When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank
Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about
her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did
she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?
Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will
never look at Oz the same way again. "Wicked" is about a land where
animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens,
Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin
Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little
green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous
Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature
who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and
evil.