Out of the Margins

This bound printed script of a key scene from Wicked musical has annotations in witch-green ink by the writer, with additional sheet music of Defying Gravity signed by composer Stephen Schwartz. And it's not just any scene: it's Winnie Holzman's favourite moment in the whole of Wicked. Perhaps the most pivotal scene from one of history’s most beloved musicals about what happened before Dorothy arrived in Oz. 

With all six script pages being well annotated, Winnie remembers and reflects on the development of the scene and what some of the lines mean to her now, many years later. The writer shares that it was Stephen Schwartz’s idea to have Elphaba grab the broom to barricade the door, which then went on to become enchanted and gave way to the iconic Defying Gravity sequence that we all know and love, where Elphaba flies on stage, suspended in mid-air throughout the song. 

Winnie Holzman remembers when she and Stephen Schwartz got the idea that they would use the phrase “I hope you’re happy” first as an accusation and then later as a sincere wish. She reveals how she was very intentional (and sparing) with her use of the word “Wicked” in the script. In a very poignant moment, we discover how the writer loves the lines “Something has changed within me, something is not the same” and has found that they apply to her in very personal ways and she thinks of them often. As well as all this, and more, find out one of Winnie's favourite moments in the show!