I’m not someone who watches musicals all that often — not because I hate them, I’m just not overly eager to hear people belt out their feelings in song form during a story. So when Wicked was released last November, I didn’t feel a need to see it in theaters. But as most, if not everyone reading this knows, Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the popular Broadway production launched in 2003 became a pop culture sensation in its own right. Eventually this siren’s call became too strong for me, so I recently carved out time and watched Wicked, which is now available to stream with a Peacock subscription.
Like so many people around the world, I was impressed by the movie starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater, among many others. However, for the purposes of this piece, I want to Marissa Bode’s Nessarose Throp and why I’ve become so invested in her storyline. Before we go forward, keep in mind that I’m still unfamiliar with the Wicked Broadway musical, and I have no intention of looking up spoilers before Wicked: For Good is released on the 2025 movies schedule.
Why I Liked Nessarose’ Storyline In Wicked So Much
Just like in the stage musical and Gregory Maguire’s original book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (which, full disclosure, I did read in high school, but remember absolutely nothing about it), Wicked’s Nessarose is depicted as the paraplegic sister of Elphaba whom their father adores while largely shunning Elphaba. Originally it was just Nessarose who was supposed to attend Shiz University, but when Elphaba accidentally unleashed some of her magic, Madam Morrible took an interest in her and she was enrolled too.
Now, it’d be a lie to say that Nessarose plays a major role in Wicked, which adapts the first half of the original musical. If you hadn’t seen The Wizard of Oz, I wouldn’t blame you for not realizing she has a bigger destiny ahead of her as The Wicked Witch of the East. However, it’s her minimal amount of scenes that actually makes me invested in her. With Elphaba getting all sorts of attention at Shiz University, for better or worse, Nessarose is left largely overshadowed. It’s not as though she was craving the proverbial spotlight like Galinda… sorry, now Glinda, but I have to think that having a sister who’s so popular wouldn’t be the easiest thing to handle.
But what really piqued my interest in Nessarose is when she was asked to a party at the Ozdust Ballroom by Boq Woodsman. However, Boq only did this because Glinda, whom he was enamored with, persuaded him to do so because she wanted to attend with Fiyero Tigelaar instead. Nessarose and Boq look like they have fun together, but then the former thinks the latter only asked her out because he feels sorry for her.
Then later on, Nessarose realizes that Boq is in love with Glinda. That combined with Governor Thropp suffering a heart attack upon learning what Elphaba did in the Emerald City, the movie didn’t exactly end well for Nessarose. I’m intrigued to see what’s next for her.
Why I’m Looking Forward To Nessarose’s Storyline Continuing In Wicked: For Good
Despite not being an enthusiast for Wizard of Oz-related material, after seeing Wicked, I’m looking forward to seeing how Nessarose goes from where she was left in that movie to becoming the Wicked Witch of the East and, sadly, getting crushed by Dorothy Gale’s house. Just like how Elphaba had her reasons to defy The Wizard and gain the reputation that would lead her to be branded as the Wicked Witch of the West, Nessarose will surely have her own reasons for joining her sister in becoming one of Oz’s most feared individuals. She’s a tragic character in her own right, and I eagerly await seeing the foundation laid for her downfall.
As mentioned earlier, I’ve never seen the Wicked stage musical, and while it’d be easy enough for me to read a synopsis about what happens in its entirety, I’m not going to do that. I am, however, staying apprised of news concerning Wicked: For Good, and one thing that’s caught my eye is a key way the sequel will deviate from what happened in the musical. In case you’re unaware, Marissa Bode is the first actress to play Nessarose who uses a wheelchair in real life.
If you’ll recall, Nessarose was gifted her silver shoes by her father when she arrived at Shiz University, and these are the same shoes (depicted as ruby in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz) that will end up on Dorothy’s feet. But one thing I have been made privy to already is that in the Wicked musical, the silver shoes also end up allowing her to walk. However, that’s obviously not going to be doable for Wicked: For Good with Bode.
As such, it’s already been revealed that Nessarose’s Wicked Witch of the East transformation sequence will be handled differently in order to avoid ableism. I am so on board with this even without knowing how the sequence looked in the musical. It probably would have been easy enough for the Wicked: For Good team to use CGI to make it look like Bode was on her legs and walking, but I admire that they’re going out of their way to come up with an alternative that fits more seamlessly with her physical condition. It’s thinking outside the box in an excellent way and makes me all the more excited about where we go with Nessarose in this adaptation of the second half of the musical.
Wicked: For Good opens in theaters on November 21, so keep visiting CinemaBlend for updates on its progress. And again, Wicked can now be streamed on Peacock, one of the best streaming services, so it’s easier than ever now to watch the movie that won two Oscars at the 2025 Academy Awards and was nominated in eight other categories.