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Oz isn’t just emerald and glitter; it’s a lesson in how stories get made and weaponized. We jump from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked to the Broadway phenomenon and the record-breaking film to unpack how a green-skinned girl became a political problem, a best friend, and a cultural icon. Along the way, we contrast the novel’s darker theology and politics with the musical’s friendship-forward heart and the movie’s big-screen mythmaking, asking what each version chooses to spotlight—and why.

We dig into the performances that make the film crackle: Jeff Goldblum’s attention-hoarding Wizard, Michelle Yeoh’s velvet-gloved operator as Madame Morrible, and Cynthia Erivo’s fierce, aching Elphaba who refuses to be managed. Peter Dinklage’s Dr. Dillamond turns prejudice into a gut punch, while Glinda’s arc reveals how image and approval can be tools of control. 

Beyond the screen, we step through Universal’s Wicked Experience in Orlando—costumes, set pieces, and a guided path from Shiz to Emerald City—proof that modern fandom doesn’t end with credits. Then we broaden the lens: why monster stories surge in a perfection-obsessed era, how propaganda reframes dissent as danger, and what it costs to speak when silence is safer. We’re saving the “is it a kissing story” verdict for the sequel, but the first film already hits where it counts: who gets to define good, and will your friends still stand close when the posters call you wicked?

Tell us: book, musical, or movie—who nailed Oz for you? Subscribe, rate, and share to bring more listeners into the Emerald City conversation.

News and Links

• LitJoy preorders for The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black (Link)
• Cover for Adversary to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maeher (Instagram Link)
• Cover for World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade (Instagram Link)
• Author LJ Andrews has suffered a fire. Donation Link & Instagram Link
• BK Borsion’s sequel to Good Spirits (Ghosted series) will be called Grim Tidings (Instagram Link)
• Ali Hazelwood released an audio first foray into the realm of dark academia on Spotify (Link) 
• Vogue Australia article on Monster Romance (Link to article)
• Hannah F Whitten is releasing a new book in 2026, Reliquary (Instagram Link)

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