Who's Who in Wicked: A last-minute guide

It's almost here. After months of previews, featurettes, interviews, and merchandise tie-ins, there are a few short hours before Wicked hits the big screen. Some of us might need an intro or refresher course before we unpack our trunks at Shiz University or book one short day in the Emerald City, so here's a brief rundown of the major players in the origin story for the witches of Oz.

Two witches and The Wizard

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is welcomed to the magical land of Oz by Glinda the Good Witch of the North. As this musical opens, she goes by Galinda and is an aspiring witch with a sense of entitlement. She expects special tutoring from the headmistress and a private suite in her freshman dorm. By the time Part 1 of this musical ends, she has some major character development but she's not pleased to have a roommate assigned to her. Glinda is played here by Ariana Grande, who is known both as an accomplished actress and an award-winning musician.

Glinda's roommate and the bane of her existence is a student so bright that the Good Witch labels her as phosphorescent. Elphaba is the green-skinned student who accidentally proves herself to be powerfully magical. She's the daughter of Munchkinland's governor, but don't bring that up. She is so talented that she is invited to meet with The Wizard of Oz himself, but Elphaba also sees this as the chance to bring the oppression of speaking animals to his attention. Her actress is Cynthia Erivo, who has taken the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and a Grammy for the Best Musical Theater Album for The Color Purple,

Finally in this category, we have the fabled and faubulous Wizard, played by longtime actor and band leader Jeff Goldblum. Everyone seems to dream of an audience with The Wizard, and imagine his outstanding qualities. As Elphaba learns, though he is a kingmaker instead of a king himself, and has an agenda that she can't get behind. This conflict is a major part of the climax of Act 1 and a driving force behind Act 2, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The Educators

Madame Morrible is almost as important to the story as the wizard himself as the headmistress of Shiz University. She fawns over the powerful, but dismisses people who try to pander to her. One of the main characters only joins her elite seminar on the recommendation of someone truly special. We've seen Michelle Yeoh be forceful and discerning as Eleanor in Crazy Rich Asians in this will translate well to her portrayal of Morrible.

Game of Thrones icon Peter Dinklage plays a major role in this show, but isn't easily identifiable. He is Doctor Dillamond, a talking goat professor who educates is students about the oppression of his kind in Oz. Instead of being receptive to this rhetoric, one of the students leaves a message for him that "Animals should be seen and not heard." He is a friend and mentor to Elphaba, while Glinda gets annoyed that he can't pronounce Galinda properly.

The Overlooked

Jonathan Bailey, last seen in Bridgerton as an angsty and solemn viscount who finally finds love, is Fiyero, a playboy and a slacker from the moment he arrives at Shiz in search of a party. His ability to go "dancing through life" endears him to Glinda, while he bonds with Elphaba over a caged lion cub and his story is certain to be an interesting one, but that's a matter to be explored in the next movie.

Nessarose is the sister of Elphaba and we only know her fate because this is the witch who has a house land on her in The Wizard of Oz. For now, she's "that tragically beautiful girl - the one in the chair" who is admired as a nepo baby, but largely overlooked until Glinda makes her an object of sympathy for a Munchkin. Marissa Bode, who herself uses a wheelchair, brings this character to life and we look forward to seeing her in the jeweled shoes that her father gives her as a going-away present.

Last in this little group is Boq, Nessa's Munchkin friend who befriends her at Glinda's urging, but takes a genuine interest in her as time goes on. It is worth noting that getting him a girlfriend as a distraction doesn't resolve his feelings towards Glinda. We can expect great things from Ethan Slater, who is most known as Spongebob Squarepants on Broadway.

Happy opening weekend to Wicked and we expect great things from you!