Part one of the highly-anticipated Wicked movie hit theaters on Nov. 22 and many fans have been amazed by the film’s storyline, songs, and the Easter eggs that carried over from the original Broadway musical. If you’re not familiar with the story of Wicked, allow me to fill you in: It takes place in the Land of Oz, where witches Elphaba and Glinda form a profound friendship while attending Shiz University. Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, is misunderstood and has always felt like an outcast due to her green skin, which she was born with. So, what caused Elphaba’s skin to turn green? Elphaba’s green vial may have something to do with it. Spoiler Warning: Spoilers for Wicked Part 1 follow.
In both the Broadway show and the movie, it’s revealed during “No One Mourns The Wicked” that before Elphaba was born, her mother, Melena Thropp, had an affair with a mystery man while her father was out of town. While the affair was happening, Melena drank some green elixir from a vial, which caused Elphaba’s skin to turn green in utero.
But that’s not the only time the green elixir appears in the story. When Elphaba and Glinda (formerly known as Galinda) return to their room at Shiz University following the party at Ozdust Ballroom, Glinda asks Elphaba about the green vial she keeps under her pillow. At first, Elphaba didn’t want to share. But Elphaba decides to open up (they just became friends, after all!) and tells Glinda that the vial belonged to her mother.
Elphaba reveals that her father, Governor Thropp, forced his mother to eat milk flowers while she was pregnant with Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose, to ensure she was born with normal-colored skin. But the milk flowers did more harm than good, as they caused Melena to go into early labor before Nessa’s legs were fully developed. Sadly, Melena died in childbirth, and Elphaba keeps the vial as a reminder of her.
And if you’re interested in some spoilers for Act 2 of the Broadway production, read on. It’s then that audience members find out the green elixir’s true relevance, when Glinda confronts the Wizard with it after Elphaba “dies.” The Wizard immediately recognizes the elixir as his, and Glinda realizes the Wizard is Elphaba’s real father. Will this storyline play out the same way in Wicked Part Two? We’ll just have to wait until the movie drops in 2025 to find out.