This article contains spoilers from Wicked.
This article contains mention of sexual assault.
WickedElphaba Thropp is a distinct character, with one of her defining physical features being her green skin. Since the onscreen debut of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, The Green skin is deeply intertwined with the character’s legacy. She did not have green skin in the original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Novel written by Frank L. Baum, but since the release of the film in 1939, it has been an integral element of the character.
This was continued in Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the Westwhich was later adapted into the popular Broadway musical, Wicked. This version of the character, known as Elphaba, has green skin for compelling narrative and in-universe reasons What follows is a memorable part of the 1939 film. These factors continue to be relevant in Jon M. Chu Wicked Movie adaptation of the musical, which stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
The wizard’s green elixir is believed to be what made Elphaba’s skin green
“Have another drink, my dark-eyed beauty…”
In the Broadway musical, Elphaba’s skin is believed to be green because of the green elixir that Elphaba’s mother drank. She had an affair with a man, later revealed to be the Wizard of Oz, who gave her the Green Elixir when Elphaba was born. Since The Green Elixir was in Elphaba’s mother’s system when she was pregnantIt caused the child’s skin to turn green, as lit in the musical’s opening song, “No One Morns the Bad.”
“No one mourns the wicked” features the mysterious man telling Elphaba’s mother to “Have another drink, my dark-eyed beauty” And “Have another drink of green elixir” Shortly before the musical proceeds to show Elphaba’s birth. When Elphaba’s mother and the Wizard are briefly seen together, the musical depicts their affair as consensual, whereas the novel depicts it as sexual assault, with the Wizard using the elixir from a green glass bottle to drug her. This makes the Green Elixir much more evil in the novel than in the musical.
The importance of Elphaba’s green skin in Bad
It’s not easy being green
Alphaba’s green skin makes her look like an outcast From the moment she was born, with even her own family disgusted by her. Her mother’s husband, who she believes to be her father, regrets Alphaba and is very fond of her sister, Nesoras, which causes great tension in the family. When Elphaba attends Shiz University, her green skin first makes her a social pariah in the eyes of her roommate, Galinda, and the other students, until an unexpected friendship begins between the two of them.
As Elphaba’s arc progresses, she stops caring about being accepted by others, and embraces what makes her different, including her green skin. When the Wizard manipulates the people of Oz into fearing Elphaba as the Wicked Witch of the West, he uses her green skin as a reason to fear her and see her as unnatural. The irony is that her skin is green because of the green elixir he gave her mother, and her unparalleled powers, including her ability to read parts of the grimoire, are rooted in one of her biological parents being from Oz and the other being from Earth.
How bad did Cynthia Erivo’s skin turn green to play Elphaba
It’s not CGI
In 2022, before filming for Wicked Started, Erivo shared with Entertainment tonight That chu “Asked me at one point if I wanted to be actually green or CGI green, and I was like, ‘I’d like to be green because I’m not sure the CGI will sit the way you need it to sit.’ That it should still feel like it’s my skin.” Irvo also emphasized that she is “Happy to sit in makeup for hours and hours to turn green.” Elphaba’s green skin was therefore created by makeup instead of being created by CGI.
Elphaba’s green skin, its narrative importance, and the makeup process that brings it to life are among the elements that make it up Wicked An immersive story.
While Wicked Released a lot of behind-the-scenes content leading up to the first film, take a look The exact makeup process of Erivo has not been shared yet. It is likely similar to the process of Elphaba’s Broadway makeup process, which, according to PlaybillIncludes a green chromacake for the base, along with some modifications that will be needed for a film adaptation. Elphaba’s green skin, its narrative importance, and the makeup process that brings it to life are among the elements that make it up Wicked An immersive story.
Source: Entertainment tonight, Playbill