Podcast Summary: MickeyJoTheatre – "The hidden secrets in WICKED: FOR GOOD | Easter Eggs + References to The Wizard of Oz & the Musical"

Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: Mickey Jo
Date: December 14, 2025
Episode Theme:
A deep dive into the hidden secrets, Easter eggs, and references scattered throughout the film adaptation "Wicked: For Good," tying back to both the original "Wicked" stage musical and the broader legacy of "The Wizard of Oz." Mickey Jo explores nods to classic moments, visual motifs, costume details, dialogue, and even actor cameos—celebrating the care and craft poured into this cultural touchstone.

Main Discussion Points & Key Insights

1. Overview and Approach

• Mickey Jo frames the episode as an enthusiastic celebration of "Wicked: For Good," looking at the adaptation from the perspective of a dedicated theatre fan.
• He underscores his focus: "Think of this less as an entire list of every single Easter egg, but more as a starting point, a jumping-off point to which you can bring anything additional that you noticed to the comments section down below." (03:04)
• The episode is structured into thematic categories: choreography, costuming, cinematography, direct references to "The Wizard of Oz," book adaptations, musical nods, and cameo appearances.

2. Choreography & Visual References to Part 1 and the Stage Musical

[04:15]

• Many references are housed in choreography, especially mirroring moments from the first "Wicked" film and the stage show:
  • Elphaba’s hair toss: A recurring visual motif to introduce her character in both films.
  • Choreography echoes: Dance gestures during Elphaba and Glinda’s reconciliation reprise specific moves from the Ozdust Ballroom scene—particularly "the elbow" and "the little hand wave on the head," carrying both emotional and, possibly, sapphic resonance.

"They're giving it this with the elbow. They're giving it the little hand wave on the head, which was an emotional moment in the first film when it was brought back..." (06:41)

• Use of TikTok-inspired choreography in the corridor scene as a nod to contemporary audience engagement.

3. Costuming Easter Eggs & Symbolism

[07:52]

• Paul Tazewell’s costume work brims with hidden detail:
  • Elphaba’s tailoring: Textured to resemble broom bristles, even in the construction of her hat, to echo her story arc.
  • Glinda’s pastel iridescent dress: Created from pink and blue sequins as a dual homage:
    • Pink: Billie Burke’s original Glinda from the MGM film.
    • Blue: Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Glinda gown.

"This was a design choice dedicated to both of the dresses simultaneously, with the hopes that it would make all the fans happy. Because you best believe people have strong opinions about whether it ought to be a blue or a pink ball gown. Meanwhile, Elphaba's out here just trying to survive in black." (10:42)

• Notable micro-reference: In part 2, a monkey is spotted wearing Glinda’s pink jacket from part 1—a recurring prop with fan delight.
• Subtler nods: Bok bears a heart-shaped insignia, prefiguring his transformation into the Tin Man.

4. Visual Storytelling & Cinematographic Style

[13:05]

• Intentional connection to MGM’s 1930s filmmaking aesthetic for Glinda, as planned by Alice Brooks, to evoke "that sort of classic glamour leading lady quality."
• Visual symbols:
  • Glinda in bubbles/circles: Persistent use of circular imagery until Glinda 'breaks' free, thematically tying her character arc to the motif of the bubble.
  • Charlie Chaplin reference: During "Wonderful," Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard plays with a balloon in the style of Chaplin in "The Great Dictator," paralleling vaudeville style and the 'benevolent dictator' role.

"He tosses it above himself, knocks it back again, and then gives it a headbutt, which is almost an exact recreation of something that Charlie Chaplin does in the film the Great Dictator." (15:56)

5. Direct "Wizard of Oz" References (Visual & Musical)

[18:03]

• Universal logo: Greenified and backed by a cyclone motif.
• Scene with animals fleeing via the Yellow Brick Road, culminating in a congregation of "lions and tigers and bears," paralleling the famous MGM line.
• Blue gingham curtains on Dorothy’s arriving house—a double homage since Dorothy herself wears the blue dress.
• Dorothy’s silver shoes (true to Baum’s book) with red-striped socks (a nod to MGM’s red slippers), and the use of lighting to temporarily make them glow red.
• Subtle use of negative space and posters to evoke Margaret Hamilton’s classic Wicked Witch silhouette throughout the film’s design.

6. Dialogue Homages & Musical Easter Eggs

[22:18]

• Iconic lines reappropriated:
  • "I'm off to see the wizard" is spoken by Elphaba.
  • Skywriting "Our wizard lies" visually references the "Surrender Dorothy" scene from the MGM film.
  • Madame Morrible says: "These things must be done delicately," echoing Margaret Hamilton’s delivery as the Wicked Witch.

"Madame Morrible has a line... which is an exact line that the Wicked Witch of the west says about Dorothy... and truly, that is a parallel." (25:05)

• Glinda beckons: "Come out, wherever you are..."—her classic line to Munchkins in MGM film, repurposed to rally Oz’s animals.

• Notably, musical motifs and phrases also twist or tuck in famous lines—such as the melody of "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" turning up in "Couldn't Be Happier," and Bok’s triple "because, because, because..." in "Dancing Through Life."

"'No, it's because, because, because you are so beautiful.' And for him to be doing it specifically as a character, it does feel like it could be a deliberate choice." (23:20)

7. Links to Gregory Maguire’s Novel

[29:06]

• The character "Avarick" appears, connecting all iterations: book, stage, and now film (with shifting roles).
• Reference to "Gale Force" (Fiyero’s militia)—reinstating Maguire’s book lore, with Dorothy Gale’s surname as the pun.

"Gale Force, which is never referenced explicitly in the stage musical. They just call him the Captain of the Guard, but that exact line when it arrives in the film is now said as Captain of the Gale Force." (31:35)

8. Cameo Appearances & Musical Theatre In-Jokes

[33:00]

• Previous film’s cameos included Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holtzman, Idina Menzel, and Kristin Chenoweth—a challenge to replicate for the many international casts.
• Noteworthy: Scene with West End Elphabas and Glindas was filmed but largely cut; some, like Kerry Ellis, may still be glimpsed during "March of the Witch Hunters."
• Alice Fearn (West End Elphaba) plays Glinda's mother, but doesn’t sing; a layered theatre in-joke.
  • Summer Strallen and other British theatre names pop up in small roles, with Zizi Strallen currently playing Glinda in the West End.

9. Direct Stage Musical Parallels & Iconic Final Shot

[35:16]

• Dorothy’s silhouette—seen only from behind with the pail of water, just as in the stage musical, which never shows Dorothy’s face.

"That is the only Dorothy shot we ever get in Wicked on stage. You don't see her skipping down the yellow brick road... that is in the current version." (36:05)

• Mirror and arrival motifs: Nessa sees Elphaba in a cracked mirror, nodding to the show’s famous stage 'wardrobe reveal.'

• The finale recreates* the original Broadway poster art: Glinda in white whispers to Elphaba in her wide-brimmed hat—here "retro-fitted" by costuming Glinda in a hood.

"And we could see that Glinda was in a white hooded thing as well. But I didn't know, even then, I did not know that we were gonna get such an explicit reference to the iconic Broadway artwork." (38:11)

Notable Quotes

• On what the episode offers:
  “I am hoping to be able to deliver you all of the detail in terms of the stage musical references. But also, there's so much and think of this less as an entire list of every single Easter egg, but more as a starting point...” (03:04)

• On Glinda’s signature gown:
  “Pink represents Glinda in this world…This was a design choice dedicated to both of the dresses simultaneously, with the hopes that it would make all the fans happy. Because you best believe people have strong opinions about whether it ought to be a blue or a pink ball gown.” (10:42)

• On subtext and tone:
  “They're giving it this with the elbow. They're giving it the little hand wave on the head... But no, we only see it in a happy context here, a happy, potentially lesbian context. Choose your own adventure on that one.” (06:41)

• On the finale artwork homage:
  “That final shot...I about died. There was a very strong reaction… it just confirms...the love and care and understanding that all of the team who brought Wicked to the screen have for the original stage musical. And they knew how much that moment would mean to people.” (38:56)

Timestamps for Noteworthy Segments

• 01:31 – Opening, setting the context
• 04:15 – Choreography & visual callbacks
• 07:52 – Costuming and prop details
• 13:05 – Cinematography, bubbles/circles motif, Chaplin homage
• 18:03 – Visual "Wizard of Oz" references (logo, animals, shoes)
• 22:18 – Dialogue & musical nods ("I'm off to see the wizard", "because, because, because…")
• 29:06 – Gregory Maguire’s book connections ("Avarick", "Gale Force")
• 33:00 – Cameos and theatre in-jokes
• 35:16 – Stage musical parallels, final shot homage

Memorable Moments

• The excitement in Mickey Jo’s voice describing the audience’s visceral reaction to the poster-art recreation (38:56).
• The gentle prodding of fan arguments over Glinda’s ballgown color.
• Playful commentary on the extreme attentiveness of theatre fans:
  “If she [Elphaba] then said to Nessa, there's no place like home, she'd start to feel like a doll that you could buy where you pull a string in her back. And that's one of three things that she says.” (36:57)
• The open invitation to listeners to contribute their own findings:
  “...feel free to share your favorites and all of the other ones that you spotted in the comments section down below and then together we will all find out about even more cool references.” (40:23)

Tone & Language

Mickey Jo’s tone is chatty, effusive, deeply knowledgeable, and full of in-jokes for the musical theatre community. There’s plenty of wordplay (“MM. W. W. I’m just saying.”), asides to the listener (“TikTok choreography, certainly choreography that they are hoping people would replicate on TikTok...”), and gleeful digressions that preserve the original speech’s liveliness.

Conclusion

This episode serves as both a loving tribute and a resourceful guide for fans eager to dig into the rich web of references in "Wicked: For Good." Whether you’re new to Oz or a seasoned Witch-head, Mickey Jo offers context, careful observations, and fan-level enthusiasm—inviting everyone to spot even more "secrets" on repeat viewings.