What Occurs In Act Two Of The Musical

Cease all the pieces if you have not seen the “Depraved” musical, learn Gregory Maguire’s novel “Depraved,” or simply usually do not know something about what might occur in “Depraved: For Good.” Main spoilers lie forward!!!

On the finish of 2024, Jon M. Chu’s movie adaptation of the Broadway stage musical “Depraved” — which itself is tailored from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Depraved: The Life and Occasions of the Depraved Witch of the West” — launched the primary half of the story, blowing critics and audiences away and completely crushing the field workplace. Now, followers have to attend till November of this yr to see how the story concludes … however in case you have any familiarity with the musical, you would possibly know what’s coming.

“Depraved: Half One” introduces us to Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), a younger lady who aspires to grow to be a robust sorceress after she by accident finally ends up enrolled at Shiz College together with her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). There’s only one factor about Elphaba that appears to confuse her fellow college students: she’s inexperienced. Regardless of what she calls her “verdigris,” Elphaba finally turns into finest buddies together with her roommate Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande-Butera) after a severely rocky begin, turns into nearer to Prince Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey), and is even invited to fulfill the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) after impressing Shiz College’s Dean of Sorcery, Madam Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Sadly, all the pieces comes crashing down on the finish of “Depraved: Half One,” when Elphaba realizes the Wizard is probably not who he says he’s … and that he and Madam Morrible have a really horrible plan for her future. So, what can we anticipate in “Depraved: For Good,” the second half of the story?

Within the ultimate moments of “Depraved: Half One,” Glinda (who restyles her identify to indicate solidarity with speaking animals unable to correctly pronounce “Ga-linda”) and Elphaba duet on the showstopper “Defying Gravity,” a track that propels Elphaba to take flight on a broomstick and escape the Emerald Metropolis whereas Glinda stays behind. (It feels essential to notice that, after carrying “Depraved: Half One” on their collective shoulders, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera acquired Oscar nominations for his or her roles within the lead and supporting classes, respectively.) Although Elphaba begs Glinda to flee together with her, Glinda, maybe realizing that she does not possess Elphaba’s similar magical powers and acknowledging that she dangers shedding her hard-earned social standing if she flees, decides to remain. As Elphaba flies away, Madam Morrible embraces Glinda … which explains Glinda’s look within the film’s opening quantity, “No One Mourns the Depraved,” as she tells the Munchkins that Elphaba, now styled because the “Depraved Witch of the West,” is useless as all of them have fun.

Elphaba, in the meantime, goes into hiding to remain out of the Wizard and Madam Morrible’s clutches in Act 2 of the musical, now that she is aware of the Wizard is a non-magical fraud who seeks to enslave animals and use Elphaba’s powers to hold out his plan. Glinda and Fiyero, caught within the Emerald Metropolis, work because the Wizard’s spokeswoman and the Captain of the Wizard’s Guard and are engaged (in opposition to Fiyero’s needs), although it is clear that each are conflicted about their public opposition to Elphaba. Then there’s Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose … who’s each harmful and at risk.

After Elphaba flies away from the Emerald Metropolis, Madam Morrible instantly goes on the offensive and declares, to all of Oz, that Elphaba is a needed felony … and when that announcement reaches Governor Thropp (Andy Nyman), the pinnacle of Munchkinland and Elphaba’s father, he is so shocked that he dies on the spot. This leaves Nessarose to take his place because the chief of Munchkinland, and sadly, the character takes a darkish and even sinister flip after seemingly fully candy in “Depraved: Half One.”

When Elphaba sneaks into Munchkinland to see Nessarose, she discovers that her youthful sister has grow to be a full-fledged tyrant as Munchkinland’s governor, oppressing the whole inhabitants in order that she will preserve the person she loves, Boq (Ethan Slater), captive in her clutches. (Boq, sadly, is in love with Glinda.) Along with her superior powers, Elphaba enchants a pair of silver footwear that after belonged to their mom Melena (Courtney-Mae Briggs) that assist Nessarose, who makes use of a wheelchair, stroll. (Bode is the primary actor to ever play Nessarose who makes use of a wheelchair in actual life, and he or she informed Selection that Nessarose’s “transformation” shall be totally different on display.) Nevertheless Nessarose features extra energy and independence in “Depraved: For Good,” we will safely assume that it’ll drive Boq to go away her for Glinda, at which level Nessarose casts a spell on Boq’s coronary heart that shrinks the organ and practically kills him; Elphaba “saves” Boq by turning him right into a “tin man” who has no want for a coronary heart, however the harm is finished. Nessarose, on this second, formally turns into the Depraved Witch of the East.

Fiyero has been trying to find Elphaba ever since her escape from the Emerald Metropolis, and when she returns to the proverbial scene of the crime to confront the Wizard and attempt to free the flying monkeys (the identical flying monkeys the Wizard tricked her into remodeling in “Depraved: Half One”), the 2 unexpectedly reunite. After the Wizard tries to “purpose” with Elphaba and frees the monkeys as a symbolic gesture, it looks like Elphaba is mollified … till she discovers her former Shiz College professor Physician Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), a goat who might as soon as converse freely, in a cage and with out the ability of speech. It is at this level that Fiyero helps Elphaba escape the Emerald Metropolis, and he leaves together with her, devastating his fiancée Glinda. (In “Depraved: Half One,” a younger Elphaba sings a mournful ballad referred to as “I am Not That Woman” about the truth that Fiyero loves Glinda and never her; within the second act, Glinda sings a reprise realizing that truly, Fiyero at all times cherished Elphaba extra.)

Tucked away in a hidden wooden, Fiyero and Elphaba duet on the highly effective love track “As Lengthy As You are Mine” and share their first actual second of ardour collectively till Elphaba has a magical feeling that her sister is at risk. She returns to central Oz to find what occurred — and extra on that in a second — leaving Fiyero behind, and when he follows her to assist, he is then captured by the Wizard’s forces. This leads straight into Elphaba’s lament “No Good Deed,” the place she casts a spell to attempt to save Fiyero, whom she believes is useless … and realizes simply how a lot she’s misplaced.

Let’s return to Nessarose and her destiny for only a second, as a result of “No Good Deed” is not simply about Elphaba shedding Fiyero; it is also about shedding her beloved youthful sister. We briefly see a second in “Depraved: Half One” the place Madam Morrible controls the climate, and that was a clue about precisely how this witch makes use of her magic — and tragically, she makes use of it in opposition to Nessarose. Even extra tragically, the plan is (kind of) urged by Glinda herself, who is aware of Elphaba loves Nessarose greater than anybody else and tells Madam Morrible and the Wizard they need to begin a rumor that Nessarose is at risk. What Glinda does not know is that the Wizard and Madam Morrible resolve to place Nessarose in very actual hazard as a substitute of merely beginning a rumor.

Madam Morrible creates a twister utilizing her powers, and when you’ve seen the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” you most likely understand how this seems: Dorothy Gale’s home lands squarely on Nessarose, killing her, and Glinda provides Melena’s (now-red) footwear to Dorothy, including much more insult to harm. When Elphaba arrives to see her sister useless beneath the home and the footwear gone, she bodily assaults Glinda earlier than the 2 are separated by guards (which, going backwards just a little bit, is additionally the second the place Fiyero reveals as much as lend assist and will get captured). Glinda now totally realizes that she, too, has been utilized by the Wizard and Madam Morrible and that her thought led on to Nessarose’s dying … and by this level, she additionally realizes she has to intervene now that Elphaba has captured Dorothy.

With the tip of the story approaching, Glinda tries to purpose with Elphaba, significantly now that she understands Madam Morrible’s function in Nessarose’s dying. Elphaba is understandably livid, telling Glinda that she’s been permitting Madam Morrible and the Wizard to get away with their evil deeds and fraudulent habits by merely appearing as their spokesperson — and all of the whereas, Dorothy is hanging out as Elphaba’s captive. On the finish of the day, although, Glinda nonetheless loves Elphaba and needs her buddy to know that she’s at risk; on this second, Elphaba realizes that her battle is over.

The 2 sing “For Good,” an earnest and emotional duet that provides the second film its title, committing to their friendship and recognizing the way it’s modified them each, properly, “for good” (“As a result of I knew you / I’ve been modified / For good” is the conclusion of the track), and when residents of Oz discover the 2 in Elphaba’s hiding spot, Glinda hides whereas they throw a bucket of water upon the Depraved Witch of the West. By all appearances, Elphaba dies, leaving simply her black pointed hat — a “reward” from Glinda courting again to their days at Shiz College — and a mysterious bottle of inexperienced elixir. That bottle is definitely extremely essential, and by chance for Elphaba, Glinda figures out its connection to the Wizard fairly shortly.

After ostensibly watching her finest buddy get murdered by a vicious and vengeful mob, Glinda lastly confronts the Wizard with the bottle of inexperienced elixir in hand, revealing that she is aware of the reality: he is Elphaba’s actual father due to an affair he had with Melena years beforehand. (Actually, you may fairly clearly hear Jeff Goldblum’s voice within the opening variety of “Depraved: Half One” as Glinda explains why Elphaba’s childhood was so troublesome; whereas the film hides his face, no person actually seems like Jeff Goldblum besides, properly, Jeff Goldblum.) Glinda bravely takes management, banishes the Wizard from Oz, and arrests Madam Morrible for her crimes.

Unbeknownst to everybody, although, Elphaba is not useless; she truly used a trapdoor to faux her dying by water, and Fiyero is by her facet. Certain, there’s one small difficulty with Fiyero — particularly, that Elphaba turned him into the Scarecrow (sure, the one from “The Wizard of Oz,” type of) when she carried out that spell throughout “No Good Deed” that was meant to make sure no bodily hurt might come to him — however the two depart Oz collectively, leaving Glinda alone and, apparently, in cost. Although Glinda “celebrates” with the residents of Oz that the Depraved Witch of the West has lastly been overthrown, it is a bittersweet ending for our remaining lead character, who should stay with the information that the Wizard, not Elphaba, was the true villain all alongside.

“Depraved: Half One” is accessible to lease or purchase on digital streaming platforms now, and “Depraved: For Good” flies into theaters on November 21, 2025.