A Parable, A Pearl and “Popular”? How the Broadway Musical Wicked—Especially Elphaba’s Character—May Assist Adolescent Girls to Claim Their Uniqueness

Abstract

In this essay I provide a brief exegesis of the parable of the “pearl of great price” (Matthew 13:45–46) as an introduction to an examination of Elphaba’s character in the Broadway musical Wicked [as distinguished from her character in Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked (1996)] and the potential value this character has for pastoral care with adolescent girls who struggle with the need to belong as well as the need to be themselves. I argue that Wicked may be understood as a twenty-first century parable that appeals to many, adults and adolescents alike, but it is especially appealing to teenage girls because it “taps into a certain teenage angst” (Zinoman 2005) that relates to the quest for popularity, a first true love, and beauty makeovers. Elphaba’s seriousness has a certain kind of spiritual nature which may be related to her green skin (James 1984, p. 160) that may encourage adolescent girls to adopt their own spiritual natures and enable them to claim their own voices even as Elphaba finally “defies gravity” and learns to fly.