Elphaba Thropp is the protagonist in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, and in its musical theatre adaptation Wicked. The character is identified with the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
In the Baum novel, the Witch is unnamed and little is explained about her life; Wicked creates a backstory for her and explores the world of The Wizard of Oz from her perspective. Elphaba is modeled after Margaret Hamilton's portrayal in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz: green-skinned, clad entirely in black and wearing a tall peaked hat. Maguire formulated the name "Elphaba" from the pronunciation of Baum's initials — "L.F.B.".
Actresses who have portrayed Elphaba
The role was originated on Broadway and the West End by Idina Menzel, who won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The role is currently slated to be played by Cynthia Erivo in the upcoming two-part film adaptation of the musical.
Actresses billed in the lead role in various productions include:
North America
Broadway
Idina Menzel (October 2003 — January 2005) Shoshana Bean (January 2005 — January 2006) Eden Espinosa (January — October 2006) Ana Gasteyer (October 2006 — January 2007) Julia Murney (January — October 2007) Stephanie J. Block (October 2007 — June 2008) Kerry Ellis (June — November 2008) Marcie Dodd (November 2008 — January 2009) Nicole Parker (January — July 2009) Dee Roscioli (July 2009 — March 2010) Mandy Gonzalez (March 2010 — January 2011) Teal Wicks (February — September 2011) Jackie Burns (September 2011 — January 2013; July 2017 — July 2018) Willemijn Verkaik (February — May 2013) Lindsay Mendez (May 2013 — February 2014) Christine Dwyer (February — December 2014) Caroline Bowman (December 2014 — September 2015) Rachel Tucker (September 2015 — July 2016) Jennifer DiNoia (July 2016 — July 2017) Jessica Vosk (July 2018 – May 2019) Hannah Corneau (May 2019 – February 2020) Lindsay Pearce (February – March 2020; September 2021 – May 2022) Talia Suskauer (May 2022 – March 2023) Alyssa Fox (March 2023 – Current)
1st U.S. National Tour (Emerald City Tour) Kristy Cates (Temporary: March 2005) Stephanie J. Block (Original) (March 2005 - March 2006) Eden Espinosa (Temporary) (August - September 2005) Julia Murney (March - September 2006) Shoshana Bean (September - December 2006) Victoria Matlock (January - November 2007) Carmen Cusack (November 2007 - November 2008) Donna Vivino (November 2008 - July 2010) Jackie Burns (July 2010 - June 2011) Dee Roscioli (June - October 2011; September 2012 - April 2013; July 2013) Mamie Parris (October 2011 - May 2012) Nicole Parker (May - September 2012) Alison Luff (April 2013 - April 2014) Emma Hunton (April 2014 - February 2015) Jennifer DiNoia (February - March 2015)
2nd U.S. National Tour (Munchkinland Tour) Marcie Dodd (March 2009 - April 2010) Vicki Noon (April 2010 - January 2011) Anne Brummel (January 2011 - April 2012) Christine Dwyer (May 2012 - March 2013) Jennifer DiNoia (April 2013 - March 2014) Laurel Harris (April 2014 - January 2015) Alyssa Fox (October 2014; January - December 2015) Emily Koch (December 2015 - September 2016) Jessica Vosk (September 2016 - September 2017) Jackie Burns (October 2018 - February 2019) Mariand Torres (February 2019 - September 2019) Talia Suskauer (September 2019 - March 2020; August 2021 - March 2022) Lissa deGuzman (March 2022 - April 2023) Olivia Valli (May 2023 - Current)
Mexico City
Danna Paola
Ana Cecilia Anzaldúa
Chicago, Illinois
Ana Gasteyer (June 2005 - January 2006) Kristy Cates (January - December 2006) Dee Roscioli (December 2006 - June 2008; August 2008 - January 2009) Lisa Brescia (June - August 2008)
Los Angeles, California
Eden Espinosa (February - December 2007; October 2008 - January 2009) Caissie Levy (January - May 2008) Teal Wicks (May - October 2008)
San Francisco, California
Teal Wicks (January 2009 - March 2009; June 2009 - February 2010) Vicki Noon (temporary; March 2009 - May 2009) Eden Espinosa (March - June 2010) Marcie Dodd (June - September 2010)