(WARNING: Spoilers for “Wicked” below.)
Cynthia Erivo is only the second Black actress to play Elphaba in a major production of “Wicked.” The character’s green skin makes her an instant outcast, with everyone else, including her own family, treating her with fear and humiliation. While these themes have always resonated with fans, they hit even harder with a Black woman in the role.
Society is always finding reasons to mock us, humiliate us and keep us from realizing our true power. Erivo’s Elphaba has connected with Black women so deeply because we see ourselves in the way she must constantly be “strong” and pretend like the slights and insults don’t bother her.
This is why Elphaba rebelling against the establishment and embracing her true self in “Defying Gravity” is such a powerful note to end the film on.
‘Defying Gravity’
The movie’s big closing song comes as Elphaba has been tricked into performing dangerous magic on animals and finally realizes the real treachery of The Wizard and Madame Morrible. She wants nothing to do with them, choosing to follow her own magical path. This leads them to declare her an enemy, with Madame Morrible delivering a particularly hateful speech about Elphaba’s green skin. As she proclaims her to be “wicked,” she says her skin is a manifestation of the “distortion” and “repulsion” of her evil nature.
As rough as these words are, they cut even deeper with a Black woman playing Elphaba. She simply said no to participating in corruption and was labeled “wicked.” Plus, the vitriol Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh puts into Morrible’s words makes this moment even more devastating.
As heartbreaking as this revelation about her mentors is, it drives our hero to find all the strength she needs. When she belts out “I’m through accepting limits / ‘Cause someone says they’re so / Some things I cannot change, / but ‘til I try, I’ll never know,” we feel it in our souls, because as Black women, we’ve all been there.
This is her superhero moment. She even gets a big costume reveal with the wind blowing her cape and her broom ready to take off. We may not have magic powers, but we’ve all had our “Defying Gravity” moment where we realize we’re done taking everyone’s shit.
Unfortunately, this is usually followed by a campaign to turn us into the “angry Black woman,” which is what happens to Elphaba in Act II of the musical, the basis for “Wicked Part Two.”
What to Expect From ‘Wicked Part Two’
In Act II of the stage musical, Madame Morrible, The Wizard and even Glinda, spread crazy lies about how evil Elphaba is. Thanks to their manipulative marketing, she becomes public enemy No. 1.
It’s a situation Black women are very familiar with, because the minute we stand up for ourselves and express an opinion the powers that be don’t like, they try to tear us down. Just look at what’s been done to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Yes, Elphaba makes some mistakes along the way, but all she’s ever wanted is to be herself and to help the animals of Oz. She never deserved to be vilified.
And just to be clear, if some random white girl dropped a house on your sister and stole her shoes, you’d be pissed too.
Songs to Look For
Despite the lies told about her, the audience is never made to think Elphaba is Wicked. In fact, Act II showcases how deeply she cares in songs like “As Long As You’re Mine”—a duet between her and Fiyero—and “No Good Deed,” her desperate breaking point.
However, the show-stopping tearjerker everyone will be talking about is “For Good.” It’s Elphaba and Glinda’s heartbreaking road to forgiveness, and no matter who’s singing it, there’s never a dry eye in the house. Considering how close they’ve become, we’re positive Erivo and Ariana Grande are going to emotionally wreck us with this one.
Casting Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba has given the classic story a whole new meaning and we can’t stop obsessing over how much deeper and richer this musical is now.
“Wicked” is still playing in theaters and “Wicked: Part Two” is currently scheduled for release Nov. 21, 2025.