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Question: How come Wicked the musical is very different from the book!?
I heard that Wicked the book is a lot more adult-themed and the musical had a change to it so that it would be easier to understand and aimed at a suitable audience, I reckon!.
But some authors hate their novels to be changed, but Gregory Maguire loved the musical Wicked! It is indeed fantastic!
But PL Travers, who wrote Mary Poppins, did not like the film at all because it was changed so much!.
Wicked was different as well, but Maguire still enjoyed it!.
How come these things aren't always accurate but still enjoyable!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Well, tough some may say there is "girl on girl action", there isn't in the book!. The differences are that the book is much more sexual and explains a lot more of Elphaba's early years which are not explained, (e!.g!. her shark teeth) and, some characters that confuse the reader of the book like Yackle, are left out!. also, Dr!. Dillamond is murdered, not turned into chistery, and the wizard has no flying monkeys!. There are also characters like Liir, and there is no implied false romance, or even real romance, between Boq and Nessa (who in the book is not in a wheelchair, but doesn't have arms)!. If they had made anexact copy of the book, the show would have to have five acts, also!. There is no plotline in Kiamo-Ko in the musical and in the book there is no, Dancing Through Life or Popular - type scenes!. In fact, Elphaba and Glinda really aren't together for most of the book!. also, Fiyero is a married man in the book and has a love affair with Elphaba, and has no reelationship with Glinda ever!. The musical has more the same "idea" as the book, but differences made to make it more family-oriented!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Well, the book and the musical in essence are the same overall story, but they have their differences!. I love both, and besides, it gives options for fanfiction writers as well!.
From Wicked The Grimmerie: A behind-the-scenes look at the hit Broadway musical!.
(pg 35)
Gregory Maguire: I knew that people would be coming to my novel remembering the 1939 movie!. I didn't even need to refer to it much!. I could evoke the film with very slender, oblique comments!. But I wasn't beholden to it!. And why should Wicked the musical slavishly conform to my novel, when my novel itself was a playful deviation of the Baum novel, with glancing references to the movie!? I had no problem with Stephen and Winnie taking the material and making it theri own!. I have a big ego, but it's not that big: Let Wicked the musical be different than Wicked the novel!. With my blessing!.
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Both are entirely accurate versions of the story!.
Pretty much they're two different universes with the same story!. The book being one universe and the musical the other of course!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
The musical is DRASTICALLY watered down from the book version!.
I read the book first and really enjoyed it- it was "adult themed" and had a lot of political references and what not!.
THEN i saw the musical!. I enjoyed that as well but i think because it was SO different, i wasn't even able to make a comparison!.
Maybe it was the same way for Maguire too!. Maybe because the musical and the book are so drastically different from one another, its like comparing apples and oranges and he was able to like both!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Well they made the two witches actual enemies in the musical and completely removed the lesbian subtext!. The wicked with had it BAD for the good witch and there was some implied girl on girl action!. The male gay sex was pretty blunt though!. Not implied, but not explicit either!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think Wicked was kinda different because they had to edit some very adult scenes from the book to make it more family friendly!.
And about Maguire enjoying it!.!.!.
well seriously,
Who wouldn't!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
One had music in!. The other was a book!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
When adapting a book to stage or film, you can't have everything!. You want to get to the heart of the story, and you want to keep references to things people will expect!. Since Wicked is a Wizard of Oz based story, it was important to keep Nessarose on stage, but not their brother!. In keeping Nessa, they had to have a convincing story-line for her!.!.!. enter Boq, who is only one of a group of munchkins mentioned in the book!. Maguire makes references that the Cowardly Lion may be the same cub she released while in school, the stage show makes that a reality!. By making Fyerio single they were able to create a convincing love triangle!.!.!. a staple of most musicals!. Yet they dropped the possible child of Elphaba and Fyerio completely!.!.!. why complicate the show with this!?
From these examples you see how one medium, a novel, is adapted to another, stage!. By the time the film comes out I expect even more changes!.!.!. possibly bringing in more things from the book, and tying things to the '39 film more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com