This episode explores the darker origins and production secrets behind the film and musical Wicked, revealing that the original novel was inspired by a grim 1993 child murder case in the UK. Author Gregory Maguire used this tragedy to examine how society labels individuals as “evil” based on appearance or circumstance rather than innate nature. Beyond these somber roots, the text highlights the immense production scale, including thousands of hand-crafted costumes and the use of live singing on set to capture authentic emotional performances. It also details the dangerous history of green makeup used in early cinema compared to the modern, culturally significant approach taken by the current cast. Ultimately, the source frames the story as a complex adult fantasy and a mirror for how we define morality and treat those who are different.

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