Though set in the magical realm of Oz, the story of how a society can be led to demonize the “different” feels quite familiar.

Nearly a month after its release to theaters, the movie adaptation of the original Broadway musical “Wicked” continues to enchant audiences worldwide, and rightfully so. Director Jon Chu’s state-of-the-art production features immersive real-life sets, iconic choreography, and amazing costume design brought to life by an incredible cast. Yet while the emerald sparkle and soaring musical numbers sweep viewers away to Oz, it’s the plot’s deeper resonance that keeps audiences truly spellbound.

For those of you who have lived under a rock for the past 20 years, “Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz” is an original Broadway musical created by composer Stephen Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman. Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which reimagined L. Frank Baum’s classic “The Wizard of Oz,” the show has become one of Broadway’s most beloved productions.

The musical tells the story of Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman born with striking green skin and extraordinary magical abilities. Initially an outcast due to her unusual appearance, she forms an unexpected friendship with Glinda, her popular and bubbly roommate at Shiz University. Together, they discover a disturbing truth: Oz’s animal citizens, once respected members of society, are being systematically oppressed under the deceitful Wizard’s regime. As Elphaba fights to expose this injustice, she’s branded to Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West – the land’s new enemy – while Glinda joins forces with the Wizard and is elevated as Glinda the Good, attempting to fight from within.

This story of how a society can be led to demonize the “different” feels quite familiar. Though set in the magical realm of Oz, the plot’s dark undercurrents of systematic oppression and twisted narratives strike uncomfortably close to home, prompting many communities to identify with the film’s plot, and prominently among them: the Jewish community.

An allegory to the Holocaust

So, is “Wicked” truly based on Jewish history? Across social media, viewers have overwhelmingly identified one parallel that stands out above all others – the stark resemblance between the Wizard’s systematic oppression of Oz’s animals and the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. These citizens of Oz, once integral to their society as teachers and lawyers, find themselves stripped of their rights, locked in cages, and losing their ability to speak – all because they’ve been designated as a threat to society. As the Wizard chillingly admits in the film, “Back where I come from, the best way to bring folks together is to give them a really good enemy.”
Ariana Grande as Glinda in the film “Wicked,” holding a black, cone-shaped hat. Photo credit: Universal Pictures via AP

Antisemitic stereotypes

According to the Jewish publication Hey Alma, in medieval and early modern Europe, the mythology of witches was deeply rooted in antisemitic stereotypes. Witches were portrayed as demonic beings with Satanic features, accused of unholy pacts and monstrous acts. In her book “The Antisemitic History of Witches,” Emma Shachat reveals that even the iconic pointed black witch’s hat originated from discriminatory laws requiring Jews to wear distinctive cone-shaped hats, reflecting how Jews were systematically othered, exactly the way Elphaba is, wearing the pointed black hat given to her by Glinda.

Wicked and Hitler 

Gregory Maguire, whose novel inspired the musical, conceived “Wicked” after encountering a provocative newspaper headline that read: “Saddam Hussein: The Next Hitler?” He recalled that this headline sparked his contemplation of societal responses to jingoism and propaganda, ultimately inspiring the novel’s exploration of perspective and moral complexity.

Maguire noted a similarity between the words wicked and Hitler, saying he made an intentional choice to name the novel “Wicked.” While some interpret the book’s themes as reflecting America’s own history rather than just Hitler’s Germany, the yellow-brick road to the Emerald City offers another possible Jewish connection. Both its yellow color and the fact it was built by slave labor could be read as Holocaust allegories.

Jewish cast members

An additional factor that fueled this speculation was the Jewish presence in the original production. The original actress cast to play Elphaba was the Jewish-American Idina Menzel, well-known for her roles in the musical “Rent” and in Disney’s “Frozen”.

Another Jewish member is the musical’s composer and lyricist, Stephen Schwartz, which led some to believe it had to do with the plot’s and protagonist’s supposed Jewish background.

Yet Schwartz emphasized that the musical isn’t explicitly Jewish-themed. “I think a lot of musical theatre themes speak to Jewish audiences because in many instances musicals are about outsiders, striving to discover how they might fit in,” he explained to the Jewish Chronicle in 2020, noting it deeply resonates with Jewish experiences.

Talia Suskauer, a Jewish actress who was playing Elphaba on Broadway in 2021 explained how the role resonated with her: “There’s a line in the show that says, ‘The people just need a really good enemy,” she told The Forward. “They need a scapegoat.’ Throughout history, Jews have been designated as that scapegoat.”

Conclusion 

Though there are palpable Jewish resonances in ‘Wicked’, there isn’t a conclusive answer regarding its specific Jewish background. The prejudice and discrimination faced by Elphaba and the animals in Oz resonates with both individuals who have felt othered throughout their lives and many communities who have faced oppression. However, in 2024, amid rising global antisemitism following the events of Oct. 7, 2023, Elphaba’s quest for justice and her journey to embrace her “unlimited” power, as embodied in Schwartz’s legendary “Defying Gravity,” carries particular weight.