Character guide
Wicked Witch of the West
from The Wizard of Oz
The Wicked Witch of the West is the fearsome antagonist pursuing Dorothy throughout The Wizard of Oz, the 1987 stage musical set to Harold Arlen's music.
- Show
- The Wizard of Oz
- Broadway premiere
- 1987
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Harold Arlen
Wicked Witch of the West: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1939 MGM film
When the Royal Shakespeare Company premiered its stage version at London's Barbican Centre in 1987, the Wicked Witch was played by a man: Bille Brown, in drag, doubling as Miss Gulch just as Margaret Hamilton did on film. Later New York stagings at Madison Square Garden cast Roseanne Barr (1997) and Eartha Kitt (1998).
The stage show also restores the Witch's scheme that the film cut. In the movie she says she has sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of Dorothy's friends, but the Jitterbug number it refers to was cut for time. On stage, the jitterbugs arrive and make the travelers dance until they collapse.
Who is the Wicked Witch of the West?
The Witch is driven by a desire for power and revenge, most notably her fixation on the ruby slippers Dorothy wears after arriving in Oz. She commands an army of menacing followers and uses magic and intimidation to try to stop Dorothy and her friends from reaching the Wizard.
Her presence looms over much of the second half of the story, giving the narrative real stakes and tension amid its more whimsical and comic moments.
The Witch's role in The Wizard of Oz
The Wicked Witch is a supporting role, but a commanding and pivotal one. It calls for a performer with a strong, theatrical voice and a fearless, unapologetically villainous presence, able to command the stage in every scene she enters. The role often becomes a standout for performers who relish playing a classic, larger-than-life antagonist.
While not the emotional center of the story, the Witch is essential to its dramatic engine, giving Dorothy's quest real danger and urgency.
Why the Witch resonates with audiences
The Wicked Witch endures as one of musical theatre's most iconic villains, her green-faced menace instantly recognizable across generations. Audiences relish her theatrical wickedness even as they root for Dorothy to outwit her.
Wicked Witch of the West: frequently asked questions
What show is the Wicked Witch of the West from?
The Wicked Witch of the West appears in The Wizard of Oz, the 1987 stage musical.
Is the Wicked Witch of the West a lead or supporting role?
She is a supporting role, functioning as the story's central antagonist opposite Dorothy.
Who wrote the music for The Wizard of Oz?
Harold Arlen composed the music for The Wizard of Oz.
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The Wizard of Oz show guideMusical theatre characters A to Z