Discover the hidden gems and clever nods in the magical world of Oz! Join us as we unveil the most enchanting Easter eggs and references in "Wicked: Part 1". From familiar faces to musical cues, we'll explore the secrets behind the Emerald Curtain that even the most devoted fans might have missed.
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00:00But when the kids run through the tulip field at the very beginning to announce the death of the
00:05witch, listen. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most swankified easter eggs,
00:11references, and other small details hidden behind the emerald curtain.
00:15For those who haven't seen Wicked Part 1, there will be spoilers. You still do the coin trick,
00:21and actually, I shouldn't really be saying this, but if you look close enough...
00:2510. Familiar Friends Follow the Yellow Brick Road
00:40The film opens with a bird's eye view of Oz, complete with a rainbow and the emerald city
00:45in the distance. During a sweeping shot, Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, Tin Man,
00:50and the Cowardly Lion head down the yellow brick road. Although they're only briefly spotted
00:54from behind, they can be seen carrying the Wicked Witch's broomstick after supposedly melting her.
01:00This is the most we see of Dorothy in the film, but the three friends she makes on her journey
01:05all play a larger role, even if you don't recognize them. For those who haven't seen
01:10the stage version of Wicked, we won't give away too much. Let's just say that much like the so
01:24called Wicked Witch, things aren't always what they seem.
01:349. The Wizard's Past Life
01:44The Wizard may have plenty of tricks up his sleeve, but it's all smoke and mirrors.
01:48When Elphaba and Galinda realize that the Wizard has no real powers,
01:52they escape behind the Emerald Curtain. The two stumble upon relics from the Wizard's circus days,
01:57including the hot air balloon that brought him to Oz. Elphaba recognizes the Wizard for what
02:02he truly is upon spotting a poster for his magic act. The poster even features the Wizard's real
02:13name – well, not his full name – which was revealed to be Oscar Zoraster Feydrig Isaac
02:19Norman Henkel Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs in the Oz books.
02:36Even so, Elphaba sees that everything about the not-so-wonderful Wizard was a lie,
02:41including the name his kingdom was built upon.
02:508. Poppies
02:59Elphaba and Fiyero grow closer after rescuing a lion cub who may or may not grow up to have
03:05a cowardly complex. The scene plays out pretty much as it did in the stage version with one
03:10clever twist. On stage, Elphaba casts a vague spell to incapacitate the others in the classroom.
03:16Here, Elphaba uses a bouquet of poppies that she brought Dr. Dillamond to spread a sleeping spell.
03:24This is a nod to the deadly poppy field from the original Oz book and the 1939 film. In both,
03:30the poppies nearly send Dorothy into an eternal slumber. Elphaba initially doesn't realize the
03:36power within the flowers, but she'll surely remember this when she encounters Dorothy down
03:40the road. 7. A Horse of a Different Color
03:47What's been amazing for me is falling into something huge and trust the free fall.
03:53The stage musical introduces us to Fiyero as he arrives at Shiz University with his driver.
03:58In the film, Fiyero shows up to Shiz on a horse of a different color. We mean that literally.
04:04The colorful horse didn't originate from L. Frank Baum's books, but the 1939 movie.
04:09What kind of a horse is that? I've never seen a horse like that before.
04:14No, and never will again, I fancy. There's only one of him in Egypt. He's the horse of
04:19a different color you've heard tell about. With Technicolor being a cornerstone of that
04:24cinematic classic, the filmmakers seized every opportunity to saturate The Land of Oz,
04:29right down to the horse pulling Dorothy's carriage. In another change from the stage version,
04:34Elphaba is the first person Fiyero meets at Shiz. Just as his horse is a different color,
04:40Fiyero finds that Elphaba isn't like any girl he's ever met.
04:43Not because she's of a different color, but because rather, something deeper.
04:48We didn't see you there. You must have blended with the foliage.
04:53Is this how you go through life? Just running amok and trampling anyone in your path?
04:58No. No. Sometimes I'm asleep.
05:02Number 6. Lion in the Basket.
05:17Liberating the lion cub from his cage, Elphaba places him in her bicycle's basket and rides
05:22into the forest. If you're getting deja vu, that's because Elphaba did something similar,
05:27yet completely different, in another life.
05:30You wicked old witch! Uncle Henry, Auntie Em, don't let him take Toto!
05:34Don't let him take him, please! Stop her! Put him in the basket, Henry.
05:38In 1939's The Wizard of Oz, Elmira Gulch takes Toto from Dorothy, cycling away with the
05:43Cairn Terrier in her basket. Thankfully, she doesn't notice Toto slipping out and
05:48racing back to Dorothy. Although Dorothy and Toto escape Miss Gulch's clutches,
05:52they meet a greener reflection of their old neighbor in Oz.
05:56I'll get you, my pretty! And your little dog, too!
06:01Elphaba rescuing the lion mirrors Miss Gulch taking Toto. Of course, where Elphaba gets
06:06the lion to safety, we don't even want to think about what Gulch would have done with
06:10the little dog. Number 5. Breaking the Glass.
06:14Oh, I saved you some space, by the way. Do you really think this is fair?
06:17I do not. I was promised a private suite. But thanks for asking.
06:22Forced to share a dorm room, Elphaba would rather keep the door shut while Galinda wants
06:26it open. Finding a middle ground, Elphaba accidentally shatters the door's glass with
06:31her magic, leaving it open even when it's closed. I don't know. I've never known.
06:37In a way, this moment comes full circle during the climactic Defying Gravity.
06:41Taking flight, Elphaba bursts through the glass window, mirroring the aforementioned scene.
06:46This time, though, Elphaba purposely breaks the glass, reflecting how she's gained control
06:51of her powers. In both scenes, Galinda inspires Elphaba's actions, but for different reasons.
06:57When Elphaba broke the glass door, it was because Galinda got on her nerves.
07:01When she breaks the window, it's because Galinda has given Elphaba the confidence
07:05to realize her unlimited potential.
07:07You can do anything.
07:09This school has been generations of education to the people of Oz,
07:14and animal professors, and Ozian professors all around.
07:17The musical's political commentary is given even more focus in this film,
07:21with additional scenes dedicated to Dr. Dillamant and other animals,
07:24who are treated as second-class citizens.
07:26The animals are now being placed in a cage.
07:29The cage is a place where the animals are kept.
07:32The cage is a place where the animals are kept.
07:35When Elphaba first demonstrates her powers at Shiz,
07:38she accidentally causes several structures to crumble.
07:41One of them collapses to reveal an old mural that was built over.
07:45The history of Oz should feel present.
07:48Good luck, and welcome to Shiz!
07:54The artwork features a faculty of animal academics,
07:57suggesting many species of animals have lived here for thousands of years.
08:01The artwork features a faculty of animal academics,
08:03suggesting many species were once scholars at Shiz.
08:06That number has since shrunk, and soon enough,
08:09the contributions that animals have made to Oz may be paved over for good,
08:13in the name of quote-unquote progress.
08:15Even if animals can't talk in our world,
08:17there are parallels to how numerous cultures
08:19have essentially been erased from the history books.
08:31Did this change?
08:33From what I've read, the Great Drought.
08:35Precise, okay.
08:36Number 3. Ruby Slippers
08:48Dorothy's slippers were silver in L. Frank Baum's book.
08:51Wanting to showcase Technicolor's capabilities,
08:53MGM switched the slippers to red in their film adaptation.
08:57Give me back my slippers!
08:59I'm the only one that knows how to use them.
09:01Being a product of the 1939 musical,
09:04the Ruby Slippers have rarely popped up in other interpretations of Oz.
09:08Wicked is no exception,
09:09with Nessa Rose's father gifting her a pair of silver shoes.
09:12However, the filmmakers do sneak in a reference to the iconic Ruby Slippers,
09:16giving her new bestie a lesson in popularity.
09:19Galinda teaches Elphaba many things.
09:22This includes what shoes to wear, handing her a pair of red heels.
09:26They may not be exact replicas of the trademarked Ruby Slippers,
09:29but it's clear what the filmmakers are doing
09:31while still staying in their legal jurisdictions.
09:34Speaking of shoes, if you take a look at the ones gifted to Nessa Rose,
09:37take special care to notice the tornado-esque heels,
09:40calling to mind her fate.
09:43Number 2. Echoes of For Good
09:46Pink goes good with green.
09:48It goes well with green.
09:49It so does.
09:57Defying gravity might be the big showstopper,
10:05but For Good is the emotional high point of Elphaba and Galinda's friendship.
10:20Since that tearjerker doesn't occur until Act 2,
10:23we'll have to wait a year to hear Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande perform the duet.
10:27That doesn't mean For Good is completely absent from this film.
10:41There are a handful of musical cues hinting at things to come.
10:45The most important moment comes during the Ozdust ballroom sequence.
10:48Realizing the error of her ways, Galinda joins Elphaba on the dance floor.
10:53It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship,
10:55with both truly seeing each other for the first time.
10:58This is highlighted through an instrumental version of For Good playing in the background.
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11:32Erivo and Grande will surely be immortalized as cinema's Elphaba and Galinda,
11:36but the film doesn't forget their stage predecessors.
11:50Keeping it in the family, Galinda's mother is played by Alice Fern,
11:53who starred as Elphaba in The West End.
11:56A few other West End players drop into Oz, including Cary Ellis and Diane Pilkington.
12:01For the Broadway crowd, the most notable cameos are saved for an extended version of One Short Day.
12:19Chronicling how The Wizard came to Oz are two whizzamanias superstars,
12:23played by the OG Elphaba and Galinda, Idina Menzel and Christa Genowith.
12:28It's not Wicked without them.
12:30Or it's writers Winnie Holtzman and Stephen Schwartz.
12:33Holtzman gets a special bit of dialogue,
12:36while the composer is given a special cameo as the guard who tells the best friends
12:40that The Wizard will see them now.
12:42Did any other Easter eggs stick out like a green thumb to you?
12:46Let us know in the comments.
12:47Well, these things are sent to try us.
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