Wicked is the blockbuster musical based on a novel of the same name (by Gregory Maguire) that imagines the story of The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West. It gives her a sympathetic backstory and a name (Elphaba). It opened on Broadway on 2003, and has run continuously since then (excepting an understandable break for the COVID-19 pandemic) The music (by Stephen Schwartz) has worked its way into the popular consciousness – and at least one outstanding band arrangement. Jay Bocook uses several of the highlights from the musical to piece together his 9-minute Selections. Here they are, as played by the Coastal Communities Concert Band:
See more about the musical on Wikipedia and its official Broadway site. There is plenty to see about the arrangement at Hal Leonard and J.W. Pepper.
Now, some original Wicked action. The medley begins with “No One Mourns the Wicked”:
Here’s a clip of “Dancing Through Life” with the original Broadway cast:
A small chunk of “The Wizard and I” shows up:
“Defying Gravity” from the 2004 Tony Awards, where it won 3 awards (it also picked up 7 Drama Desk awards that same year, and the 2005 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album):
“For Good”: