Warning: This article contains potential spoilers for Wicked: Part 1.InWicked: Part 1, Glinda the Good Witch’s character evolves a lot in her youth, with one change being her name. Adapted from the acclaimed Broadway musical,Wickedoffers audiences a stunning view into the world of Oz and insight into events that took place before Dorothy Gale arrived.Wickedwas one of themost anticipated movie releases of 2024; while it only portrays the first half of the show, its soundtrack, performances, and depiction of Oz prove to be a captivating and enjoyable watch for longtime fans.
TheWickedcast stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who masterfully portray the origins of two of the most prominent characters inThe Wizard of Oz,the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. Viewers see how Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande) start off as bitter rivals before slowly developing a friendship that changes both of their lives forever. While Elphaba has a profound character arc,Glinda also undergoes a significant transformation, which includes her decision to tweak her name during the first movie.
Galinda Changes Her Name To Glinda Out Of Solidarity For Dillamond
In the original novel by Gregory Maguire and the Broadway musical,Glinda is first introduced as Galinda Upland, a privileged and vain young woman attending Shiz University. While she is greatly admired by her peers, aside from Elphaba, the professors are not afraid of challenging her; most notably, the only animal professor,Doctor Dillamond, portrayed by Peter Dinklage. As a goat, Dillamond struggles with pronouncing Galinda’s name during his classes, saying it as “Glinda” rather than “Ga-linda” to her frustration and the amusement of her classmates.
Throughout their classes, Glinda consistently corrects Dillamond’s pronunciation as “Galinda. With a Ga,“but with no success. While Dillamond’s mispronunciation annoys Galinda, it inspires her to make a change later in the movie. Before the"One Short Day” song, when Elphaba is about to leave for the Emerald City,Galinda announces to everybody that she has decided to change her name to Glinda.She claims that she has done this in solidarity with Doctor Dillamond and in protest against his dismissal as a professor at the university.
Glinda Changes Her Name In Wicked For The Wrong Reason
Glinda Really Changes Her Name To Bring More Attention To Herself
Glinda’s announcement of her name change is met with cheers from the Shiz students and bemusement from Elphaba and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). While Glinda claims to have changed her name in honor of Dillamond, it’s clear to viewers that this is not the real reason.Glinda announces her name change at a pivotal moment when she sees Fiyero taking notice of Elphaba; despite their growing friendship, Glinda does not want Elphaba to come between her and Fiyero, so she makes the announcement in an attempt to impress Fiyero and draw his attention back to her.
Ariana Grande vs Kristin Chenoweth: Whose Glinda Is Better
Kristin Chenoweth and Ariana Grande both were fantastic as Glinda in their respective versions of Wicked, but which version is a better performance?
ThroughGlinda’s extravagant pink wardrobeand conventional beauty, she always stands out among the crowd and wins the adoration of all the students at Shiz. She is portrayed as a woman who desires to be the most popular person in Oz. Even at a moment when Elphaba is being celebrated, Glinda cannot help but step in and briefly snatch the attention away from her friend.While Glinda’s name change proves important for her character later on, it’s clear inWicked: Part 1that she did it to gain attention and admiration, rather than out of solidarity.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
