At the start of the movie, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, you can spot Dorothy and Toto walking
08:42down the Yellow Brick Road with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, oh my.
08:47And yes, Dorothy's carrying the Wicked Witch's broomstick.
08:50This ties in perfectly with the film's opening, where Glinda confirms the Wicked Witch's death
08:54to the Munchkinlanders.
08:55Fellow Ozians, the Wicked Witch of the West is dead.
09:00This is the only time we see Dorothy and her crew in Part 1, but as we mentioned earlier,
09:05her storyline picks up in the second half, with the trailer even teasing her arrival
09:09for her audience with the Wizard.
09:16Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:20Mustn't Let You Get Wet.
09:21Too bad Madame Morrible wasn't there when Dorothy threw that bucket of water.
09:32A Horse of a Different Color.
09:34We've never seen a horse like that before.
09:36Well, maybe once.
09:49The Wizard Chucks a Mini House Model.
09:51If there's a little model of Nessa Rose in there, we hope she was well clear of this
09:55flying house.
10:09Just a Slight Gulch.
10:11Miss Cottle uses Gulch in place of Hiccup when she first meets Elphaba, who isn't yet
10:15enrolled at Shiz.
10:30Elphaba's Name.
10:31If you say L. Frank Baum, very slowly, you'll almost find yourself saying Elphaba.
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11:01The Ruby Slippers.
11:03Few images are quite as iconic as Dorothy clicking her heels together in those ruby
11:07red slippers.
11:15Of course, they would go on to become one of the most famous pairs of shoes in the world.
11:19Wicked decided to go with the original silver pair instead, complete with clever details
11:24like tornado-shaped heels.
11:25Oh, and did you catch Nessa's stripy socks?
11:28But don't worry, those ruby reds get their moment too.
11:34Becoming popular, as Galinda gets ready to give Elphaba a makeover, she picks up a pair
11:39of red shoes.
11:40In a perfectly thought-out homage, she even clicks them together three times before handing
11:45them over.
11:55Definitely a popular Easter egg for fans to obsess over.
11:59Did you spot any other Easter eggs that made you say there's no place like the original
12:02Source movie?
12:04Let us know in the comments.
12:05Folks have come to expect that sort of thing.
12:06And you gotta give the people what they want.
12:07Do you agree with our picks?
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