Totally 'Wicked' — Hit Broadway musical blows into Salt Lake this week

In 1939, a 14-year-old girl from Kansas held her little dog and sang wistfully of a better place, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Since then, "The Wizard of Oz" has become one of the most famous films ever made. It is believed to be the most-watched film in history, and it is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 best movies of all time.

But when Dorothy went over the rainbow, little did she know she was dropping in on a story in progress: a story of friendships and partnerships, of "good" and "evil," and of ruby slippers.

"Watching familiar characters take unexpected turns is very appealing," said Marc Platt, producer of "Wicked," the musical smash hit opening at Capitol Theatre April 8, and running through May 3.

"Wicked" is the musical adaptation of the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire. Composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (the book is by Winnie Holzman) approached Platt with the idea of turning the story into a musical.

"The moment he said that, the light bulb went off," said Platt, who had been working on developing the story into a film. "I happily and immediately changed directions."

Referred to as "one of the most successful shows in Broadway history," "Wicked's" ticket sales on the Great White Way have maintained $27 million in advance sales — an unprecedented number for a show six years into its run.

So, just what is the show about and why does it captivate old and young?

"Wicked," to put it simply, is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz." It tells what happened before Dorothy and Toto.

The musical introduces the audience to a young Galinda, the Good Witch of the North (and yes, there is a reason her name gets changes to Glinda), and the Wicked Witch of the West, known in this musical as "Elphaba" (pronounced, EL-fuh-buh.) The name is a derivative of L. Frank Baum, author of the "The Wizard of Oz."

In Maguire's world, the two women were once friends, after being thrown together as college roommates.

Summarizing the show for the Boston Globe, Maguire wrote: " 'Wicked' is a story about an awkward girl, one with nascent magical powers and a steely sense of righteousness, who comes up against a ditzy opportunist named Glinda and a megalomaniacal dictator calling himself the Wizard of Oz."