Wicked the Musical is based on the popular 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." Much like John Gardner's book "Grendel", which reimagined the epic Beowulf, Maquire's Wicked is an extension of the Wizard of Oz narrative that re-examines the ethical position of the various characters in the original story.

Wicked was developed into a musical by Stephen Schwartz, a winner of many awards for his other musical and cinematic works including Godspell, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Prince of Egypt. Schwartz was awarded a Grammy for the cast recording of Wicked. Wicked the Musical started its longstanding Broadway run in 2003, where it has continued through more than 1000 performances.

In June 2005, the current permanent production of Wicked began at the ornate Oriental Theatre, part of the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Kate Reinders was the initial Glinda in the cast, with Ana Gasteyer playing the role of Elphaba. Wicked has been a huge success in Chicago, with performances planned for years to come.