Exploring Oz: Trivia on Glinda's Costumes

This is just some various trivia about Glinda's costumes that you may or may not know...

- There have been three different designs for the Bubble Dress: the original (such as what Kristin Chenoweth wore), which had a less sequined top and a flatter bottom; the second one (designed as a more flattering approach for Glindas who were not as small; the bottom puffed out more and the top was more curvy); and the latest one, which was very similar to number two, except the bottom puffed out even more and the bottom was made out of an even shinier material. The three designs are shown right here, in order:


- The actress playing Glinda wears her shoes for the Shiz scenes while in the opening of the show because she has to change clothes & wig in thirty seconds for the next scene.

- The other costumes have also had changes throughout the run, though none as significant as the bubble dress.

- The Glinda wig for shiz was originally straight, but then they changed it to curly, and now they have once again returned to straight, though it has a different twist to it now. Pictures are below:



- Glinda actually has two different wands: one for the bubble and one for the catfight.

Exploring Oz: Vocabulary

It was brought to my attention a couple of days ago that a lot of people, particularly newcomers to the world of theatre may not understand some of the terms that we use on this site and in the "Wicked" world in general. So this morning, I have compiled a list of terms that might be helpful. If anyone has any other suggestions for terms to add, please feel free to comment or email me (address located in the right hand column).

standby - a person who sits backstage/stays very close to the theatre during the show and only performs if the lead who they cover is ill or away for some reason. In all productions of "Wicked", Elphaba has a standby and in several of them, so does Glinda.

understudy/cover - a person who has a part in the show (usually the ensemble) but can step into a leading part if it is needed.

swing - a person who sits backstage unless a member of the ensemble is absent or stepping into a leading role; they usually cover six or seven ensemble roles. Sometimes, swings also cover a principal role.

super swing - a swing who floats between the four US productions of "Wicked", filling in as needed. One current example would be Brenda Hamilton.

phoning in - when an actor/actress does not seem as if they are actually putting forth an effort when playing a part; commonly occurs when someone has been in a role for a very long time.

lift call - a call to practice the parts of the show where characters lift other characters while dancing ("Dancing Through Life" in "Wicked"). This is very important because if an understudy/swing is being lifted and has not practiced with the person who is lifting them, injury could easily occur.

places call - exactly what the name says; a call for actors, actresses, and crew to go to the position where they start an act.

sit-down - an open-ended production of the show in a city; examples have been Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco currently. New York's production technically would be but is not usually referred to as such.

cherry picker - in the world of "Wicked", this is the machine that takes Elphaba into the air in "Defying Gravity".

stage door - to fans of "Wicked", may be used as a noun or verb. As a noun, it is the place where actors and actresses enter and leave the building and greet fans after the show. As a verb, it is used to describe visiting the door.