National Wicked Day

Set in the land of Oz in a time that predates L. Frank Baum’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the musical Wicked tells the story of a complicated friendship between Elphaba and Galinda – who will eventually become the Wicked Witch of the West and the Glinda, the Good.

The musical is a loose adaptation of the 1995 novel called Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, written by Gregory McGuire.

Unlike the childhood movie adaptation of the1939 musical movie, The Wizard of Oz, this story brings more of a cultural, political and ethical commentary on friendship as well as the history and nature of good and evil.

National Wicked Day brings the songs and inspiration of this musical to the forefront, encouraging more people to get involved with celebrating this cultural icon!

History of National Wicked Day

The inaugural National Wicked Day took place on the 20th anniversary of the debut performance of the musical, Wicked, on Broadway, which took place on October 30, 2003.

Since its first performance, Wicked has captured the hearts of music lovers, theater buffs, fans of fantasy fiction and so many others – winning three Tony Awards and a Grammy Award for its album along the way.

National Wicked Day acts as a special time to show love and appreciation for the characters, themes and songs from this story, bringing fans together in celebration of one of Broadway’s longest running shows.

With more than 8,000 performances and over 65 million viewers, Wicked offers not only a stellar cast and delightful tunes, but also provide unique special effects and a story about challenging the status quo.

How to Celebrate National Wicked Day

Check out some of these fun ideas for making a big celebration of National Wicked Day:

Enjoy Wicked Live Musical Performances

Those who have the opportunity to grab some tickets to a Broadway performance of Wicked in celebration of this event should surely head over the Gershwin Theatre in New York City.

Other live shows might be seen for National Wicked Day on the West End in London, or at various touring events across the nation and even the world.

Listen to the Wicked Soundtrack

Hop onto a favorite music platform such as Spotify or Apple Music and press play on the soundtrack for the Wicked Musical.

Listen to performances by Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, William Youmans and so many other amazing vocalists, with some favorite songs such as these:

• No One Mourns the Wicked
• Defying Gravity
• I’m Not That Girl
• What Is This Feeling?

Read the Wicked Book Series

Get more deeply involved with the stories that started it all by picking up some of Gregory MacGuire’s novels that are centered around the theme of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Stop by the local public library or order the books online, reading them in this order:

• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995)
• Son of a Witch (2005)
• A Lion Among Men (2008)
• Out of Oz (2011)