Bubbling up with Helena

With the recent release of the movie, Wicked, everyone is talking about the beloved 2003 musical. It will not surprise you to know that I love Wicked and have for the 21 years it’s been on Broadway. If you loved the Wicked movie and are looking for some other shows to discover, here are some other musicals you might enjoy.

Legally Blonde (2007)

Legally Blonde is a near perfect adaptation of a near perfect film. In case you are unfamiliar with the seminal classic film starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde follows California girl Elle Woods to Harvard Law School in order to prove to her ex-boyfriend that she is what he is looking for in a partner.

Elle Woods’ journey is a lot like G(a)linda’s in Wicked. Both begin their journies concerned with popularity and what others think of them. They are both often dismissed and underestimated. Elle has a Greek Chorus of her Delta Nu sorority sisters who support her throughout the show. In fact, her devotion to sisterhood even helps her gain the trust of Brooke Windham, one of her clients. With the help of friends, both Elle and Glinda learn how to use their strengths and become respected leaders.

Frozen (2018)

Frozen is based on the Disney movie of the same name, which focuses on the relationship between two sisters. In Frozen, Elsa distances herself from her sister, Anna, in order to save her from her dangerous ice powers. After Elsa is crowned queen of Arendelle, Elsa loses her temper and plunges the queendom into an enternal winter. She is ostracized and creates her own ice palace where she can stay without harming anyone else.

Let’s just say there’s a reason that many Elphabas have played Elsa (obviously starting with Idina Menzel) and many Glindas have played Anna. There are obvious parallels between Elsa and Elphaba. They both have magical power they have to learn how to control and this power leads people to fear them. Of course, the core of both stories is one of sisterhood. Elsa is also a monster of a singing role, much like Elphaba.

Six (2020)

In Six, the wives of Henry VIII reclaim their stories through pop music. They share their perspectives on their relationships with Henry VIII and question the way they are simply remembered in history by the way their marriages ended.

Wicked takes a “villain” (the Wicked Witch of the West) and completely reframes her story. Elphaba is a young woman passionate about animal rights, and she ends up branded as wicked by a fascist government that is determined to silence those who oppose its leadership. Some of Henry VIII’s wives have certainly been villainized by history (Anne Boleyn was called a witch and accused of adultery), and Six allows the queens to encourage audiences to question how they are remembered.

Suffs (2024)

Suffs tells the story of the end of the Suffragist movement that gave (white) American women the right to vote. It centers on a group of women: Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, Doris Stephens, Ruza Wenclawska, and Inez Milholland. They form deep bonds as they dedicate themselves to their political cause.

Gun and Powder

So, Gun and Powder has not made it to Broadway yet, but I am hoping it makes it there very soon. It is about Martha and Mary Clarke, two young black sisters who become outlaws in order to help their mother pay off her sharecropping debt. The sisters only target those who have harmed people in positions like their mother.

Mary and Martha face racism just as Elphaba faces prejudice for her skin color. Elphaba becomes a fugitive in the process of fighting for what she believes is right like the Clarke sisters as well. Of course, sisterhood is central to Gun and Powder just as Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship is key to the story of Wicked.