I recently had the joy of seeing the movie Wicked on the big screen. Even though I’m color challenged (meaning I sometimes struggle to distinguish between certain shades of colors like shades of green), I’m sure I missed some of the finer nuances of the emerald city’s green glow, yet the story resonated with me on a deeper level.
It got me thinking about perspective, defying expectations, and finding your own version of “green.”
For those unfamiliar, Wicked tells the story of the Witches of Oz before Dorothy drops in. It explores the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, the “Wicked Witch of the West,” and Glinda, the “Good Witch.” Elphaba, born with green skin, is immediately ostracized and labeled as different. Her journey is one of fighting for what she believes in, even when the world misunderstands her.
The theme song “Defying Gravity” encapsulates this struggle. Elphaba makes a conscious choice to rise above the limitations placed upon her, to reject the narrative that has been written for her. She chooses to fly, literally and metaphorically, defying the expectations and prejudices of those around her.
This resonated with me on a personal level. We all have moments where we feel boxed in, where we feel like the world is trying to define us. We’re told who we should be, how we should act, and what we should believe. But like Elphaba, we have the power to defy these limitations. We can choose to rise above the noise and forge our own path.
My own “color challenge” became a small but relevant analogy during the show. I knew green was a major theme, but I wasn’t always picking up on the subtle shifts in hue. Yet, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The story, the music, the performances – they transcended the literal color.
It made me realize that sometimes we get so caught up in the details, in the “right” way of seeing things, that we miss the bigger picture.
Elphaba’s green skin is a visual representation of her “otherness,” but her true strength lies in her character, her convictions, and her refusal to conform. Similarly, my experience with the show highlighted that the true “green” wasn’t just about the visual color, but the themes of acceptance, challenging authority, and staying true to yourself.
Just like Elphaba chose to defy gravity, we can choose to defy the limitations placed upon us. We can choose to see the world from a different perspective, to find our own meaning, and to create our own definition of “green.”
It’s not about fitting into someone else’s mold, but about embracing our unique qualities and flying high, even if we see the world in slightly different shades.
Wicked reminded me that sometimes, missing some of the details can actually help us see the bigger, more important picture. And that, in itself, is a kind of magic.
Hello Mark, thanks for the post! I agree with your color analogy, especially the internal character vs external “details” which detract away from a person’s true character. I believe you may be alluding to this, but Elphaba’s skin tone may also represent “otherness” in a non-physical way, and could apply to behaviors, upbringing, etc. I do think that oftentimes it’s normalized for people to evaluate someone’s worth based on characteristics that are obvious but don’t necessarily define character, so this resonated with what I’ve experienced on another level.