Wicked – the 20-year-old – smash hit on Broadway turns the story of the “Wizard of Oz” on its head.
Now, the story of Elfaba the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wizard himself is making the shift from stage to screen.
The director bringing the Broadway hit to screens across the country is Jon M. Chu, the director of the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians.
The movie version of Wicked is in many ways the culmination of Chu’s own story as a person of color. Chu always wanted to be a filmmaker. Chu says his life experience and career lead him to tell the story of a person of color in a new way.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices