There's a key makeover in this magical musical. This is how Glinda gained an a—and a new backstory.
Here’s Why the Good Witch Is Called “Galinda” in the Wicked Movie
Published on Nov. 18, 2024
Everything about the new Wicked movie is big: The production numbers. The costumes. The notes as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, belts out “Defying Gravity.” Even the tie-in merch. But those who haven’t seen The Wizard of Oz prequel on Broadway may be perplexed about the smallest of details from the trailer. Namely, what’s the deal with the extra syllable in the good witch’s moniker?
Nope, we’re not in The Wizard of Oz territory anymore. In that 1939 masterpiece, the sparkly, princess-like Good Witch of the North (played by Billie Burke) who greets Dorothy after she lands in Oz and bestows upon her those magical ruby slippers is Glinda. But in Wicked, the same character—portrayed as a privileged and pink-obsessed student at Shiz University—goes by Galinda.
That’s Galinda (Ariana Grande) reluctantly sharing a room with the awkward, green-skinned outcast Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) before befriending her. That’s Galinda itching to be a sorceress. That’s Galinda singing the ditty “Popular.” And obviously, that’s Galinda flirting with the dashing Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). Wait. Both Galinda and Elphaba do that.
Needless to say (but we’ll say it anyway), this name change goes way beyond a mere typo. Here’s the meaning behind the mystery.
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Why is the Good Witch called “Galinda”?
Like all true quandaries of life, you have to hit the books to learn the answer. Actually, just Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Though the author plucked his two main characters (along with the titular wizard, Munchkins and more) directly from L. Frank Baum’s children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and drew on its lore to forge his narrative, he created the one and only Galinda Arduenna Upland. He also gave her a fresh backstory to explain why the a in her name eventually goes away.
Maguire’s fantasy book served as the source material for the 2003 musical, so playwright Winnie Holzman used the same plot point. (Holzman, FYI, adapted her own work for the Wicked movie. Plus, she created the 1990s cult classic My So-Called Life!)
Now, let’s go all the way back to Baum. Per his original 1900 work, there are two good witches in Emerald City. Glinda is the witch of the south, not the north; and she doesn’t appear until the second-to-last chapter. The book states that she is not only “kind to everyone” but also “the most powerful of all the Witches.” The unnamed witch of the north, meanwhile, welcomes Dorothy.
But Baum still plays a pivotal role in the Wicked universe name game … by way of Glinda’s friend turned rival. Elphaba, you see, is derived from the author’s initials. Say it aloud.
Why does Galinda change her name to Glinda? (Spoiler alert!)
This info has already been laid out in the Wicked world, but here’s the pre-movie primer. (Once again, it’s a big spoiler, so this is your last warning!) Galinda’s well-respected history professor at Shiz University is Doctor Dillamond, a goat who’s one of Oz’s imperiled talking animals. (In the film, the character is voiced by Game of Thrones‘s Peter Dinklage.) On the first day of class, the good doctor struggles to correctly pronounce her name—much to Galinda’s visible frustration—and can refer to her only as Glinda. Well, more like Glllllllinda.
However, Doctor Dillamond ends up being removed from his post for political reasons. His students are aghast. Cut to a key moment when a more empathetic Galinda shortens her name to both protest his ouster and honor Doctor Dillamond. And, hey, if she can impress Fiyero with the virtuous gesture, then bonus. The character is known as Glinda from that point on, straight through to the day in The Wizard of Oz when she waves her magic wand and sends Dorothy down the yellow brick road.
So the next time someone asks you if Grande’s character is named Galinda or Glinda, you’ll know that the answer is … both!
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Sources:
- The Atlantic: “The Wizard of Oz Invented the ‘Good Witch'”
- Screen Rant: “The Wizard of Oz‘s 4 Main Witches: History & Appearances Explained”
- Random House Canada: “Excerpt from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
