All The ‘Wizard Of Oz’ Easter Eggs You Missed In ‘Wicked’

For anybody who was a fan of Depraved earlier than the Common movie got here out, it’s simple to overlook that it was tied to a way more well-known story in The Wizard of Oz.

The musical Depraved could also be primarily based on the e-book by Gregory Maguire, however the e-book itself was written as a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz from 1900. That e-book was then tailored into the 1939 movie virtually everybody has seen at the very least as soon as, with Judy Garland’s “Someplace Over the Rainbow” transcending the movie into mainstream cultural prominence.

As a musical and a e-book, Depraved did lots to pay homage to its predecessors. Actually, your entire second act pulls collectively Wizard of Oz references in a intelligent method that any fan might admire. However the film has the benefit of being a film, the identical medium because the 1939 movie, and due to this fact it’s capable of conceal easter eggs all through as a tribute to the story it’s primarily based on. On this method, Depraved, Half I actually appears like a prequel to the movie, even when it’s been modernized to suit at the moment’s movie requirements. So we’ve uncovered all (or virtually all) of the Wizard of Oz easter eggs in Depraved, Half I.

Shifting from Black and White to Coloration

Some of the important points of the 1939 movie was that it was the primary movie in coloration. To mark this special day, it begins in black and white, however when Dorothy lands in Oz, it shifts to paint. To pay homage, the Common brand for Depraved is in black and white earlier than the movie begins in coloration.

Musical Themes

From the offset of Depraved’s overture, there are musical references to Wizard of Oz. In fact, this all started with Stephen Schwarz’s preliminary rating for the musical, with “Someplace Over the Rainbow” referenced within the melody of the “Limitless” musical theme heard in The Wizard and I, Defying Gravity, and in Act II in For Good. Nonetheless, there are much more of those references within the Depraved movie; as an illustration, notes of “Ding Dong the Witch Is Useless” are heard within the movie’s overture main into “No One Mourns the Depraved.” The songs are additionally parallels of each other thematically, which is becoming. Later within the movie, musical motifs from the Poppies tune, the “Merry Ole Land of Oz,” and “Comply with the Yellow Brick Highway” are sprinkled all through. 

The Title Card

Some of the apparent easter eggs to a Wizard of Oz fan is the Depraved title card, which seems simply after the opening variety of “No One Mourns the Depraved.” The font is a reproduction of Wizard of Oz’s title card font, displaying us that director Jon M. Chu could be very consciously making choices to pay respect to the 1939 movie.

Elphaba’s Identify

This easter egg comes from the 1995 novel, however that doesn’t make it any much less vital. Elphaba looks as if an odd title, nevertheless it’s really a mix of letters and sounds impressed by The Wizard of Oz’s L. Frank Baum. His initials are L-F-B, which impressed the phonetics of Elphaba’s title.

The “Wished” Posters in Munchkinland

All through Munchkinland within the opening scene, there are posters of Elphaba as a Depraved Witch on a “Wished” poster. The font and design of the posters is similar because the design of the 1939 movie’s posters. 

Nessa’s Socks and Jeweled Slippers (and Ruby Slippers)

Within the flashback to Nessa and Elphaba’s childhood, she’s sporting striped socks, hinting at her future because the Depraved Witch of the East. As she arrives at Shiz, her father provides her jeweled slippers (that can inevitable change into the ruby slippers). The design of the slippers, nonetheless, is a visible reference to the twister that causes the occasions of The Wizard of Oz. Later within the movie throughout “Well-liked,” Galinda pulls out a pair of ruby slippers which might be a transparent easter egg. Not solely does she rapidly supply them to Elphaba, however she subtly clicks them thrice, simply as Dorothy is instructed to do to get dwelling from Oz.

A number of References to Miss Gulch

Miss Coddle is the top Shiztress whose accountability it’s to prepare the dormitories. When Elphaba says that she is the “different sister,” Miss Coddle replies that her presence is only a “slight gulch,” an Ozified phrase for a “slight hiccup.” Later within the movie, after Elphaba and Fiyero free the lion cub, they put him in a bicycle basket as they bike to the forest. That is just like when Miss Gulch takes Toto from Dorothy and places him in her bicycle basket.

Bluebirds Fly Over the Rainbow

In one of the vital well-known lyrics of “Someplace Over the Rainbow,” Dorothy sings, “If pleased little bluebirds fly over the rainbow, why oh why can’t I?” Whereas “Someplace Over the Rainbow” is her “I want” tune, a traditional staple of any musical through which the protagonist shares their deepest needs by means of tune, “The Wizard and I” is Elphaba’s “I want” tune. After she sings the tune, bluebirds will be seen flying over the rainbow within the distance.

The Look of the Animals

Whereas the CGI animals are some extent of competition for a lot of Depraved viewers, they have been designed particularly to resemble the W.W. Denslow illustrations within the unique Wizard of Oz novel. 

The Chickens within the Ozdust Ballroom

Director Jon M. Chu has shared that there’s far more behind the making of Depraved than any of us might have guessed. In an interview with RadioTimes.com, he shared: “Earlier than [Baum] wrote Wizard of Oz, he bred present chickens, these kind of fancy chickens. So we used fancy chickens enjoying the piano, this type of bizarre Ozian piano within the Ozdust Ballroom.”

The Sleeping Poppies

Early on within the movie, the poppy flowers are referenced as a standard shared love between Dr. Dillamond and Elphaba. After she brings him poppies and he’s faraway from the classroom, Elphaba by chance enchants the poppies to place everybody to sleep. This can be a name again to The Wizard of Oz (or maybe a bit of inspiration for Elphaba’s future) through which the Depraved Witch enchants the poppy area to place Dorothy and her associates to sleep.

Characters Paying Homage to Their Predecessors

Many know that Fiyero and Boq don’t stay as themselves within the second a part of Depraved. With out giving it away, a lot of their physicality all through the movie, from Boq’s swing of his gavel to Fiyero leaning with arms vast open nods to their futures. Cynthia Erivo has additionally shared that Elphaba’s nails in Depraved are literally a reference to Margaret Hamilton (the unique Depraved Witch of the West)’s nails from The Wizard of Oz. Galinda’s bubble and wand are after all emblematic of the character, and she or he locations the handkerchief on Boq’s coronary heart as a nod to his future.

The Thought of “Proving Oneself”

In Depraved, Madame Morrible makes it very clear that Elphaba should “show herself” to the Wizard. Nonetheless, this concept began again in Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy was instructed by the Wizard to show herself worthy of his “magic.”

The Mustache Man

Whereas it could appear on paper that the Mustache Man is only a cute remark from Ariana Grande’s Galinda, he’s additionally a little bit of an easter egg. Within the 1939 movie, the identical actor, Frank Morgan, wore completely different mustaches to play the Wizard, the gatekeeper, the guard, and the coachman. In Depraved, the mustache man is actually the coachman, whereas the gatekeeper/guard is composer Stephen Schwarz in a mustache, and the Wizard performed by Jeff Goldblum right here additionally has a mustache!

The Emerald Metropolis

From its design to the actions inside the Emerald Metropolis, each little bit has a touch of Wizard of Oz magic. When Glinda and Elphaba get manicures, this harkens again to Dorothy’s makeover throughout “Merry Ole Land of Oz.” As well as, a number of the vogue in Emerald Metropolis is sort of a direct reproduction of the style within the unique movie.

The Wizard’s Introduction

Naturally, the Wizard has to scare his visitors. Within the 1939 movie, a projection and blasts of fireballs are used to introduce the larger-than-life determine. In Depraved, Half I, he makes use of an animatronic head (like within the staged musical) along with the fireballs.

The Yellow Brick Highway

When the Wizard meets Glinda and Elphaba, he reveals him his miniature reproduction of Oz, full along with his new “brick highway.” He says that individuals will say to “comply with the highway,” which might later encourage The Wizard of Oz’s “Comply with the Yellow Brick Highway.” In fact, it wouldn’t change into “yellow brick” with out Glinda’s enter. (Bonus: Glinda’s emphasis on vogue and appearances repay when she finally ends up accountable for Elphaba’s emblematic “Depraved Witch” wardrobe — primarily, her hat and her cape.)

The “Man Behind the Curtain”

In The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard is often known as the “man behind the scenes.” As a nod to this, Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard does a shadow dance behind a curtain in his miniature show of Oz, changing into a person behind a curtain. However this easter egg serves a double objective — it’s also a reference to how Elphaba’s conception is proven within the musical Depraved, with a shadow dance behind a curtain. However we gained’t say why that’s important … no spoilers!

The Scorching Air Balloons and Signage

As Elphaba tries to flee Emerald Metropolis, she first makes an attempt to drift off in a sizzling air balloon, which is strictly how Dorothy tries to go away Ouncesto go dwelling. Like Dorothy, Elphaba doesn’t escape utilizing the recent air balloon, despite the fact that that’s the Wizard’s solely method of journey. As a substitute, she makes use of the magic of her broomstick, whereas Dorothy makes use of the magic of the ruby slippers.