Ultimate 'Wicked' guide: Easter eggs, meanings, foreshadowing & future

Follow our Yellow Brick Road to the 'Wicked' world!

Editor's note: this article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from the Wicked books, movies, and both acts of the Broadway musical. Read at your own risk!

Part One confirmed that the Wicked movies — directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Galinda), and Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), among others — are diving deep into the lore of The Wizard of Oz as a two-part cinematic adaptation exploring character traits, storylines, and locations from the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West written by Gregory Maguire, which inspired the 2003 Broadway musical Wicked with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman.

The Wicked musical on Broadway is a colorful, thrilling, and family-friendly origin story to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. For casual audiences, it's easy to just assume that the stage production has a direct connection to the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) movie… however, that is not the case!

The Broadway musical was directly inspired by the first book in Maguire's The Wicked Years series of novels, which are set in the Land of Oz originated by L. Frank Baum's 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

New and old fans who watched Wicked: Part One have now built even more anticipation for Wicked: Part Two, which is scheduled to premiere on November 21, 2025 in theaters.

In the meantime, the first Wicked film keeps breaking all-time records at the box office, being well-received by critics with several major award nominations, and even drew more attention to an auction that culminated in the $32.5 million sale of the Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz.

As we continue to enjoy the first movie and impatiently wait for the second installment, it's time to unleash our extensive recap of Easter eggs, visual cues, references, cameos, hidden meanings, and clues brought to the surface in the first film while it expanded the history of this universe, the origin of these characters, and the next chapters of this wickedly magical saga.

Keep scrolling to explore our full list of references, Easter eggs, cameos, and hidden details featured in Wicked: Part One — now playing in theaters.

1. The opening credits features the 1939 logo of Universal Pictures.

Universal Pictures used the 1939 version of its logo for the opening credits of Wicked: Part One in 2024 as a nod to the original film The Wizard of Oz — released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1939 — that captivated many generations of moviegoers.

2. The 'Wicked: Part One' title sequence mirrors the classic 'The Wizard of Oz' title.

Another nod to the classic film starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Billie Burke as Glinda came in the logo itself of Wicked Part: One, which was deliberately stylized to mirror the aesthetics of The Wizard of Oz typography.

3. Elphaba's hat as the opening scene.

Wicked: Part One opens with a shot of Elphaba's hat after the character has seemingly already melted and died. Viewers are then led to the "No One Mourns the Wicked" opening number.

The original staging of the Wicked musical had a very similar visual at one point in the production (as evidenced by a photo shared on Flickr): the first sight, at the very beginning of the show, used to be a giant witch hat and nothing else.

4. The rainbow pattern from the tulips in Munchkinland.

Director Jon M. Chu told Fandango that the production crew planted more than 9 million tulips in Munchkinland while creating the Land of Oz for the film.

These tulips, which were planted in a rainbow pattern as an intentional nod to Judy Garland's timeless anthem, are seen in the opening sequence of Wicked: Part One. The scene is accompanied by the melody of "Over the Rainbow." (Which, for the record, is not officially titled "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." More on that later!)

5. The 'Witch's Theme' plays in the opening of the film.

"The movie opens with what we call the 'Witch's Theme,' which is meant to be the public perception of the witch," Wicked lyrist and composer Stephen Schwartz told Classic FM. "[The perception] that she is dangerous, that she's evil, that she must be feared and fled from."

Wicked: The Soundtrack was released on the same day as Wicked: Part One opened in theaters: November 22, 2024. Two week later, on December 6, 2024, Wicked: The Original Motion Picture Score was released.

6. Ethan Slater (Boq) is the inspiration for the Munchkins' appearance in the 'Wicked' film.

The Munchkins in 2024's Wicked were modeled after actor Ethan Slater — moving away from their original on-screen depiction as little people in 1939's The Wizard of Oz.

According to the National Library of Medicine, a total of "124 adult actors" were in the classic musical film playing the Munchkins and represented a "diverse group of widely known little people."

"We wanted [Boq] to come from a culture, and so we were trying to reinvent what a Munchkin is. In our eyes, Munchkin was not a size," Wicked director Jon M. Chu told GQ. "We built the Munchkinland look around him, in a weird way — like this red-haired, fair-skinned type of character."

Ethan Slater, who played Boq in Wicked, was subsequently asked by Variety's Marc Malkin about Chu's decision to model all other Munchkin characters after him.

"It's really crazy, but it's also… it feels really special," the actor replied. "I remember I came in and they were like, 'We're not 100% sure what the Munchkins are gonna look like. We're thinking maybe red hair with freckles, and brown eyes, and everything else, you know? It can be anything. It's a diverse group of Munchkins, but with red hair, freckles, and brown eyes.'"

Slater concluded, "And I was like, 'Do you mean, like… what I look like?' And they were like, 'Yeah, something like that.'"

7. Glinda's dress is pink again.

The Broadway production of Wicked had to be very careful about its visual references to the original The Wizard of Oz film. To avoid any legal issues — such as copyright infringements — the show transformed how Oz looked through set design and also changed certain costumes.

Editor's note: For practical reasons, the character first named Galinda is only referred to as Glinda throughout this article.

One of the most glaring visual changes between The Wizard of Oz and the Wicked musical was Glinda's dress going from pink (worn by actress Billie Burke) to blue (worn by actress Kristin Chenoweth). Fortunately, the Wicked movies didn't have the same constraints as the theater production, which allowed Grande's Glinda to wear a dress with a similar tone of pink to the original film.

8. The parallels between young kids asking tough questions.

Halfway through the "No One Mourns the Wicked" musical number in Wicked: Part One, a child emerges from the crowd and asks Glinda the big existential question that haunts this entire story: "Why does wickedness happen?"

"That's a good question," Glinda responds. "Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" She then goes on to tell the story of Elphaba's childhood and family.

Interestingly, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum experienced a similar situation that could be a point of reference for this part of the musical number.

Evan I. Schwartz, author of Finding Oz: How L. Frank Baum Discovered the Great American Story, wrote:

"[L. Frank Baum] was often asked how it all came to be, how he discovered the Land of Oz. Like many authors of fiction, he was reluctant to say. (…) So, to appease newspaper reporters looking for an entertaining answer, Baum invented something whimsical but apocryphal."

Evan I. Schwartz continued, "[L. Frank Baum] held court in his Chicago home one day, telling a tale about a magical far-off place to his sons and their friends, when one little girl asked what this land was called. Frank didn't yet have a name for it; he simply glanced around the room, until his eyes stopped on a filing cabinet. 'The land is called… the land is called…' On the cabinet, underneath the drawers labeled A-G and H-N, sat one that said O-Z. 'The land,' said Frank, 'is called the Land of Oz.'"

It's fascinating to think of certain individuals like Glinda and Baum — who have been so mythologized — having their authority questioned and their narratives challenged by young kids who, really, were just asking a simple question that somehow didn't occur to anyone else before.

9. A blink-and-you-miss-it nod to Melena being drugged by her lover (Elphaba's father).

The Wicked musical gives audiences with a quick overlook of Elphaba's parents, birth, and childhood. However, a significant portion of Maguire's novel is dedicated to that time period in Elphaba's life, and the movie also expands that section to include certain elements from the book.

A particularly triggering and distressing piece of information — clearly described in the Wicked novel — is that Melena literally falls asleep after drinking the green liquid offered by her lover. It's clear that Melena's lover didn't have sex with her while she was awake (which is rape). She then becomes pregnant, and the baby is green, making it even more evident that Elphaba's biological father is the man who drugged and raped Melena.

If you pay close attention, this disturbing background story is alluded to in Wicked: Part One. The scene between Melena (played by Courtney-Mae Briggs) and her lover ends in a transition point where Melena falls back onto bed while drinking the green liquid… nodding to the fact that the liquid puts her to sleep. That scene then cuts to Melena sitting up in bed, giving birth to Elphaba, with her legal husband by her side. It's a very clever and very subtle way to suggest what really happened in that situation without getting too deep into the details.

10. Melena's husband (Elphaba's presumed father) is a very different character.

There are very significant changes to Melena's husband (presumed to be Elphaba's father) between the novels, the stage musical, and the film.

In Maguire's book, Elphaba's presumed father is called Frexspar the Godly. He is a very religious minister who constantly goes on missions to spread his gospel. He isn't rich, powerful, or even taken seriously by anyone. Elphaba does seem to love her father in the novel, but she also recognizes that his faith in this unseen god doesn't really serve him (or his family) at all.

Meanwhile, the novel explains that Melena Thropp comes from a high-profile family with political ties. She is the daughter of Romen Skarr and Lady Partra Thropp, and the granddaughter of Peerless Thropp, which makes her the heiress to the Thropp family. As a rebellious young woman, Melena marries Frexspar — who is considered a "commoner" — to distance herself from the Thropp family.

Because Melena dies while giving birth to Nessarose in the Wicked musical, the storyline is tweaked to turn Frexspar into a politician. That Broadway version is also the character seen in the Wicked movie: a cold, important-looking, no-nonsense man played by Laurence Olivier Award-winning writer and actor Andy Nyman.

This change is smart in the sense that Madame Morrible (played by Michelle Yeoh) can immediately spot how much Elphaba lacks in a paternal figure, which can be weaponized by Morrible and the Wizard as they entice Elphaba to join their political agenda.

11. A subtle change in the lyrics of 'No One Mourns the Wicked.'

The Wicked songs have different dialogue breaks throughout the movie, but they mostly follow the same lyrics as the original Broadway recording. However, there is one notable change in the lyrics during the flashback scenes of "No One Mourns the Wicked."

Melena Thropp (Elphaba's mother) has an affair, gets pregnant, and gives birth to her daughter. Upon seeing that Elphie is born green, the Bear midwife exclaims, "It's uncanny!" and her father, Frexspar the Godly, yells out, "It's obscene!"

On the Broadway show, the midwife (who is human) says, "It's atrocious," instead of, "It's uncanny." One can argue that the Bear midwife's reaction in the film is less aggressive than in the live musical, which makes sense in order for the Wicked film to establish that Animals are the primary caretakers of Elphie as a child.

12. Young Elphie is bullied by other kids.

Gregory Maguire's Wicked novel establishes that young Elphie is raised with childhood playmates in the Rush Margins of Munchkinland. In the book, Boq is one of the kids that Elphaba grows up with — a fact that is unacknowledged in the Wicked musical.

The Wicked: Part One film does show little Elphie getting bullied by other kids in Munchkinland, but Boq isn't identified as any of those children.

13. The Magical Slippers are silver.

Many fans might not know this, but L. Frank Baum's original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz novel describes Dorothy's Magical Slippers as being silver… not ruby.

The introduction of Technicolor in 1939's The Wizard of Oz prompted filmmakers to change the (originally silver) slippers in Baum's book into the so-called Ruby Slippers worn by the Wicked Witch of the East (who dies when Dorothy's house falls on top of her). Those Ruby Slippers are subsequently gifted to Dorothy.

As the Wicked musical tried to avoid any copyright issues related to The Wizard of Oz film, the Broadway show defaulted to the slippers being silver, as they were in Baum's book. In the Wicked movie, the slippers remained silver as they had been in Baum's original Oz work and in the Wicked show on Broadway.

14. The tornado design in the silver Magical Slippers.

Another dazzling detail seen in the Wicked film is the intricate design of the Silver Slippers nodding to the tornado that eventually brings Dorothy Gale (and her house) into the Land of Oz.

Costume designer Paul Tazewell told Forbes:

"Another one of my favorite pieces is Nessarose's silver and diamond slippers that are gifted to her. It references the tornado from The Wizard of Oz. The heel swirls up, is crystallized, and then wraps around the foot with spiral waves encased in Nessarose's [Marissa Bode's] feet. It's an iconic piece that is reflective of the ruby slipper and the importance that we give it. Then it changes into something directly referencing the original silver shoe in the novel. The shoes connect to the original story and film."

15. Nessarose's socks hint to her future as the Wicked Witch of the East.

The socks worn by Nessarose in the Wicked movie have a similar stripes pattern as the socks worn by the Wicked Witch of the East in The Wizard of Us when viewers discover that she's been killed by Dorothy's house.

Given that Nessarose becomes the Wicked Witch of the East who's ultimately killed by Dorothy in the original film, this tiny detail in her costume is a bit of clever foreshadowing.

16. More than 1,000 costumes were created for the 'Wicked' film.

During an interview with Playbill, costume designer Paul Tazewell talked about creating over 1,000 costumes for the Wicked movie — an operation that involved "137 pattern pieces, 20,000 beads hand applied over 225 hours, [and] 140 costume crew members working around the clock."

17. Glinda's mother is played by Alice Fearn, an iconic actress who starred as Elphaba on the West End.

Alice Fearn — an English actress best known for playing Elphaba between 2017 and 2019 in the West End production of the stage musical — was also cast in the film as Glinda's mother: Larena Upland.

Larena isn't a deeply explored character in the novels, musical, or film, but casting Fearn (who is such an iconic Elphaba actress) in that role was an inspired choice. As seen above, the actress shared an Instagram picture of her in full Larena Upland costume.

"Happy Wicked movie day. Love, Momsie [kiss emoji]," she wrote.

18. Madame Morrible name-checks a few names during her Shiz University orientation speech.

The students arrive at Shiz University and gather around Madame Morrible standing behind a podium. During her orientation speech, Morrible mentions a couple of familiar names.

"Miss Gulch" is one of the names mentioned by Morrible. Otherwise known as Miss Almira Gulch, that's the name of Dorothy's wicked neighbor in Kansas, who was presented as the alter-ego of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.

Morrible also references "Professor Mombi" as the "Head of Biology." In case you didn't know, Mombi is the main villain — and also a witch! — in L. Frank Baum's second novel set in Oz, 1904's The Marvelous Land of Oz. This is the first-ever sequel to Baum's original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz classic published in 1900.

19. Elphaba's enrollment and rooming at Shiz University.

The story of Elphaba's enrollment and rooming at Shiz University is wildly different in each iteration of Wicked.

Maguire's Wicked novel outlines the university as a cluster of six different colleges in Shiz, which is a northern city in Oz. For this time period, the primary location of the book is Crage Hall — the only all-female school within Shiz. The story establishes early on through Glinda's point of view that Crage Hall, albeit all-female, is "not one of the better colleges" in Shiz… an interesting wrinkle in the story that is open to a few different interpretations.

Elphaba and Glinda are both enrolled at Crage Hall, where every female student is expected to have an "Ama" (analogous to a female chaperon). Due to an incident with her Ama, faculty decides that Glinda must room together with Elphaba — who, by the way, arrives at Crage Hall by herself and has a full term prior to her younger sister's arrival.

In other words, Elphaba is enrolled to attend university, and most of her "loathing" moments with Glinda happen before Nessarose is even there.

The Wicked musical introduces Elphaba and Nessarose as two sisters who arrive at Shiz University together. Moreover, in the Broadway show, Shiz is a co-educational school where Elphaba, Glinda, Boq, Fiyero, and Nessarose all seem to attend the same campus — a significant change from the all-female student body of Crage Hall. The stage production also removes the requirement of Amas, and therefore blames the accidental rooming of Elphaba and Glinda as a matter of "miscommunication" among faculty.

It is a massive departure from the source material when Wicked: Part One establishes that Elphaba is only present at Shiz University to drop off Nessarose and help her young sister get through her first few days in school. The movie has the same co-educational format for Shiz University as the Broadway show. And yet, it almost feels like Elphaba stands in as an "Ama" (a chaperone or adult assistant) for Nessarose… which is, oddly, similar to that concept in the books.

But instead of using incidents with the Amas (like the book) or a miscommunication (like the musical), the film showcases Elphaba's powers early on to justify Madame Morrible's sudden interest in arranging a special enrollment for her at Shiz… which leads to Glinda's solo dorm becoming a shared space with Elphaba as her roommate.

20. A rainbow in 'The Wizard and I.'

There are a few appearances of a rainbow throughout Wicked: Part One, but one that really stands out is while Elphaba sings "The Wizard and I" and runs through a field. As she takes a huge leap forward while singing, viewers can see a rainbow in the sky.

The inclusions of a rainbow are obviously nodding to the legendary performance of Judy Garland (as Dorothy Gale) singing "Over the Rainbow" in The Wizard of Oz.

Bonus fun fact: the actual title of that song, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1940, is "Over the Rainbow" (without "somewhere").

21. Elphaba and Glinda in combat training during 'What Is This Feeling?'

One of the biggest foreshadowing scenes in the entire Wicked movie takes place in a brief moment during the "What Is This Feeling?" musical number.

As Elphaba and Glinda express their grievances about each other, viewers see them taking a class in combat training at Shiz University. This is a clear act-one gun to the physical altercation between them in Act II of the Wicked musical on Broadway.

Even the objects they use during this combat lesson look like the weapons they have in the actual fight, once again maximizing the Wicked saga onto cinematic proportions.

22. Elphaba's dynamics with the faculty of Shiz University.

In Maguire's book, the Wizard's agenda against the sentient Animals of Oz feels more prejudiced and baseless (which probably feels familiar to groups of people in the real world who are being oppressed right now for reasons beyond any real comprehension). As a result, Elphaba gets close to Doctor Dillamond and works as his assistant in various studies examining whether there are any biological differences between humans, animals, and sentient Animals.

As a pragmatic and wise figure, Doctor Dillamond is committed to finding scientific proof that Animals and humans are the same, which could help him argue against the Wizard's agenda to limit Animal rights.

Though she is the headmistress of Crage Hall, Madame Morrible is a more distant character in the novel who keeps an eye on Elphaba and Glinda but never actually fools Elphaba into thinking that she's trustworthy. On Broadway's Wicked, Elphaba seems more torn between her trust of Madame Morrible and Doctor Dillamond.

Because Elphaba wasn't even supposed to attend Shiz University if it weren't for Madame Morrible, the Wicked movie establishes an even closer relationship between the two of them. So, even as Elphaba begins to understand the issues raised by Doctor Dillamond in the film, she's unable to trace those concerns back to Madame Morrible.

23. A drought in Oz & a weather-controlling Morrible.

During a classroom scene from Wicked: Part One, Doctor Dillamond asks the students why humans have been turning against the Animals in Oz. "The drought," Elphaba answers. Doctor Dillamond says that she is correct, then explains how this lack of water (and, thus, agriculture) has prompted humans into consuming Animals as food.

Later, an invitation from the Wizard of Oz, addressed to Elphaba, arrives at Shiz University. After reading the invitation card, a bit of rain seems to form right over them. Madame Morrible, who has weather-controlling powers, first covers Elphaba with an umbrella. This feels like a nod to Elphaba's very real and very deadly allergy to water from the Wicked books, which is a legitimate weakness for Elphaba in Maguire's work. In the film, though, Elphaba just smiles as Madame Morrible places an umbrella over her.

Taking into consideration how unbothered Elphaba appears to be about the rain, one is inclined to believe that the movies will follow the Broadway musical's version of Elphaba's fate: that she is not, after all, allergic to water. While Elphaba and Morrible stand under the umbrella, the headmistress reveals her masterful skills in controlling the weather. Even though the Wicked musical strongly suggests that Morrible has those skills, the 2024 film actually shows how powerful she is.

Morrible's display of power in the film serves as even more fodder to the long-standing theory among fans that Morrible caused the tornado that brought Dorothy's house into Oz, as well as the "drought" that is turning humans against Animals.

24. Fiyero's foreshadowing and 'Dancing Through Life.'

The Wicked movie's "Dancing Through Life" scenes has a few references, Easter eggs, and foreshadowing for Fiyero.

Namely, Fiyero is shown posing with his arms out in what could be described as a "Scarecrow pose." The character is also seen reading a book called Forbidden Corn. Given that he becomes the Scarecrow in the classic The Wizard of Oz saga, this is a lot of foreshadowing for the Shiz University heartthrob.

Besides those visual cues added into the movie, there are also the many lyrics in "Dancing Through Life" drawing parallels between Fiyero "not having a brain," which is what the Scarecrow wants the most in the classic MGM film.

25. Boq uses books as height boosters.

Boq is a huge character in the 1995 Wicked book. In Maguire's work, he's depicted as a smart and studious young man… except for his massive, stupid crush on Glinda. As the story goes, Boq's heart breaks many times as Glinda continues to turn him down.

Wicked: Part One includes a sneaky and brilliant scene in the "Dancing Through Life" musical number: while Glinda and Fiyero are flirting, Boq recognizes that Glinda values Fiyero's stature over his (lack of) intelligence.

So, Boq walks up to them and — uncharacteristically — uses a couple of books on the floor as height boosters to appear taller than he is in front of Glinda and Fiyero.

This instinctive rush to stand on top of books (sources of knowledge and intelligence) to appear taller and have a better shot at love is the perfect foreshadowing for Boq's eventual fate: becoming the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, who famously wishes he had a heart.

26. Glinda tosses ruby slippers at Elphaba during 'Popular.'

During the "Popular" musical number in Wicked: Part One, Glinda throws a pair of ruby slippers to Elphaba. Those shoes don't look anything like Dorothy's iconic Ruby Slippers that possess magic, but this moment feels like a fun reference to the legendary shoes seen in The Wizard of Oz.

27. Fiyero isn't put to sleep by the poppies.

Wicked: Part One includes a classroom scene in which Elphaba brings a bouquet of poppies to Doctor Dillamond, but the Goat professor is subsequently arrested by guards and taken away. A substitute professor then appears and brings in a lion cub inside a cage — which is pretty new device in Oz. The man explains how, in the future, all animals and Animals can be kept in cages for their own safety.

Elphaba sees right through the situation and uses her powers to make her bouquet of poppies float in the air, putting everyone to sleep… except Fiyero, who rushes to rescue the lion cub along with Elphaba.

Fiyero, Elphaba, and the lion cub reach a forest where the cub is freed from his cage. While still in the forest, Elphaba teases Fiyero that he isn't as brainless or jaded as he thinks he is. Fiyero flips the logic on Elphaba, arguing that she purposely didn't let the poppies put him to sleep.

It's important to note that this is an unresolved dilemma between the two characters, leaving audiences without an actual answer.

The ambiguity isn't an accident — it's by design, serving as a clear nod to the famous scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion fall asleep in the poppy field. When Glinda makes it snow to help them wake up, the ice freezes up the Tin Man. The sole survivor in that scene is the Scarecrow, who, like Fiyero in Wicked, isn't affected by the poppies and goes on to rescue those in need.

28. The parallels between Toto and the lion cub.

Miss Almira Gulch — Dorothy's wicked Kansas neighbor in The Wizard of Oz — is the alter-ego of the Wicked Witch of the West. Miss Gulch, who's bothered by Toto, rides a bike and puts the dog in a basket.

There's a clear parallel to that classic scene in the Wicked movie, as Elphaba also rides a bike while rescuing the lion cub and also puts him in a basket.

29. The lion cub is, indeed, the Cowardly Lion.

Not a lot to explain here! Yes, the lion cub rescued by Elphaba and Fiyero is indeed the Cowardly Lion that accompanies Dorothy during her adventure in The Wizard of Oz.

The one little nuance for this character is that Wicked provides more context as to why the Lion in The Wizard of Oz is "cowardly." He was put in a cage ever since he was a young cub, and that trauma has prompted the Lion to have in fear.

30. Glinda places a red handkerchief over Boq's chest.

Glinda once again rejects Boq right before she embarks on a trip to the Emerald City with Elphaba. In the scene, Glinda pulls out a red handkerchief and places it over Boq's chest, right where a heart should be. This is a nod to Boq's heartbreaking life and how he eventually turns into the Tin Man.

The Tin Man's greatest desire in The Wizard of Oz is to have a heart, and the character makes many gestures to his chest (where a heart would be) throughout the MGM film.

31. Michael McCorry Rose's cameo.

Michael McCorry Rose, a notable actor who played Fiyero in the Wicked musical on Broadway, appears in the "One Short Day" segment of the film as the presenter and narrator of the Wiz-o-Mania show happening in the Emerald City.

32. The Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth cameos have a deeper meaning.

Millions of fans around the world were delighted to see Idina Menzel (who originated the character of Elphaba) and Kristin Chenoweth (who originated the character of Glinda) making such iconic cameos in the Wicked movie, which came with a brand-new section in — and added lyrics to — the "One Short Day" musical number. However, all that excitement distracts viewers from Menzel and Chenoweth's roles as in-universe performers who are starring in Wiz-o-Mania as the Magical Wise Ones.

During an episode of Oz Talk, cohosts Ryan Jay (@ryanjayreviews) and Victoria Calamito (@theozvlog) discussed the deeper meanings behind the characters played by Menzel and Chenoweth in the Wicked movie.

"The Magical Wise Ones wrote down the Grimmerie knowing that they were dying out, and authentic magic in Oz was eventually going away," Jay noted in the video. "It explains why we think of Oz as a magical land… [when,] really, it's not. Not everyone in Oz is magical. There are really interesting, queer, unique variants; a variety of people and things that are animated, and speak, and feel. But there are only a few people who actually practice magic."

"And as we know," Jay said, "there are the famous four witches — two of which were consolidated into one [Glinda], the North and South, for [the MGM film The Wizard of Oz]. But then there's East and West. Here, we see that the Wicked Witch of the West, a.k.a. Elphaba, comes by magic very authentically. Morrible, without a 'location' specific, is somewhat of a magical witch. We don't know who else, anywhere in the Land of Oz, can actually, naturally do magic."

Jay continued:

"Morrible teaches sorcery. But what's interesting about Kristin and Idina's roles as the Wise Ones… [looking] back to canon and L. Frank Baum, he explains that in the time of Lurline, the magic came to Oz through three adepts at magic, which were three witches who infused the Land of Oz with magic. So, while we only see two here, I think they represent the adepts of magic."

"I think that you're right," Calamito chimed in. "And it was a really good decision, just narratively, as well. Knowing what we know — they originated the magic in the musical — that is so powerful. And to see them interacting with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the way that Idina Menzel straightens [Erivo's] hat, the way that Kristin Chenoweth puts her hand over [Grande's] mouth to stop her from belting out. And Idina Menzel doing her battle cry!"

If you need a refresher, this scene in Wicked: Part One goes as follows:

The Wiz-o-Mania presenter announces, "Long, long ago… long before we can recall. There lived here in Oz, the Magical Wise Ones." Menzel and Chenoweth step in for their segment of the song as in-universe stage performers playing the Magical Wise Ones.

Menzel and Chenoweth sing, "We will not live forever. That, I can foresee. So let us set all of our magic in a strange and secret language… in a book: the Grimmerie!"

The presenter narrates that, as time went on, every person who was able to read the Grimmerie ended up passing away. So, the Magical Wise Ones left a prophecy:

"In Oz's darkest hour, though we cannot say when… There will come one with the power to read the Grimmerie again."

As exciting as it was to see Menzel and Chenoweth on the big screen in this Wicked movie, the can of worms that these cameos have opened are even more fascinating.

33. Winnie Holzman's cameo.

Winnie Holzman, a playwright and screenwriter who wrote the Tony Award-winning book for the Wicked musical, is also credited as a writer of the Wicked movies along with Dana Fox. But that's not all!

Holzman also appears in the "One Short Day" musical number that takes place in the Emerald City.

34. Stephen Schwartz's cameo.

Stephen Schwartz was one of the first people to believe that Maguire's Wicked novel would be better suited for a musical before it became a film, doing whatever he could to convince Universal Pictures in the late 1990s to bring this Broadway production to life.

Right after the Wiz-o-Mania sequence, Schwartz makes a cameo in Wicked: Part One as one of the guards for the Wizard. He even gets to deliver the iconic line, "The Wizard will see you now!" while wearing a costume that pays homage to the original The Wizard of Oz movie (via Playbill).

35. The Yellow Brick Road's color discussion is a distraction.

The Wizard (played by Jeff Goldblum) shows Elphaba and Glinda a prototype of "the Emerald City of the future." They're amazed by the vibrant mockup, and the Wizard says he's still picking the color of what ultimately becomes the Yellow Brick Road. This interaction comes across as an innocent origin story of how the brick road turned out to be yellow… unless you look a little bit closer.

The Wizard talks about the Yellow Brick Road being a wonderful way to connect all of Oz. However, themes from Maguire's Wicked book really jump out throughout this entire scene. For instance, it's clear that the Yellow Brick Road crosses mountains, forests, and fields of green — contributing to the environmental degradation of Oz, as well as the displacement of both animals and Animals. It could even contribute to the supposed drought that seems to be plaguing the land.

Turtle Heart, a character in the first Wicked novel who also has an affair with Elphaba's mother, explains that Quadling Country is an undeveloped area in the south of Oz that's mostly disconnected to the rest of it. Quadling Country also sits over a massive deposit of ruby stones. The book highlights how the Wizard sends an army to mine the region for rubies and start collecting taxes from the Quadlings. Moreover, this process becomes yet another reason for investing in "the future of Oz." After all, the Yellow Brick Road can really facilitate the transportation of rubies mined in Quadling Country and brought back to the Emerald City.

In other words: as the Wizard discusses which color would be better suited for the brick road to connect all of Oz, the construction of such road — no matter what color is chosen — results in the destruction of natural habitats and the species that lived within them, all to accelerate the shipping of rubies that enrich the Wizard even further.

36. The Wizard's 'A Sentimental Man' is much more powerful and evil.

"A Sentimental Man" isn't the most exciting song for audiences watching Wicked on Broadway. The song comes off as a narcissistic, dragged-out, and lame explanation from the Wizard to defend his character and justify why he got carried away by all of these people calling him "wonderful." Given that most people are aware that the Wizard of Oz is a fraud ever since they watched 1939's The Wizard of Oz for the first time, this song has always felt a little unnecessary.

The Wicked movie, however, elevates every single part of "A Sentimental Man" to the highest degree. As we circle back to Elphaba arriving at Shiz University, being totally mistreated by her father, and not even being enrolled in school if it weren't for Madame Morrible offering to tutor her, it is clear that Morrible is hyper-aware that Elphaba has "daddy issues."

Within the context of the movie, every single line of "A Sentimental Man" and every trick pulled off by the Wizard comes across as him deliberately trying to manipulate Elphaba's emotions and building himself up as a father figure that he knows (through Morrible) that Elphie never had… not just a regular guy who is trying to gain sympathy while justifying his grandiose behavior.

In other words, the film's framing of "A Sentimental Man" is much more manipulative and evil than how the song comes across on the Broadway show.

37. The imagery and artwork of Oscar Diggs.

Prior to arriving in Oz, the Wizard was just a man called Oscar Diggs from Omaha, Nebraska. The endgame of Wicked: Part One features plenty of artwork, posters, boxes, and signs branded with "Oscar Diggs" and "Omaha, NE."

Those names obviously don't make any sense to the residents of Oz, but fans can spot these references to the Wizard's past — hiding in plain sight — throughout the Wicked movie.

38. The melody of 'Defying Gravity' was the very first piece of music written for 'Wicked.'

Stephen Schwartz, the lyricist and composer of the Wicked musical (and also the film) pointed out in an interview that the melody of "Defying Gravity" was the first piece of music that he wrote for the Broadway production.

"This [melody] was actually the very first thing I wrote — way there was a title, 'Defying Gravity,' and way before there was a script or whatever," Schwartz told Classic FM. "When I was first playing around with what [the] music [could] sound like for the Wicked Witch, I wanted to find something that just sounded like strength, power, a kind of quiet confidence that comes from the ground up; that comes up through your feet, and into you."

It's interesting to think about the overall musicality of Wicked being built around the melody of "Defying Gravity." It's almost like, y'know, "Defying Gravity" was the center of gravity for the rest of the music! And that's pretty poetic.

39. The weather around Elphaba as she flies in 'Defying Gravity.'

Some fans have theorized that Madame Morrible intentionally creates a dark sky — with black clouds and thunders — while Elphaba wages war against the Wizard in the "Defying Gravity" musical number.

Considering that Morrible's anti-Elphaba propaganda campaign starts right away, it makes sense that she would make Elphaba's surroundings look as frightening as possible in this moment with the powers that she possesses: controlling the weather.

40. Fiyero seemingly runs toward Elphaba.

The "Defying Gravity" musical number ends the first act of the Wicked musical on Broadway, which means that we don't really get to see the reactions of all the other characters watching Elphaba fly away and listening to Madame Morrible's accusations that Elphaba is a Wicked Witch.

Fortunately, Wicked: Part One does cut to scenes of Fiyero, Boq, and Nessarose having their initial reactions to what is happening. While most characters are stunned and confused by this sudden declaration that Elphaba is wicked, it's interesting to see Fiyero immediately running toward something, or someone, which could very well be Elphaba herself.

41. Ariana Grande uses her father's last name in the 'Wicked' end credits.

The end credits of Wicked: Part One not only reaffirmed that this story was to be continued in a second film, but also showed that Ariana Grande — the pop star with more than 375 million followers on Instagram and over 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify — was credited in the movie Ariana Grande-Butera.

Joan Grande and Edward Butera split when Ariana was very young. In July 2014, at 21 years of age, Ariana told Seventeen that the biggest challenge in her life had been "falling out of touch with my dad." She explained:

"It's private, but it happened last year. It took me so long to be okay with it. The thing that got me there was embracing the fact that that I am made up of half my dad, and a lot of my traits come from him. So much of me comes from my father, and for so long, I didn't like that about myself. I had to accept that it's okay not to get along with somebody and still love them."

Many years later, Ariana walked the red carpet for the 2020 Grammy Awards with both of her parents, showing the world that they had already reconciled (via People). So, when asked in a 2024 interview about her dad's reaction to seeing his last name included in the end credits of Wicked, Ariana was moved to tears.

"He cried," Ariana told Entertainment Tonight. "And, you know, that was my name when I first saw Wicked. I do feel like this role, and this project, helped me sort of come home to little Ari. Maybe little pieces of her got lost along the way in this crazy industry, and I'm so grateful for the ways in which this experience led me back. So, I kind of wanted to capture that."

Ariana also revealed that Wicked director Jon M. Chu sent her the film's end credits "before he was supposed to send" it to the actors. Chu knew that people would start watching the movie soon and wanted Ariana to see it first with her father.

"I pulled it up on my laptop and I recorded him, secretly," she said. "I told him that I wanted to show him the typography of the credits. He's a graphic designer, he loves that stuff. And… anyway. It was a big surprise, and he cried. It was very emotional."

42. 'Wicked: Part Two' updates, theories, and expectations.

Wicked: Part Two is scheduled to premiere on November 21, 2025, which will basically be an exact year after the first movie. Moreover, the original composer of the Wicked musical, Stephen Schwartz, has already confirmed to Playbill that the next movie will feature two brand-new songs.

If you're not familiar with the Broadway musical, there's a significant time jump between Act I and Act II of the stage production. However, fans aren't entirely convinced that the same timeline will be followed in the next movie — particularly with Part One ending with Elphaba literally flying toward the Western sky, while showing Fiyero's knee-jerk reaction to run toward something as well.

Overall, there are many interesting theories about who those two new songs will be for, and what changes the second installment of Wicked will make to justify its runtime. Some fans are also losing their minds over theories related to who is riding a certain horse. Last but certainly not least, there are fiery discussions about whether this sequel will actually end Elphaba's saga… or just be another chapter that leads to more movies.

43. Expanding the franchise beyond 'Wicked: Part Two.'

During an interview for The Morning Blend TMJ4, Oz Historian Ryan Jay asked Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman about the expansion of the Wicked franchise beyond Wicked: Part Two, which is scheduled to premiere on November 21, 2025.

"We already got a franchise," Jay asked. "What will it take to get Wicked part three and four?"

Schwartz responded, "We are actually talking about something. It's under wraps, and we can't say [much]."

"But it's not Wicked part three or four," Holzman chimed in.

Schwartz agreed, adding: "But there is something we're talking about."

Wicked: Part One is now playing in theaters. Wicked: Part Two premieres on November 21, 2025 in theaters.