I’m Not That Girl vs For Good

One of the powerful things about the musical, Wicked belongs to the songs alone. It even has the kind of score that I look for- the combo of positive and negative emotions. It has the heartbreaking “I’m Not That Girl” (which started out as no more than a sad song) and the bittersweet “For Good” Those are the two songs that made me realize sad was a musical theatre emotion. So, what of those two is exactly the MOST emotional?

I’m Not That Girl- possible spoilers

Well, from just glance, you would think this is the most emotional. I’m Not That Girl is an unrequited love song- true, it is a heartbreaking love song, but also ironic. Little does Elphaba know that she will get Fiyero in the end- the irony behind I’m Not That Girl. It is true——I had originally thought the song was sad (not heartbreaking)- but I knew the song was deepening. I had to discover the emotion, heartbreak first, and another song had to help it (as in a stronger and more powerful unrequited love song). It was On My Own that finally made me realize I’m Not That Girl was an unrequited love song, and memorizing the lyrics saw me see even more insight in the song

For Good

This is the more emotional song in Wicked. Yes, it is a bittersweet song—–a powerful one that centers on our two protagonists. Elphaba and Glinda have a powerful and beautiful friendship- they even wouldn’t let a boy get in the way. The most important person in their lives belongs to each other- Glinda was Elphaba’s only friend and Elphaba was the only friend that truly mattered in Glinda’s life.

The center core of Wicked is between Glinda and Elphaba- their friendship. That is why For Good is the most emotional song in the show- the last moment the two friends will see each other, and are able to say that they mattered to each other

Favorite Musical Currently on Broadway

New York City is KNOWN for many things. Places like Central Park, American Girl, The Statue of Liberty, The Natural History Museum, and Broadway are important to NYC. As a matter of fact, when I went to NYC, I went to ALL of them- Statue of Liberty was only seen at a distance. What made the trip special was being with my mom. So, what is my favorite musical that is currently still on Broadway?

Wicked- Seen 5x

Originally seen August 2006 on Broadway as a date with my mom. Little did I know that when I stepped foot in The Gershwin Theater, “I would be changed for good”. Wicked truly was the start of my love for musical theatre. It taught me some very important aspects of musicals that would become important later on in the journey. I learned about emotional connection- through Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero (most notably Elphaba). I even discovered the complex and emotional side of musicals because of Wicked- as in BOTH plot and characters. Even first picked up on love triangles for the first time. So the core emotions that existed belonged to excitement, love, joy, and sad

So, why would I be drawn to Wicked so much? For starters, I see myself in Elphaba- she was one of the first characters I could recognize as being “different”, which is something I can easily relate to. The musical is about a powerful and beautiful bond of two best friends- Elphaba and Glinda. In my opinion, the love triangle helps strengthen the friendship (can’t say why due to risk of “spoilers“)- Wicked actually is home to my favorite love triangle due to its level of complexity and being the first one I emotionally bonded with. Everything about the musical feels OZian- you truly feel transported to OZ when you see it

First Unrequited Love Song I Fell in Love With

As known by musical theatre fans, a common theme is ROMANCE. Plus, we also know that there are love triangles, which results in one character dealing with the pain and heartbreak of unrequited love. As a result, we see several responses with some being poor and some being good. Plus, we also love the incredible unrequited love songs. So, what was the first unrequited love song I fell in love with?

I’m Not That Girl (possible major spoilers)

Wicked is home to one of the most complex love triangles. ” I’m Not That Girl” was one of the first sad songs I fell in love with. True, I originally called this song just a sad song—-not a heartbreaking love song. But it still is an unrequited love song. It is originally sung by Elphaba, who gets the full version. “I’m Not That Girl” is one of the songs that made the emotion of sad come to the forefront for musicals. Do you know what made me realize “I’m Not That Girl” was an unrequited love song and heartbreaking? Well, it ended up being “On My Own” from Les Mis due the fact that both songs are about the same thing. At the same time, memorizing the lyrics made me look deeper into the song (as in seeing some insight, as in aspects beyond the unrequited love).

Crazily enough, the song is ironic——little does she know, she will get Fiyero in the end. Meaning Glinda will eventually get the unrequited love. Their responses to the unrequited love show how far they will go to keep their friendship alive (as in will they let a boy get between them). Well, they BOTH decide not to steal him away from each other.

The Meaning of “Green”

True, there are several colors that exist. But, each one can represent something different. However, the color Green may not seem like it has meaning, but does. You will understand if you have fallen in love with the musical, Wicked.

GREEN- Major Spoilers

In my opinion, Green represents being different. That is because Elphaba was born green making her different. That resulted in her being born into an unloving family- the father who raised her didn’t love her, but instead loved her disabled sister just because she was “normal-colored” and put her on a pedestal. She was treated like an outcast in her own home. She truly didn’t have any friends until she went to Shiz. Elphaba was only allowed to go to university because of Nessa- her father wanted someone to look after her. I am so glad Elphaba and Glinda became friends—–after all Glinda saw Elphaba for who she truly is and was Elphaba’s only friend.

I can strongly relate to Elphaba because I know what’s its like to be different, one reason why she is my favorite musical theatre character.

Favorite Stephen Schwartz Musical

There are a number of famous composers and lyricists in musical theatre. One of which is Stephen Schwartz, who is most famous for Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked. Those three are musicals I love. Now, which of his musicals is my favorite?

Wicked

This was obvious. I have loved Wicked since August 2006- my first visit being at The Gershwin Theater. That was also my first memory of seeing a musical; my mom and I in NYC seeing Wicked. At the time, “Popular” would become my favorite song from the musical. That is all I can remember. The musical developed a LOT over the years- emotions deepened due to stronger understanding of characters and stories. The other four times I saw Wicked were by the US Tour.

My 5th Time

Wicked was how I started to understand emotional connection. It was how I started to understand the emotional and complex side of musicals. I also started to understand love triangles. I only am emotionally connected to three characters in this musical- Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero. True, each time I see Wicked, I only pay attention to the powerful and beautiful friendship and the complex and strong love triangle. By the way, Elphaba is my favorite musical character and the love triangle in Wicked is my favorite of musical theatre. Wicked is a spectacular musical- feels Ozian in every way. One of my top two favorite musicals.

What is your favorite Stephen Schwartz musical?