Jab’s Builds! (Lawnmower Man! Samus Aran! Metroids!)

[Ken]

Are you okay?

[Jabroniville]

Are you okay?

Oh just the usual- OCD, ADD, Sociopathic Personality Disorder, Necrophilia- nothing much. You ?

[Jabroniville]

(Boq, about to admit to Nessarose that he only asked her out to make good with Galinda)
"Uh, Nessa?"
"Yes?"
"Uh, Nessa?
I've got something to confess- a / reason why, well,
why I've asked you here toni-ight... / Now I know it isn't fair--"
"Oh, Boq, I know why."
"You do?"
"It's because I'm in this chair, / and you felt sorry for me.
Well isn't that right?"
"NO! It's because... uh, because....
BECAUSE YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUUULLL!"
"Oh Boq! / I think you're wonderful!
And we deserve each other... / Don't you see this is our chance?
We deserve each other... / Don't we Boq?"
"You know what?... / Let's Dance!"

Boq: "Don't you see, Nessa? I lost my heart to Glinda the moment I laid eyes on her."
Nessarose: "LOST. YOUR. HEART. Well... we'll see about that."
-Boq, making the single worst choice of words in the history of mankind.

BOQ, THE TIN WOODSMAN
Created By: L. Frank Baum
First Appearance: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
Role: The Everyman (Book), The Pining Nerd, The Manservant
Group Affiliations: Shiz University, Munchkinland
Signature Song: "March of the Witch Hunters"
PL 5 (52)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Close Combat (Axe) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Woodsman) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Manservant) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Singing) 7 (+6)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Equipment (Axe) 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Body Made of Tin"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 6 [6]

Equipment:
"Woodsman's Axe" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Penetrating 4) (7)

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Axe +4 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative -3/+1

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +6, Fortitude --, Will +3

Complications:
Prejudice (Munchkin)- Boq is tall for a Munchkin ("well, I don't like to brag..."), but he's still a Munchkin. Others belittle him, and few take him seriously. Eventually, Nessarose takes away all of their rights when she becomes Governor.
Relationship/Obsession (Galinda/Glinda)- What starts as a schoolboy crush on the prettiest girl in the world eventually turns into a full-blown obsession for Boq. Not only does he obey her every wish, but even years after graduating from University, he attempts to drop whatever he's doing and confess his feelings to her the second he hears that she's engaged.
Relationship (Nessarose)- When the sweet Munchkin boy asks Nessa to dance, she first feels like he's only feeling sorry for her (like everyone else is). When he assures her that he asked her out "because you are so beautifullll!", she cries "Oh Boq! / I think you're wonderful! / And we deserve each other--", and becomes infatuated with him. Unbenownst to her, he only asked her out because Galinda convinced him to, and he was unwilling to hurt her feelings when he confessed his reasoning.
Enemy ("I have a personal score to settle with El... with the WIIIITCH!!")- Boq's heart was destroyed by Nessarose after a magic spell gone wrong. To save him, Elphaba was forced to alter his body into a form that didn't need a heart- a body of Tin. Boq woke from a temporary coma, and was horrified beyond belief to discover his new form. As the Tin Woodsman, he becomes one of the most virulent of The Witch Hunters. "For once I'm glad I'm Heartless- I'll be heartless KILLING HER!"

Total: Abilities: -4 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 36 / Defenses: 7 (52)

Book Boq:
-Oh, poor Boq. A fairly tall Munchkinlander (coming up to Glinda's shoulder) in the book, he was used as Gregory Maguire's "Everyman" character, of sorts. With rich, snobby Galinda and sour, dour Elphaba, there needed to be a more "normal" influence. And so we had this basic, decent guy, ruled at first by a passion for Galinda (and who wouldn't? Maguire goes into TONS of detail about her resplendant beauty), until he developed into more of a level-headed guy. They formed a tight-knit little posse of characters at school, with Boq's buddies Avaric, Crope & Tibbett joining Galinda's friends Pfanee & Shenshen, and I loved reading their little bits of stuff. Boq was part of some of the funnier moments, like when Elphaba derided him for his Galinda Crush- she promises that "you're worth TEN of her!", checks his shocked expression, and then goes "NOT TO ME!", in abject horror at what her phrasing sounded like. He went on to the most mundane life in Oz, marrying another of Galinda's schoolchums, and his crush on Miss Priss only lasted the summer, ending when Dr. Dillamond was murdered and now-Glinda became more serious.

Stage Boq:
-Enter the Wicked Musical. The play needed a means to an end, and a decision was made to explain more of the origins of the famous Oz characters, as well as compress certain things. Thus, Boq was turned from "Shy Everyman with a one-summer crush" into "Shy & Pathetic Loserdork with an all-consuming obsession for Miss Glinda", made to hook up with Nessarose by Glinda (to pawn him off; he was doing that "Dork Thing" that most dorks do without knowing it: hanging around a woman endlessly doing favours for her as if it'll earn him points, but he just comes off as clingy and annoying), and then... bad things happen.

-Boq ends up an interesting little character study, though he's so one-note as a CHARACTER that he ends up in "Dillamond" territory. I think he's in about five scenes total, and usually a minor element in most of them- he moons over Galinda at school (and provides some Exposition Magnet for when Fiyero shows up- Galinda has to explain to him who the Winkie Prince is), and goes along when she suggests he ask out Nessarose to the dance. When he's about to confess this to her, he (in a neat moment) decides instead to protect her feelings and suggest it's because she's "SO BEAUTIFULLLLLLLLLL!", but this makes her get too attached- she freaks out when he gets all huffy later when Glinda moons over Fiyero. Next time we see him, he's being stand-offish and rude to his mistress, as Nessa is now treating him like a slave so he'll always be with her.

-When Boq, who's been trapped as Nessa's manservant for... however long it's been (the play is unclear), finally rejects her and goes off to find Glinda, he makes the aforementioned HORRIBLE choice-of-words and ends up "Magic-Spelled". Nessa wants his heart to belong to HER, but of course messes up the wording in the very dangerous Grimmerie, and ends up shrinking poor Boq's heart. When Nessa begs Elphaba to save his life, Elphie has to improvise, and the only way to fix the spell (since things, once done, cannot be undone) is to transform him to a form that no longer needs a heart. Enter: The Tin Woodsman (or Tin Man, or Tin Woodman, depending). The scene where Boq slowly wakes up and makes the terrifying discovery is probably the most horrific moments of the entire play- he just SCREAMS over and over again. He becomes one of Elphaba's most ardent hunters in March of the Witch Hunters, proclaiming that "For once I'm glad I'm heartless- I'll be heartless killing HER!", but we actually don't see him at all for the rest of the play- his role is done.

-Boq can easily be shipped with others in the book- his crush on Galinda is adorable and comes off less creepy than it does in the play, he has a fun relationship with Elphaba (they're both rather pragmatic sorts, but she's heavy on the snark and him on the professed dignity), etc.- but Musical Boq is never shipped with ANYONE. Our hearts are always with the Fiyero thing, and poor Nessa is too messed up to see otherwise.

The Various Boqs:
-None of the Boqs are terribly famous. The role is idealized for a short male actor, which at least provides work for some who wouldn't ordinarily get it (you can't fix height issues in a play; there's no shooting Vin Diesel to look like he's Dwayne Johnson's height HERE), though I've seen some short dudes in main roles- Daniel Radcliffe of course gets a pass, but the guy playing the male lead in Beauty and the Beast was hella-short, too. Some have been better than others, though it's a bit tough to tell- the role literally consists of him mooning over Glinda during the opening scene at Shiz University (where he's the least-important of about nine other characters), a few bits here and there in Dancing Through Life, the scene in The Wicked Witch of the East (which is 90% the two sisters), and a bit in March of the Witch Hunters- in all of these scenes, he's basically obsessing over Glinda, or freaking out emotionally. It's this weird combination of a lot of emotions to let out, but not a lot of time for each one.

-Some actors have played him a bit more harmlessly-nerdy, while others make him seem authentically-creepy- I think a lot of nerds fear they're in the latter group (and truthfully, a lot of us behave in that manner without meaning to). There's a scene where Galinda grabs his arm, and he goes "You're TOUCHING ME-HEE-HEE-HEE..." that comes off as orgasmic in some readings, and Urkel-ish in others. It's all in how he's played. Most of the actors I've seen have been decent enough, though the one in England suffered a bit from a... shall we say, UNSUBTLE sexuality. Which wouldn't be an issue, if the entire point of his character was to be in love with a woman. Of course, with Glinda we might be in "PLEASE. No one's that gay" territory.

Boq's Stats:
-For stats, I basically made Boq up to be The Tin Woodsman, a role he doesn't take up in the book. Because otherwise, Boq is basically the living embodiment of "The NPC Bystander", with no notable abilities, skills or anything. His "Everyman" role in the book was VERY set in stone. As the Woodsman, he's a PL 5 guy with an Axe- dangerous enough to kill some Flying Monkeys, but he's no glorious ass-kicker, either.

[Jabroniville]

So yes, I've written monster essays on characters that only appear in 3-4 scenes in the play, suck it. You're lucky I didn't build Witch's Father and Rat Midwife .

Also, Wicked is apparently #9 on the All-Time Longest-Running Broadway Musicals list. And within two years, it will be #6- both Mamma Mia! (closed in 2015), Oh! Calcutta! and A Chorus Line (eons ago) will be surpassed within 70-300 shows (less than a year). The rest of the list... is pretty hard to scratch. They have a good shot at Cats and Les Miz, both of which are a thousand shows ahead, but that might only take 3-4 years.

But it'll never reach #1. That would require The Lion King, Chicago and The Phantom of the Opera to close. One, maybe- you never know when people will stop caring about Chicago or the show dominated by puppets. But all three? No way.

[Jabroniville]

oh shit that SMILE what the FRICK?










"So if you care to find me- LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKY!
As someone told me lately- Ev'ryone deserves a chance to FLY!
And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying FREE...
Let those who'd GROUND me, take a message back from MEEEEEE-
Tell them how IIII am Defying Gravity!
Kiss me GOODBYE, DeFYing Gravity!
And soon I'll match them in renown...

And nobody, in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna BRINNGGGGGG... ME-EE-EE... DOOOOOOWWWWWWWN!"
Glinda: "I hope you're happy!"
Gale Force: "Look at her- She's Wicked! GET HER!"
"Bring MEEE DOOOOWWWWWNN!"
Gale Force: "No one mourns the Wicked! And so we've got to bring her--"
"AA-AAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Gale Force: "DOWWWWWWN!"
-The Musical, End of Act I

"That's why I call myself a witch now: the Wicked Witch of the West, if you want the full glory of it. As long as people are going to call you lunatic anyway, why not get the benefit of it? It liberates you from convention."
-The Novel

ELPHABA, THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST (Elphaba Thropp)
Created By: L. Frank Baum
First Appearance: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
Role: The Heroine, Main Character, Nerdy Girl, Magic-User
Group Affiliations: Shiz University, The Animals
Signature Song: "Defying Gravity"
PL 8 (130)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 7 (+7)
Expertise (Magic) 6 (+10)
Expertise (History) 2 (+6)
Expertise (Rebel Leader) 4 (+8)
Expertise (Singing) 16 (+16)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 10 (+10)
Perception 5 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 4 (+10)
Stealth 3 (+6)
Treatment 2 (+6)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Roll, Diehard, Evasion, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fearless, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Ritualist, Startle, Ultimate Will Save

Powers:
"Innate Ability- Control Others" Affliction 6 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Controlled Movements) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [6]
"A Vision Almost Like a Prophecy" Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]

"Magic Broom" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [3]
Flight 5 (60 mph) (Flaws: Platform) (5 points)

"The Grimmerie" (Feats: Restricted to Magically-Inclined Types) (Flaws: Easily Removable) [20]
"Transform Creatures" Affliction 6 (Fort; Dazed/Stunned/Transformed to New Form) (Extras: Continuous +3) (Flaws: Distracting) (18)
"Have a Ball!" Fire Blast 6 (12) -- (13)

• AE: Move Object 5 (10)

-- (31 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Fireball +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications (Early):
Prejudice ("Unnaturally GREEN!")- Elphaba was born as the result of a tryst between Melena Thropp and a mysterious travelling salesman and his "green elixir". Born with skin of pure emerald hue, poor "beautifully tragic" Elphaba grew up bullied, picked on, and screamed at. This has left her with a cynical disposition, and a particular blend of nastiness to annoying people. "I don't cause commotions- I AM one."
Responsibility ("But of course I'll care for Nessa")- Elphie would normally be kept away from everyone- she is her father's shame. But with her poor sister Nessarose being forced into a wheelchair, Elphaba is sent to Shiz University to be her protector and guardian.
Responsibility ("My father hates me")- Elphaba's luminous green skin is the reason why her mother ate milkflowers upon her second pregnancy. This resulted in poor Nessarose being born with deformed legs, and their mother never woke up at all. Her father Flexspar never forgave Elphie for this, despite it never really being HER fault at all. Elphie considers this a big enough secret to tell her only friend, Galinda.
---
Motivation ("Making Good")- Elphaba's goal is stated straight-away in The Wizard And I, as she desperately wants to learn sorcery, meet the Wizard, and join forces with him. "No father will be not proud of you! / No sister acts ashamed... for everyone in Oz will have to LOVE YOU when by the Wizard you're acclaimed.
Secret ("De-greenified")- Elphaba is grouchy when people insult or are shocked by her colour, but puts on a brave face and refuses to act saddened by their comments. But deep down, she feels horrible about it, and secretly wishes that the Wizard would remove her "vertigry", though she even pretends to herself (and the audience) that "you know that's not important to me... 'All right! Why not!?' I'll reply!", and she would casually accept such a gesture.
Rivalry ("Loathing! Un-adult-erated Loathing!")- It's hate at first sight for the two unlikely roomates, Galinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp. The girliest-girl in all the land is popular, fashionable and charismatic, while Elphaba is dark, moody, insular and GREEN. "Loathing! For your hair!" "Your voice!" "Your clothing!"
Responsibility (Awkward)- Elphaba doesn't deal well with unpopularity, and generally reacts to things with either anger ("alright, let's get this out of the way... NO I'm not sea-sick, YES I've always been green, and NO I didn't eat grass as a child!") or odd attempts at enjoying herself (when she's been humiliated by showing up to the Ozdust ballroom wearing a "hideodious" hat, her response is to dance defiantly... the most hilariously-awkward dance in history.

Complications (Mid-Way):
Motivation (The Animals)- When Elphaba hears the plight of Doctor Dillamond, her History Professor (who happens to be a Goat), she learns that "something bad... is happening in Oz", and she strives to put things right- she will use her audience with The Wizard to argue on the Animals' behalf, and get him to restore many of the Animals to speech, and stop the horrible prejudice the Animals experience.
Responsibility ("I'm Not That Girl")- When Fiyero unexpectedly helps Elphaba save a poor Lion cub from a dreadful science experiment, she discovers that there's more to the boy than someone she thought was "not really stupid!" But as much as she feels for him, she realizes that there is no hope for their relationship- she daren't actually attempt to act on these feelings, because his heart belongs to the "winsome" Glinda, and Elphaba will always be alone.
Enemy (The Wizard, Madame Morrible)- When Elphaba discovers that The Wizard has been manipulating Oz into hating the Animals all along, and has forced her to use the Grimmerie to forever transform his Monkeys into flying spies, she is forced to steal the Grimmerie and betray him, becoming a rebel. Both are powerful enemies, with many minions.
Relationship (Doctor Dillamond)- Dillamond is one of the few people at University to befriend Elphaba- as one of the few "Others" in Oz, Elphaba feels a kinship for him, and is very defensive. When he is removed from his post, she is furious, but when he turns up in the Wizard's chamber, rendered mute and slave-like, Elphaba is FURIOUS, and redoubles her efforts against The Wizard.

Complications (Later):
Reputation (Wicked!)- Elphaba becomes a rebel to the leaders of Oz, and soon the entire populace is hunting her and spreading vile rumours, like that she can shed her skin, or that pure water will melt her unclean soul.
Rivalry ("I hope you're happy how you'd grovel in submission- to feed your own ambition!")- Elphie is furious when Glinda continually sides with The Wizard and Madame Morrible, and even moreso when Nessa is killed. Things only get worse between the two when Fiyero leaves Glinda for Elphie. When they meet up at Nessarore's body, things descend into a slapstick fight.
Relationship ("Fi-YERRRRROOOOOO!")- The two finally fall deeply in love after some arguments ("No, I don't think you're stupid! Well- not REALLY stupid!"), and Fiyero runs off with her. Knowing that there's "no future / for us as a pair", the two resolve that "Just for this moment, as long as you're mine", everything will be OK, and that they'll "have to make this one moment last".
---
Motivation ("No Good Deed Goes Unpunished!")- When Fiyero is taken from her (and probably killed), it's the final breaking point- Elphaba flips out, and decides to fully embrace her reputation ("Let all Oz by agreed- I'm WICKED through and through!"). Things such as assualt, uttering death threats, kidnapping young girls (and their little dogs, too), etc., are all part of her nature now. It would take the return of Fiyero, and a makeup with Glinda, to make her see the light again.
Relationship ("You'll be with me; like a handprint on my heart")- Though they have argued and fought (even physically by this point), the realization that "it well may be... that we will never meet again / in this lifetime" causes Elphaba to say "let me say before we part that so much of ME... is made of what I learned from YOU". Both girls are forced to acknowledge "I am who I am today because I knew you" and they embrace as friends, and promise never to forget each other.

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 29 / Defenses: 9 (130)

Book Elphaba:
-Elphaba is of course the heroine of the story- the novel makes her a bit more snide, obsessive and sarcastic (and less obsessed with how others think about her)- she's kind of a bitter grouch, and the world dumps on her so hard by the end that it's ludicrous. One thing after another happens, and endless timeskips make it even worse- she joins the rebellion against the Wizard, but her big attempt goes nowhere when she backs down, and the resulting breakdown renders her comatose (she gives birth while unconscious, and carries around the young Liir with her from then on, offering him no motherly affection at all). She wakes up with her lover Fiyero dead, and continues acting out far afield from Oz, dying when she gets set on fire, and a helpful young farmgirl throws a bucket of water on her, as such things are anathema to her from childhood. Also, she might have been born a hermaphrodite (in an odd bit, a midwife "scrapes off" some bit of business on the baby's crotch and she's left with an scar there). It's... kind of a bring-down, honestly.

Musical Elphaba:
-The character of the musical keeps some of the strong bits (bitterness, sass) while avoiding the "weird downfall". The musical really lets you know that while she PRETENDS she doesn't give a flying F about anyone else's opinion (she acts like she doesn't care whether or not she's green, and speaks casually of the Wizard "de-greenifying" her like it's an aside, when you can tell that it's actually her fondest wish), she really actually does, and wants to be normal more than anything- Galinda of all people is the only person with heart enough to see it.

-But once she meets Doctor Dillamond, and becomes a defender of the oppressed Animals underclass (as an "Other", she knows what it's like to be faced with discrimination), she's put into a dire situation, and her entire world comes tumbling down. Elphaba defends Dillamond to the other students (when Galinda acts upset over his accent screwing up her name, she gets enraged), tries to console him when he's taunted with "Animals should be SEEN and not HEARD!" ("You shouldn't let what others say get to you! I mean, *I* always do, but YOU shouldn't!"). This sets up the rest of the story (though the Animal thing is always a bit of an undercurrent- more an excuse to move things along).

Elphaba & Dynamic Characters:
-Elphaba really turns out to be a fascinating little character, dynamic in all the right ways. She accidentally allows herself to have feelings for a boy (Fiyero), and has to remind herself "I'm Not That Girl"- that such things were never meant for people like her. She experiences prejudice and bullying, but throws it right back in everyone's face, disguising her hurt with bitterness. And she eventually even sees the good side of GALINDA of all people. Their relationship is perfect- Galinda is condescending and excessively-perky ("I've decided to make YOU my new project!"), but ultimately means well, and Elphaba begrudgingly goes along with her, barely tolerating Miss Caffeine, and even growing a bit uncomfortable with Galinda's attempts to pretty her up- in the hilarious Popular, Galinda leaps about, teaching Elphaba how to be likeable and the center of attention, while Elphie shows complete disinterest. But at the very end, there's a legitimate tender moment, where Elphie gets lipstick and a flower in her hair, and Galinda is stunned- "why Miss Elphaba... you're beautiful." An uncomfortable Elphaba just spurts out "I have to go" and runs off.
-She freaks out in class when the Lion cub is tortured by the professer (eager to show how you can make it so Animals never speak at all), yet is prepared to grovel before the Wizard to help out- surely HE can help the Animal cause! But her meeting goes poorly- she figures out that the Wizard (a humble-looking old man) has no real powers, AND that he was the source of the Animals' persecution in the first place! When he attempts to pass it off ("the quickest way to bring people together is to give them a really good enemy!"), but tricks her into mutilating the Monkeys to be his spies, she freaks out and runs off. Glinda is at first sympathetic, but loses this when Elphie runs off with her "fiancee".

-In the second act, Elphaba is on the run, defending Animals wherever she goes- but the populace of Oz have now begun spreading hideous rumors at the behest of Madame Morrible, formerly the school's administrator, but now the Wizard's Press Secretary. She's now a fully-realized monster to the public- she's essentially reached the full extent of her outcast nature. She allows herself some moments of happiness (with Fiyero), but fails to make her sister happy (she gets Nessarose to walk, but things turn disastrous for Nessa and poor Boq), scraps with the bitter Glinda, loses Fiyero to the Gale Force, and finally breaks down- her in lowest moment ("No good deed goes unpunished- no act of charity goes un-resented!") she gives up all attempts at fixing things, and proclaims that "let all Oz be agreed- I'm WICKED through and through!" She's a fully-realized Super-Villain at this point, though sadly we don't see much of it (aside from her screaming at a whimpering child in her dungeon- "I mean, REALLY- who steals a dead woman's SHOES!?"). In the end, she has to fake her demise, and runs out of Oz with a transformed Fiyero, while acknowledging that the best friend she'll never see again ("you'll be with me... like a hand-print on my heart").

Elphaba- The Toughest of Roles To Play:
-It's a tricky role to play- Elphaba has to be likeable in spite of Glinda getting all of the play's funniest lines, and all of the really hammy bits of stage acting- Elphie remains dour and grumpy. Elphaba's sarcastic and grating to others (when Madame Morrible calls wheelchair-bound Nessarose "tragically beautiful", Elphie says "I'm the other daughter, Elphaba. I'm just beautifully tragic" with an aside smirk), screams and rages at bullies (and blondes), and yet desperately wants everyone to like her. She has to start out the first act as a gawky kid (thus upstaged by glamorous Galinda), and spends the second one as a dominant, sexy witch (there's even a make-up change in the Act Break!), then as a deranged, evil lunatic, and then as a loving woman. She has to go through a gamut of emotions while sharing the stage with the hammiest of Large Hams. A really, REALLY funny Glinda threatens to run away with the entire show at times, especially if the Elphaba pushes the sarcasm & bluntness over her human moments (the one I saw act opposed Kara Lindsay was a bit iffy- she kind of "roared out" many of her lines, coming off as a grouch, while Kara was so funny that the crowd just loved her).

-And Elphaba MUST belt songs out at maximum volume. No less than FOUR songs in the play require Alpha-level Belting Power at the top of her lungs, and all Elphabas are defined by this. Glinda gets all the play's funniest lines, but it's ELPHABA that feeds the Beast of Music- Glinda has the Soprano voice and range, but gets very little "show off" opportunities" (Kristin Chenoweth even points out that the role is light on singing, especially for a lead role), while Elphie's ALL about that.

-The role often goes to actresses who are beautiful in less-obvious ways that the (usually blonde) Glindas. Idina Menzel is STUNNING to look at (especially in certain pictures), but even she is rather unique-looking, with a longer (shall we say "ethnic"?) nose and really large features- especially her big mouth. The woman's hot enough to have tamed TAYE DIGGS of all people (well, for ten years, anyways), so you know she's hot, but it's believable that when all Greenified, she's off-putting. In fact, the most classically-beautiful Elphaba, Kerry Ellis, is almost distracting in the role because she's too model-esque. Most of the Elphabas seem to have an ethnic beauty to them- a lot of Jewish girls and a couple of black ones- the roles seems designed for women who are unique-looking and "different" from the herd.

Elphaba as a Whole:
-But really, THOSE SONGS!! The Wizard and I is a great "I Want" song (called as much by Stephen Schwartz), and includes one of my favorite musical tricks- the character who insists one thing, while meaning another ("of course you know, that's not important to me--"). It reminds me of I Won't Say (I'm In Love) from Disney's Hercules, where Megara is trying to say she's not a victim of Cupid once more, denying her true nature (and her feelings for Hercules). Loathing has some great snark. And never mind Defying Gravity, which was Let It Go before Let It Go was a thing (and actually being much more empowering that a song that is technically about shutting others out). If this song had been in a Disney classic, THAT would have been the one appearing in toys the world over. The second act songs are pretty spectacular, too- No Good Deed is one of the greatest Villain Songs of all time (and Elphabas get a LOT of mileage over the evil spellcasting portions and freaking out under the upwards-facing lighting), and As Long As You're Mine is wonderfully-sexy and romantic. And never mind For Good, where two best friends say goodbye to each other, clearing the air once and for all.

Elphaba's Stats:
-I decided to make Elphaba a reasonably-powerful witch, in line with her Play-based self. Her powers are mostly due to The Grimmerie, a book she stole from The Wizard (he had no power), whereas in the Book, she enacts Dr. Strange-type "I can do whatever I want" stuff, but with less control- she's basically a Reality Warper in the series, causing ice to automatically appear beneath her so she can run across a lake (to rescue Chistery the monkey from danger), has an icicle murder a young boy who'd threatened Liir, and gotten a swarm of bees to kill a man who'd threatened the boy as well.

-In the play, she can Fly using a Magic Broom that she empowered (allowing her to make another one with the same spell), in the movie she can shoot fire (though soldiers certainly believed she could do it in the play), and has an Uncontrolled ability to throw people around the place when she's upset- she does this when Madame Morrible pulls Nessarose away from her (it's what turns Morrible on to Elphie's hidden power), and when the Lion cub is tortured in class. Presumably, she can use Hero Points to make Alternate Effects for her power. Her real power, however, is Intimidation- her public reputation leaves people petrified of her, and the wicked rumors mean people immediately flee her presence.

-Ya know, I've always felt that you can tell how much I like a character (or work of fiction) by how many Complications I throw on to them. By this, you can see that Wicked is one of my favourite things ever.

[Jabroniville]

PS SOMEONE MAKE THIS.

[Jabroniville]

NEVER ENOUGH PICTURES. NEVER. STOP ME AND I'LL CUT YOU.

About the Actress- Idina Menzel:

(it makes me feel good inside that I originally wrote my big "so this is who Idina Menzel is" thing back way before most people would know who "the fiancee that got dumped in Enchanted" was, and that she would become a much bigger star, and nearly a household name, due to a combination of Frozen and a meme-tastic name blunder from John Travolta. I feel like I was way ahead of the curve on this one)

Idina Menzel is a Broadway star who was, until 2013-ish, most notable for being the original Elphaba (she won a Tony Award for it), and also was a starting role in Rent as Maureen the super-hedonist, omnisexual slut. She's beloved by Broadway fans (her own fans call themselves "Fanzels"), but never really went on to movie-based fame (though she was in the Rent movie as well as most of it's original cast). Most Wicked fans worship her, but there are a few that felt she was a bit "hit or miss"- she gasps a lot in some live performances, and some claim that she had "flat" singing sometimes. However, she debuted the role of Elphaba, and gave the "Green girl" her heart, earning her tremendous accolades. She spent most of her professional career doing middling-sales albums and "intimate arrangement" concerts, often using Wicked songs- most Elphabas seem to do this, actually. Plus she was Shelby Corcoran on Glee, in the most ACCURATE CASTING IN HISTORY, playing the mother of the girl Lea Michele plays- the two look INSANELY alike (oddly, Idina is frickin' gorgeous, while Lea is weirdly-put-together and hardly Movie Star Pretty). Not as much of a career as you'd expect for someone who can sing THAT well, and looks THAT good, though.

A funny story from The Grimmerie describes her audition for the role- when performing Defying Gravity, she screwed up the highest notes of the song, and lost her shit when she did so, basically going "BRING MEEEE... DOOOOOOOOWWWWNFUCK!!!" and openly swore in front of the director & producers. She was worried it could be described as "unprofessional", and kind of stomped out of the room after she was finished (hitting the note properly just to prove that she could do so) but she & the people in charge realized that this was EXACTLY the kind of energy the quirky, odd Elphaba required- "it made them realize I could be a witch", Menzel proclaims. The producers give these odd back-handed compliments to her in the book, calling her "kind of a mess" (but in a fun way), compared to the more professional, flawless Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda)- apparently sharing the exact same nature with Elphie.

Funnily enough, as the years went by (and my initial bio of Idina came and went), she suddenly hit a massive career resurgence. Because, see, she was cast as the villain in a Disney movie (she'd tried and failed for a role in Rapunzel earlier) based on The Snow Queen. Her initial line readings were done for a blue-skinned woman with a coat made of living minks, and reeked of evil sorcery. Then she became the villainous sister of the lead (recordings exist of her taunting and torturing Anna's fiancee's soldiers for information), turned in the end by her sister's warm heart. But then the songwriters (Robert & Kristin Anderson-Lopez, the former of whom had written The Internet Is For Porn and Hasa Diga Eebowai, of all things) wrote a little number called Let It Go, realizing that you don't hire IDINA MENZEL without trying to mimic Defying Gravity, complete with Power Belting high notes.

And of course, the rest is history. While the character of Elsa plays a distant second to Anna in the movie, Let It Go and the PHENOMENAL design for Elsa (her design's creator still tears up when talking about coming up with the final look, and realizing that "people are going to LOSE THEIR MINDS for Elsa...") turned the character into an unexpected mega-smash. The movie was a runaway success, becoming a public obsession and parental nightmare at the same time, and continued to be a smash hit, winning accolades as the years went on- it was an international mega-hit as well, and Frozen merch became the unexpected cash-cow that even Disney was struck by.

This of course served as a major boon for Menzel's career- she was in the midst of debuting her Broadway role in If/Then and embracing her "Broadway Star" reputation when the hype train suddenly took her by surprise. An appearance at the Oscars (an iffy performance of her signature song, where she kind of broke and just SCREAMED the last note) made her a household name when John Travolta famously buggered the pronounciation (sounding like "Adella Dazeem", which turned to "Adele Dazeem" by memetic mutation). Suddenly she was now EVERYWHERE, singing the biggest song in the world and getting interviewed constantly about the name thing, when made the woman in her mid-40s a breakout sensation.

I almost feel like she was trapped in her play when this became a thing, as she couldn't really capitalize... If/Then did fairly well at first (especially for an ORIGINAL Musical- common knowledge is that all musicals are adaptations of things; it's almost impossible to draw interest otherwise), especially once the lead became "Queen Elsa", but eventually sales faltered a bit when it failed to be nominated for "Best Musical", and they closed the show without turning a profit (nearly impossible in Broadway musicals, but still). Menzel leveraged her Frozen fame for a World Tour of smaller venues (and some really big ones in Frozen-crazed foreign countries), released a Christmas album (pretty good, but poorly-arranged with "jingle bells" everywhere, and her voice is pretty nasal on some songs, not taking advantage of her range), a solo album (good, but sounds like something released in 1996- it's quite odd). During the peak of her career, she got publicly divorced from Taye Diggs (who immediately hooked up with a series of younger women), and herself got engaged to an actor I've never heard of (instead of ME, her One True Love- *sob*!), but continues doing the touring thing.

Humorously, she's basically apologized to parents for endlessly having to listen to Let It Go, and appears to have a Love/Hate thing with it- her live performances of it have basically turned into "Singalongs" for the younger people in the audience, so she basically gets to half-ass the song (and avoid the throat-killing high notes)- notably her performances of both Let It Go and Defying Gravity shrink back from the high-end belting that's made her famous- unfortunately, you can't do that in your 40s with the regularity you could in your younger years. It's still funny seeing her perform with audiences full of girls in Elsa dresses when she sings a cover of Radiohead's Creep, or lets her true self fly ("I get all these kids coming to me shows, but I just wanna say MOTHERFUCKER once in a while, you know?"). A TV series produced by Ellen DeGeneres never got made (not unusual for TV, but given how they actually hyped it in intervies, it's a bit odd), but with Frozen 2 coming in 2019, we've not seen the last of her. Of course, that movie'll have the world's highest expectations for it (especially considering the original has an ENDING-ending and not much more to really say. For instance, Elsa went through her entire Character Arc in the film- what more is she gonna do? I have the feeling it's gonna be The Elsa Show, which could make or break her. And they're probably gonna have to try to mimic Let It Go as well- a tough row to hoe, indeed.


Idina's No Good Deed rocks- it's the measuring stick for all the others, for sure. Check the "FI-YER-OOOOOOOOOOOOO!" at 2:10.

[Jabroniville]

PS: I like Idina Menzel. Just wanted to make that clear .


Other Elphabas:
(note: I'll leave the notes that I left in 2011, though many of the clips don't work)

Kerry Ellis doing No Good Deed- I LOVE this version, if only for her delivery of "let all Oz be agreed- I'm WICKED through and through!" Her growl of "WICKED" at around 2:50 is stunning- it sounds like all the powers of Hell have escaped out her mouth, and a whole different person is singing. Kerry's noted for being the most "Growly" Elphaba, as well as the prettiest (which I mentioned before).
Kerry Ellis & Brian May rock version of Defying Gravity- Because nothing says "camp" like a giant musical number with the guitarist from QUEEN on it!
Eden Espinosa is one of the more popular ones- I used to have a bunch of clips of the more "big" parts of the show. She does the best Elphaba laugh after Glinda slaps her, though. Her popularity unfortunately didn't lead to much of a Broadway career (her solo vehicle bombed), but she did manage to get the voice of Cassandra in Tangled: The Series, and she's one of the better parts of it.
Eden's No Good Deed (can't find it anymore)- It's pretty scary that even the Understudies (and later take-over-ers) can blast it out as well as Idina can.
Wilhelmijn Verkaik does an astonishingly-good Elphaba in the Dutch production. Incredibly she can do it in both German AND ENGLISH!! Seriously, what the hell? Also, I'm not sure how a human being could physically make the noises she makes at times.
Several Elphies say the line "Well we can't all come and go by BUBBLE!" It's actually quite interesting to see how each one does it totally differently. I love 0:25's sickened expression, though it IS really hammy (even by Broadway's standards).
Rachel Tucker does a good one as well, as one of the English Elphabas.

[Jabroniville]

"Miss... Miss Glinda? (produces Green Elixir)"
-Chistery's first words, and a revelation to Glinda about Elphaba's origins

CHISTERY
Role: Flying Monkey
PL 5 (66)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7)
Athletics 2 (+3)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+6)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+2 Size)
Perception 4 (+5)

Advantages: 
Close Attack, Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
"Simian Anatomy" Enhanced Athletics 4 (+7) (Flaws: Limited to Climbing) [1]
Speed 2 (4 mph) [2]
"Monkey Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Fly! FLYYYYY!" Flight 4 (30 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [4]

"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength & Speed, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Bite +6 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +7

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Chistery has great difficulty speaking, despite Miss Elphaba's teachings and insistence.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 20 / Defenses: 8 (66)

-Chistery's a minor character in the play and novel- he's the first Flying Monkey. In both cases, he cannot speak, and it's an experiment by Elphaba to get him to- but the end of both he's begun talking (sequels to Wicked show him with full speech), proving a link between animals and Animals. In the novel, the Wings are another experiment, brought about by Elphie deliberately reading the Grimmerie's spells (she actually stitches them onto the monkeys), whereas the musical makes them a product of horror, when Elphaba is tricked by The Wizard into transforming the innocent monkeys- the process is extremely painful, and when Elphaba discovers that The Wizard wants to use them as spies against the Animals, it's the event that sets off Elphaba's rebellion.

-This means that Chistery (who has almost zero dialogue) is a means to an end- sort of a continuing reflection of Elphaba's true purpose (since she almost never appears with other Animals)- he's also a link to the movie and original book, since the Flying Monkeys are iconic. He's the only character without any sung dialogue to get his own bow in the end, though I don't think anybody really remembers Chistery.

-Chistery's sort of a Baboon in stats (really a Snow Monkey, but he's quite big and/or strong in play & novel- much more than the tiny real Snow Monkeys of Japan), but maintains the famous wings. He's not super-powerful, but PL 5 is plenty in the Land of Oz- his antics produced one of the most frightening moments in early cinema, at least for most children, when he led the Monkeys to assault Dorothy and her companions.

[Jabroniville]

Some Assorted YouTube stuff. Much of which probably doesn't work anymore. I'll check later.



Idina's No Good Deed rocks- it's the measuring stick for all the others, for sure. Check the "FI-YER-OOOOOOOOOOOOO!" at 2:10.The long version- Also contains Kristin Chenoweth going all [/i]Crouching Tiger[/i] with a magic wand, before dropping it and just smacking Idina with her own hat .
Defying Gravity in front of the Obamas.
For Good done a capella- Just in case ya didn't know she was a goddess or something.
Idina in Rent- Hahahhhaa "There will ALWAYS be women in Rubber FLIRTING with me!" Best line ever. Talk about playing a different kind of character... from Omnisexual Slut-Bunny to Empowered Green Nerd.
Live version of "Take Me or Leave Me"- Just to prove that her voice sounds good before they play with it in post-production.
The Wizard and I- She pretty much has the weird mannerisms of Elphaba down to a "T"- most of the other actresses don't act so bizarre.
Sweet merciful Heaven... STUNNING. Only word that fits.
Idina & Taye Diggs on Sesame Street
Live version of "Finale B" from "Rent"- Daaaang check the look her & Taye give each other at 4:20 in.

[Jabroniville]

DOCTOR DILLAMOND
Role: Mentor-Figure, Symbolic Character (of Anti-Animal Bigotry)
Group Affiliations: Shiz University
Signature Song: "Something Bad"
PL 1 (25), PL 2 (25) Defenses
STRENGTH -1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Expertise (Teacher) 6 (+10)
Expertise (History) 5 (+9)
Insight 3 (+5)

Advantages: 
None

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision) [2]
 
Offense:
Unarmed +3 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +0, Fortitude +0, Will +4

Complications (Early):
Motivation (Animal Rights)- Doctor Dillamond is the "token goat" of Shiz University's faculty, but proudly remembers the old days when there were numerous Animals on-staff. He continues to speak out these unpopular opinions, resisting attempts to be silenced. This makes him a target of the powerful administration that's taken power in Oz.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 0 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 2 (25)

-Tom DeFalco said during a panel at the Edmonton Comic Expo that all Supporting Characters should inform something about the main character. And so I realize that Dr. Dillamond, a very small role in the play, is actually set up more to showcase Elphaba's own growing activism.

Book Dillamond:
-Doctor Dillamond is a talking, teaching Goat (as opposed to a non-sentient goat), in charge of Life Science at Shiz University. Small and weak, he is nonetheless well-respected enough to remain untouched by many of the Wizard's laws restricting Animals. However, his controversial experiments into the differences between humans, animals and Animals make him a target, and he is murdered- his throat slit in his own laboratory. This graphic death drives Glinda's Ama Clutch into insanity, and convinces the former "Galinda" to shorten her name, in solidarity with the Doctor, who could only pronounce it as "Glinda".

Musical Dillamond:
-Despite being iconic enough for South Park to include him constantly singing with the cast (during a song that sounds like No One Mourns the Wicked), Dillamond is only in three short scenes. In the first, he teaches the class about how Animals are now oppressed, when they once filled the halls at Shiz. He is stricken by a piece of vandalism ("Animals should be SEEN and not HEARD") on the chalkboard and dismisses the class, only to warn Elphaba that "Something BAD... is happening in Oz". In this manner, he acts as both Exposition (explaining that Animals are starting to forget how to speak, "with so much pressure NOT to"- he himself has started to "B-AAAAHHHHHH!" uncontrollably) and a symbol of Elphaba's activism. As an "Other" herself, Elphaba is acutely aware of unfair treatment over how you're born, and so leaps to his defense.

-In his second scene, Dillamond is hauled out of the classroom, screaming to the students that "You're not being told the whole story!" The only other time we see him, he's the impetus for Elphaba's final break with the ruling class of Oz- she finds him hidden under a blanket, unable to speak, in the Wizard's own room. Now, just WHY he's there is a mystery, but the Wizard finally damns himself with "We couldn't allow him to keep speaking out!"- Elphaba was willing to go along with his "Something Wonderful" plan and have her name be cleared, becoming loved once and for all. But when she saw THAT... she rejected him flat-out, and became an implacable enemy.

-And so that's how this minor, three-scene character (with one, mostly "filler" song that doesn't even really pause for audience clapping) became important- he informs something of Elphaba herself- her activism can only really become a thing if she KNOWS an Animal that is oppressed, and thus we have Dillamond. And her helplessness at his imprisonment (she never breaks him out) is part of what causes her to give in and accept that "No good deed goes unpunished", and "all helpful urges should be circumvented".

Dillamond's Stats:
-A mere teacher with no physical capabilities, Dillamond only costs as much as he does because he's smart and clever. The book version probably has Shrinking 2-4, and is much weaker.

[Davies]

PS SOMEONE MAKE THIS.

You think that's cool, have a gander at this if you haven't already.

[Jabroniville]

Wow, that's great- I linked to someone else doing it on the last page, too. Phenomenal stuff.

I have concerns on the Hollywood movie they're making. Musicals are notoriously tough to translate to the big screen- the hamminess of the stage doesn't often transfer over that well (Madame Morrible, and Elphaba's screaming to the heavens, are really hard to not seem too silly in a movie). That Wicked is a Big Budget production and can't really be done any other way only adds to it. And movie releases can often hamper, not help, the original stage productions- people who see the movie might blow off the $100-200 tickets to see a live production, and a bad movie can make people not want to see the original either- it hurts the brand-name.

That movie productions tend to hire based off of recognition over singing talent (EMMA WATSON) only endangers this more.

I would have preferred an animated version- that way, we could have heard Kristin & Idina get their characters once more. Of course, even that would have to be CGI these days.

[Jabroniville]

"IIII... AMMMMMM... OZZZZZZ!! IIIIII... AMMMMMM... OZZZZZZZZ--- THE GREAT. AND. TERRIBLLLLLLLE!!! WHO... ARE... YOUUUU??? AND WHY DO YOU SEEK ME??"

Elphaba:
"So you LIED to them."
The Wizard:
"Elphaba-- where I'm from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true-- we call it 'History'.
"A man's called a traitor, or a liberator. / A rich man's a thief, or philanthropist.
Is one a crusader / or ruthless invader?
It's all in which label / is able to persist.
There are precious few at ease
With moral ambiguities,
So we act as though they don't exist!"

When I saw WICKED, I didn't expect to have to change my pants when I got home... It looked like a CGI thing and scared the living sh*t out of me o_o

-YouTube comment

OZ, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE (Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs)
Created By: L. Frank Baum
First Appearance: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
Role: The Big Bad, The Con-Man/Humbug-Artist
Group Affiliations: The Emerald City
Signature Song: "A Sentimental Man"
PL 1 (67), PL 3 (67) Defenses
STRENGTH 0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Deception 5 (+10)
Expertise (Salesman) 5 (+8)
Expertise (Politics) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Singing) 2 (+7)
Insight 1 (+5)
Perception 1 (+5)
Technology 4 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 5 (Ruler of Oz), Daze (Deception), Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades,

Powers:
"The Wizard of Oz" (Flaws: Removable) [8]
Enhanced Skills 8: Intimidation 8 (+13) (4)
Enhanced Advantages 3: Daze & Fascinate (Intimidation), Startle (3)
Protection 2 (2)
-- (9 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +1 (DC 11), Toughness +1 (+3 Wizard Contraption), Fortitude +2, Will +5

Complications (Early):
Secret (Humbug/"You have no power!")- The Wizard has no magical abilities whatsoever, despite his name. In fact, "The Wizard" is just a mechanical contraption that he hides behind. If this was ever revealed, his political empire might crumble.
Motivation ("A Sentimental Man")- The Wizard has "Always longed to be... a father." Despite his various lies, he truly does wish to be a father-figure to people. He wishes for children of his own, but has none (that he knows of). Were he to, say, be responsible for the death of a blood relative, he would enter the Blue Screen of Death, and be unable to even continue.
Responsibility (The Ruler of Oz)- By hook or by crook, The Wizard rules all of Oz with an Emerald fist.
Motivation (Power)- Above all else, The Wizard craves power, and is desperate to protect it.
Motivation ("A really good enemy")- The Wizard knows that the best way to unite people is to turn them against a common target- his first victims are the Animals of Oz. The second is Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West. Using his propaganda machine, The Wizard will have all of Oz risen against both "wicked" threats. It's not even personal- it's just about power.
Enemy ("It's the WIZARD who should be afraid... of ME")- Elphaba becomes The Wizard's most powerful enemy, instead of his greatest ally (as he'd hoped).
Relationship (Madame Morrible)- Morrible is The Wizard's chief recruitor and spy- without her, he would be rather lost.
Responsibility (Cad)- The Wizard's days as a travelling salesman led him into the bed of at least ONE loose-moralled woman ("have another drink, my dark-eyed beauty"), if not others. In some interpretations, once making nice with Glinda the Good, he even tries to seduce HER, using the very same "Green Elixir". Truly, the man is a pig.

Total: Abilities: 26 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 3 (67)

"I AM OZ!!!!":
-The Wizard is the villain of our tale, along with Madame Morrible, his director of propaganda and recruiting. A travelling salesman "blown here on the winds of chance", he ended up with higher-technology than those around him, and used it to construct this false persona. He claims the power was thrust upon him, but whether or not that's true is unimportant- The Wizard likes his power, likes being "a father" to Oz, and is desperate to maintain order. His method is to strip the rights of various groups of people (especially the Animals), in an attempt to unite the citizens of Oz against others.

-The funny thing is, he comes off as such a contemporary character- if you released Wicked today, people would accuse them of calling out modern politicians. But the book is almost twenty years old, and the musical more than ten. Which is the true insidious thing represented by the book and musical: these politicians are EVERYWHERE, in every era, and will always try to find some unpopular group and turn public hatred against them. All the better to cow the populace.

A Sentimental Man:
-In the Wicked novel, The Wizard is a flat-out Complete Monster, but in the play, he's a tad more sympathetic. A huckster and flim-flam man, he nonetheless charms both Glinda & Elphaba immediately, and willingly drops the facade, confessing to the freaky robot head being "you have to give the people what they want!". When he sings A Sentimental Man, about feeling fatherly and mentorly towards others ("Elphaba, I'd like to raise you HIGH... everyone deserves a chance to FLY..."), they believe it. Elphie only turns on him when he reveals his secrets and has her hurt the poor Monkeys by turning them into his spies. It's only here that he declares "she knows too much!" and has Madame Morrible act on his behalf.

-This is an interesting thing- Morrible engages in most of the TRUE evil of the play. The Wizard gives it all his personal "okay", but this little bit of detachment renders him much more sympathetic and potentially likable, which is important to the plot (as his charming con-man nature lets others be easily turned). When Elphaba returns to his throneroom, he's even able to convince her to go back to his side- playing off power as something he never really sought, acting all humble like a "corn-fed hick". The charming son-of-a-gun once MORE loses her, however, when it turns out he's keeping a mute Doctor Dillamond there... for reasons. "We couldn't allow him to keep speaking out!" he pleads, but he's lost her- this personal insult also causes his Captain of the Guard (Fiyero) to turn on him and join Elphaba's quest.

-When he thinks Elphaba is not only dead, but closer to him than he ever really thought (his lil' "Green Elixir" sorta sets the wheels of the play in motion), he's a broken man, and willingly leaves Oz. He's also a very good example of Maguire's main theme for his novel- that of differing perceptions and propaganda. He flat-out tells Elphaba in the musical that "Where I come from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true. We call it 'History'".

The Great And Terrible:
-And yeah, that contraption he uses to hide his identity is a SPECTACLE in person. It resembles "The Iron Giant", but is a disembodied Steampunk-ish head, complete with blaring voice, flashing lights (including THE EYES), and a horrible, clanking mouth. This is the kind of thing that gives children nightmares, and would scare the hell out of anyone of more delicate sensibilities. It's probably one of the play's most-astounding creations. The Broadway version is even larger than the ones used in the Touring shows, too. People on YouTube clips are always like "That thing scared the living sh*t out of me" and "I jumped five feet in the air when that thing came out!" Sadly, I was expecting it thanks to ads I saw on TV for the musical (which showed the head doing the "The Wizard will see you now!" thing that actually comes from a background character), but even I wasn't expecting that VOICE.

The Various Ozes:
-The role of the Wizard typically goes to a much older actor than the others, and so some pretty well-respected dudes took it up early on, such as Ben Vereen (Roots) and the originator of the role, Joel Grey (Cabaret). The character only appears three times in the musical, and has the weakest songs overall, so it's hard to be overly impressed. I did like the guy on the West End show, however- he was the only guy doing an American accent (vaguely Southern-ish), acted genuinely friendly and likable (which is kind of the POINT of the character- this friendly facade hid truly dark intentions), and he seemed legitimately heartbroken to discover that the girl whose death he'd been seeking was actually his very own ("For I ammmm... a sent-i-men-tal man..."). He's also one of the few Wizards to not pull the "asks Glinda to take a swig of the Green Elixir" line without coming off like a pervy old man who wants to bang her- here, it came off as "no, you'll feel better" after she's been abandoned by Fiyero.

The Wizard's Not-So-Wonderful Stats:
-The Wizard's very much a non-combatant, and I figured I'd stat up his "Wizard" contraption as a Device. He's more of an NPC that sets everything into motion than anything else, so the basic effect of "The Wizard" is high Intimidation, at least until someone with a good Insight check (like Elphaba) can see through him. The man's a good Con Artist as well, and wiser than his old-timey vaudevillian act would make you think. He's so good, in fact, that he nearly turns Elphaba back to his side- only the appearance of Doctor Dillamond turns her back. Once again, Charisma/Presence reveals itself to be the TRUE "One Stat To Rule Them All" in real life, though it rarely is in RPGs.

[Jabroniville]

A neat bit about the creation of the Wizard Head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0atKUyMp6I