In which year is the musical 'Wicked' set?

Answer 1

The musical 'Wicked' represents the consolidation of a number of years in the lives of two witches. On the one hand, the costumes and the props of the staged version of the play are such as to convey a sense of timelessness. On the other hand, some of the costumes recall specific fashion periods, such as Glinda's 1950's style 'Popular Girl' pink ruffled dress.

The musical's setting begins with the end, traces back significant episodes, and ends back where the play opens. The main characters are Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba Thropp, the subsequent Wicked Witch of the West. So the action begins with Glinda's triumph at the supreme sorceress over the former lands of the Wizard of Oz. Her triumph appears to have been achieved at the expense of Elphaba's life and reputation.

But flashbacks show that the two witches work their way through initial enmity to friendship. By the time that the musical gets through Glinda's reminiscences, viewers realize that Elphaba's apparent downfall is her actual triumph also. Where Glinda gains a powerful reputation, Elphaba seems to lose hers. But that loss is due to a working arrangement between the two former enemies and subsequent fast friends. Glinda gets to have a career while Elphaba gets to have a personal life and possibly a new career elsewhere, outside of Glinda's power base in Oz.