A little while ago, I had the pleasure of watching the musical Wicked in downtown Orlando. I’ve seen this show multiple times throughout the years since its 2003 Broadway premier, however fourteen years later, and only about 120-plus days into our 45th President’s reign, the show has taken on a crazy new perspective for me. Maybe we can learn a little wisdom from the Land of Oz.
For those who are unfamiliar with story of Wicked, it’s a musical by Stephen Schwartz based on the amazing book by Gregory Maguire that tells the story of Elphaba, the “Wicked Witch of the West” most of us feared from “The Wizard of Oz.” But it’s an origin-story, a prequel, telling how she came from an unloving father; how she became green; how she was shunned for being an “outsider” because of her intellect and her, well, greenness; and the relationships she forged once she attended college and beyond. And, of course, it dovetails into the L. Frank Baum story (see the “L-F-B” reference there?) that we’ve come to know, with Dorothy and the slippers, the Yellow Brick Road, and the house that fell on a woman – Elphaba’s sister to be exact. It also explores how the Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Glinda all came into being. It’s a great story that puts what I knew as a kid on its head.
When I first read Gregory’s book, it made me think about these familiar characters from a new perspective. I grew up thinking the witch was evil; but this story shows you that the viewpoint of the majority is malleable, and that history and “media” can change perspective too easily for the masses. In Wicked, the twist is that the “wicked” witch is a woman who is simply misunderstood and really not wicked at all; rather, she is a victim of circumstance and a public relations spin by people in power with agendas, with her being the outsider – or “other” – who is an easy scapegoat for the wrongdoings of society. Gee, is this ringing true in 2017 yet?
The political machinations in Wicked are even more interesting in a contemporary context. In Oz, there are “animals” (lower case “a”) that are the creatures we know in our world, and “Animals” (capital “A”) that are sentient beings with mental capacity and speech like humans. One of the prominent characters, Dr. Dillamond, is a goat Animal professor at the university that starts to see how his kind are being marginalized by the Oz ruling class, to the point they are being herded up into captivity and having their ability to speak taken away. Who are these scapegoats in ‘Merica today?
Elphaba, the forever green outsider, takes Dr. Dillamond’s plight and that of the other Animals to heart and tries to do something right. In one of the biggest songs in this show, “Defying Gravity,” Elphaba is faced with a choice: join the Oz status quo or leave and be a fugitive for what she believes in. She is not sure she can change what’s happening, but feels she must try; she must take a stand against the oppression of others. Again … feel familiar?
The main villain in the show is the Wizard of Oz himself: a rather slimy man who uses deceit, lies, sleight of hand, and the influence of his loyal press secretary Kellyanne Conway Madame Morrible to move his agenda forward and retain the power he has amassed. But he’s neither “wonderful” nor a wizard, merely a tiny-handed, insecure charlatan who fools the citizens of Oz to support his efforts through fearmongering (“She’s wicked!”) and the spreading of falsehoods.
What can we learn from the story of Wicked? First, to sit back and be complacent as events unfold around you isn’t the right action. In Wicked, Elphaba took action to be an advocate for the other “others” (the Animals). In 2017, we need to stand up to injustice, “alternative facts,” and the flat out erosion of the rights of others.
Second, as citizens of OzMerica, question stories, do your research, and broaden where you’re getting your information from. In Wicked, Madam Morrible was THE source of news and information throughout the land, the Fox News of Oz, and she easily could control the narrative to suit her and the Wizard’s agenda. In our world be sure to find balanced sources of news.
Finally, true change happens with the support of all the “others” involved. Elphaba is successful because she bands together with other disenfranchised people (e.g., the Flying Monkeys, Scarecrow) to move her resistance forward. In our world, all of us “others” need to support one another’s right to live healthy, productive lives. Support your Muslim friends, march for women’s reproductive rights and be an advocate for all of us who are on the receiving end of hate.
Yes, we can make OzMerica even greater, but only if we can cut through the wickedness of bipartisan bickering, call out the cowardly use of “alternative facts,” and focus on helping everyone – not just a select few – defy gravity.
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