While the Evil Although the film is a comprehensive adaptation of the Broadway musical, the film makes some effective changes. This loyalty is one of the main reasons for this EvilDirector Jon M. Chu, lead actors Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera, and the entire cast and crew showed great respect and enthusiasm for the stage musical in their adaptation. This includes everyone Evil Song from the first act of the musical that appears in the film.

Still, some changes were inevitable given the inherent differences in the artistic mediums of a stage musical and a feature film. One of the most noticeable changes is the tempo of the songs, with “Defying Gravity” and other songs becoming noticeably longer. Other changes included creative decisions, almost all of which improved the narrativeand helped set it up Evil: Foreveris the story ahead of the highly anticipated release in 2025.

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Elphaba is connected to animals from the moment she is born

Dulcibear raises her

One of the earliest and best changes from the Broadway musical shows how important the animals are to Elphaba’s childhood. A wolf doctor delivers the baby, and after Elphaba is born and her parents treat her with disgust and resentment, It is the nanny Dulcibear who shows kindness to Elphaba. She holds the newborn Elphaba as she cries, calming the child and promising to take care of her. As Glinda explains, Dulcibear is the one who raised Elphaba, and the bear is said to have continued to watch over her later in her youth.

Not only does the film show more of Elphaba’s childhood, but it also shows how deeply connected she has been with the animals since birth. This perfectly sets the stage for Elphaba’s connection with Dr. Dillamond at Shiz University and her mission to save the animals. It goes beyond that Elphaba can empathize with her plight and knows what it means to be an outsider, as an animal was the only adult who cared for her and showed her compassion when she was a child.

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The story surrounding the Grimmerie is explained in more detail in “One Short Day”.

The original Elphaba and Glinda help explain it

While the Evil Since the film does not contain any original songs, a section is added to the song “One Short Day” where Elphaba and Glinda explore the Emerald City. This additional segment features original Broadway actors Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who played Elphaba and Glinda. While it’s fun and rewarding to see the original Elphaba and Glinda in the film, the scene is also a worthy addition to the story as it provides essential background information about the Grimmerie.

Evil Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz makes a cameo appearance in the film as the Guardian, who says: “The wizard will see you now!”

In contrast to the stage musical and that of Gregory Maguire Evil Novel, The film version of the book was created by beings known as the Magical Sages. The song further explains that the Grimmerie could not be understood for generations, even though there was a prophecy that a powerful individual could one day read it again. The wizard is supposedly able to read it, but it later turns out to be a lie. This lore helps better understand what the Grimmerie is and why it is important for Elphaba to be able to read it.

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Elphaba’s family and friends react to her becoming an evil witch

This includes a death that is not shown in the stage musical

Evil ends with “Defying Gravity,” just as the first act of the Broadway musical ends with the powerful song. During this song, Madame Morrible spreads the message that Elphaba is the evil witch and is now an enemy of Oz. In the stage musical, Glinda is the only friend of Elphaba present during the song, and therefore the only friend who reacts to this situation. The film is not limited to the Emerald Cityhowever, and can also show how Elphaba’s family and friends in Shiz react to Madame Morrible’s news.

This is a particularly effective change for Fiyero, as it helps him set up his mission to find Elphaba in the second half of the story.

Elphaba’s sister Nessarose tells her in the second act of the stage show that her father died of a broken heart, but the film actually shows this as he collapses to the ground upon hearing the news. The film not only shows the reactions of Elphaba’s family, but also the reactions of Elphaba’s friends Fiyero and Boq and other students at Shiz University. This is a particularly effective change for Fiyero, as it helps set up his mission to find Elphaba in the second half of the story.

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The film does a better job of setting up Nessarose’s story in the second act

There is already more tension in her relationships with Boq and Elphaba

EvilIn the second act, Nessarose becomes the tyrannical leader of Munchkinland and the Wicked Witch of the East. Her relationships with Elphaba and Boq also take deeply tragic turns. The film manages to better structure these storylines in a number of ways. Even in Nessarose’s earliest scenes in Shiz, you sense a certain resentment that she feels towards Elphaba for making her life more difficult. She is upset when Elphaba accidentally uses magic upon her arrival and laments that this was supposed to be a new beginning that Elphaba has now “ruined.”

In the film, when Elphaba uniquely dances and makes fun of her in the Ozdust Ballroom, Nessarose’s embarrassment is visible in a way that is not highlighted in the Broadway version. As for Boq, Nessarose clearly notices his fixation on Glinda when they pick up Elphaba at the train stationn, and Nessarose’s frustration with Boq is palpable. This helps set the stage for the fallout that will occur between Nessarose and Boq in the year Evil: Forever.

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Elphaba’s first meeting with Fiyero is better

The environment and circumstances are an improvement

In the Broadway musical, Fiyero arrives at Shiz’s house asleep in the back of a rickshaw, which almost runs over Elphaba. After waking up and being confronted by Elphaba, who is angry about almost being run over, he realizes this “Maybe the driver saw green and thought it meant go.” Elphaba and Fiyero meet in the presence of Glinda and other Shiz students. In the film, Elphaba and Fiyero meet for the first time in the forest, with Fiyero riding a talking horse when he almost stumbles into them.

The relationship that Fiyero has with his horse also shows that he does not look down on the animals, which is another reason why he later helps Elphaba save the lion cub Evil.

This version of their meeting portrays Fiyero as more charming and princely than it appears. It’s a far more private meeting as only Elphaba and Fiyero are in the forest, which helps create a more immediate connection and chemistry between them. This makes the development of their romantic feelings later seem more believable. The relationship that Fiyero has with his horse also shows that he does not look down on the animals, which is another reason why he later helps Elphaba save the lion cub Evil.