Costume designer claims new Wicked film deals with race, with witch Elphaba’s green skin showing how modern society can ‘vilify’ people

Wicked’s costume designer said that the musical starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo tells a story about race, and explained that the green skin of the character Elphaba reflects how society vilifies people.

In an interview with a British newspaper Telegram, American-born Paul Tazewall said that filmmaker Jon Chu’s popular Broadway adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, which tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the good witch, shows what the people in The Wizard of Oz are like. A different race may be denigrated in society.

The Tony Award-winning designer explained that the green-skinned Elphaba character reflects how people who feel ‘different’ can be made to feel.

He added that the theme of the film was “extremely pro-woman” and that it would “resonate very strongly with women from start to finish”.

Actress Erivo said earlier this year that it was “no coincidence” that she was chosen for the role.

“Elphaba’s story is a cautionary tale of what it can mean sometimes to stand in your individuality, your otherness, even when systems of oppression are against you,” she said in a speech earlier this year at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Annual Gala. year.

After a wild press tour and weeks of anticipation, the film will be released in theaters worldwide today.

Wicked’s costume designer Paul Tazewell said that the musical starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo is a story about race and women

ynthia Erivo attends the UK Premiere of ‘Wicked: Part One’ at the Royal Festival Hall in London on November 18, 2024

Cynthia Erivo (left) as Elphaba and Ariana Grande (right) as Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of WICKED

Grande was accused of “queerbaiting” in a recent interview when she revealed that she thought Glinda “may have been a little closeted” when reflecting on the sexuality of her Wicked character.

The comments were made when the actress and singer sat down with UK publication Gay Times and was asked about fans suggesting Glinda and Elphaba as a romantic pair.

Grande also said Oz is “a celebration of uniqueness,” adding: “Everyone is gay in a beautiful way, and that goes back to the L. Frank Baum books, where literally the most frequently used word in the books is ‘queer.'”

The star continued: ‘There’s a Pride Parade every day in the Emerald City (the capital of the fictional Land of Oz)…like the chickens, these chickens are gay.’

Following the interview, fans quickly took to the internet and wrote: ‘queerbaiting is getting out of control.’

Queerbaiting is a marketing technique where creators allude to gay romance or other LGBTQ+ representation without actually depicting it.

Another asked: ‘Why can’t they be platonic?’

‘AH????’ someone else simply said.

The movie, which has been awaited for weeks, will be released in cinemas around the world today.

The stage adaptation of Wicked opened on Broadway in 2003 and was based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel; It takes place before Dorothy Gale’s arrival in Oz, as described in The Wizard of Oz.

Another fan added: ‘ariana reposts Gelphie memes on her story, likes a post where the flower fields are lesbian colored, says it’s about Elphaba saying the child is mine and then says glinda is in the cupboard…’

The stage adaptation of Wicked opened on Broadway in 2003 and was based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel (set before Dorothy Gale’s arrival in Oz, as depicted in The Wizard of Oz) and the 1939 film classic.

The musical production is still going strong 21 years later and is now the fourth longest-running Broadway production in history.