Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Wicked book and musical.
Summary
- Doctor Dillamond's story reveals the dark side of segregation and racism in Oz.
- Peter Dinklage's casting as Doctor Dillamond sets up big implications for the Wicked movie.
- Wicked explores the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West, framed for a crime she didn't commit.
Peter Dinklage has been cast in the Wicked, set to be released this Thanksgiving.
Wicked, an adaptation of the Broadway musical itself adapted from the book Wicked: Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, follows the story of Elphaba Thropp, the future Wicked Witch of the West. In the story, she's not the villain, but a misunderstood hero, fighting to free Oz from the tyrannical rule of the despotic Wizard. Her story is a sad one, but she's not the only character who suffers tragedy in the tale, and Peter Dinklage's casting sets up one of the most tragic stories of them all.
Wicked Cast & Character Guide: Who Stars In The Broadway Musical Adaptation?
The characters of the Broadway hit Wicked head to the big screen with a cast that includes a pop star, an Oscar winner, and numerous stage veterans.
Doctor Dillamond Has One Of The Darkest Stories In Wicked
In Multiple Stories Of Hardship, His Stands Out
Before the Wizard took over Oz, Animals and humans lived side-by-side. Animals were Narnian-like in their ability to speak and share an intelligence on the level of humans. Once the Wizard lays claim to the throne, however, he starts to create a culture of segregation and racism in Oz, particularly against Animals. His bigotry and paranoia are such that he sends his spies all over to watch the Animals, wanting to quell any sign of the Animals starting to organize against him.
As the only Animal professor at Shiz University, Doctor Dillamond is particularly susceptible to the Wizard's cruelty. He's ostracized and discriminated against thanks to the Wizard's anti-Animal propaganda spreading, and Dillamond strives to prove through his research that there is no difference between Animals and humans and that the racism is unfounded. The Wizard becomes convinced that Dillamond is spreading anti-Wizard sentiments in his teachings and has Dillamond arrested. Using magic, Doctor Dillamond is forcibly stripped of his Animal intelligence and language against his will and transformed into a normal goat before being imprisoned. Eventually, he goes insane from the loss of his intelligence and ability to communicate.
Doctor Dillamond's Story Isn't The Only Dark One In Wicked
It Is Not A Happy Wizard Of Oz Story
Doctor Dillamond is, sadly, far from the only character who suffers a tragic arc at the hands of the Wizard. The story of Wicked is not the happily-ever-after story with ultimately satisfied characters like The Wizard of Oz, but a much darker tale of what happens to so many freedom fighters when they go up against an oppressive, fascist regime. The Wizard is that fascist, a weak dictator propped up through rumor and his network of spies, without any real power or skill of his own. That weakness makes him paranoid, however, and that paranoia makes him vicious and cruel. It's that darkness that makes Wicked stand out from other Broadway hits in-between the soaring musical numbers, and it's good to see the movie adaptation won't be dropping that angle.
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.
- Cast
- Cynthia Erivo, Peter Dinklage, Aaron Teoh, Grecia De la Paz, Colin Michael Carmichael, Adam James, Andy Nyman, Courtney Mae-Briggs, Sharon D. Clarke, Jenna Boyd
- Director
- Jon M. Chu
