The screen returns, zoomed in on DOCTOR DILLAMOND's paw: it flips the lightswitch to turn on the lamps in his classroom. It's early morning, we can feel the students coming in from the cold and dew outside. ELPHABA is leaning casually against her desk, wearing a white blouse and black skirt. Her hair is in two long braids on either side of her head, and another pink rose is tucked behind her ear. When FIYERO walks into the room, ELPHABA—with slightly improved finesse—flicks her hair from side to side with her hands. FIYERO simply stands there with his hands on his hips. ELPHABA is deflated.
ELPHABA
What?
FIYERO
Nothing. Nothing. It's just… you've been… Galinda-fied. You… you don't have to do that, you know.
DOCTOR DILLAMOND
Alright, take your seats, class.
The students obey. ELPHABA sits with GALINDA on her left and FIYERO on her right. DOCTOR DILLAMOND bends down to put his suitcase on the floor, but pauses and thinks otherwise, standing back up.
DOCTOR DILLAMOND
I have something to say… and very little time. My dear students… this is my last day here at Shiz. I am no longer permitted to teach.
ELPHABA (Indignantly.)
What?
DOCTOR DILLAMOND (Patriarchal.)
Please, Miss Elphaba.
DOCTOR DILLAMOND bows his head a moment, and then looks back to his class.
DOCTOR
DILLAMOND
I want to thank you all… for sharing with me… your
enthusiasm, your essays (however feebly structured), and… even, on
occasion… your lunch.
MADAME MORRIBLE sweeps into the classroom, followed by GROMMETIK who seems as if he is trying very hard to repress a small grin of satisfaction.
MADAME MORRIBLE (With feeble meaning in her words.)
Oh, Doctor Dillamond! I am so DREADFULLY sorry.
ELPHABA
Madame!
You can't permit this!
DOCTOR
DILLAMOND
Miss Elphaba, don't worry about me. They can take
away my job, but I will continue to speak out!
Suddenly, GROMMETIK speeds forward and his head opens like a lid. From it, a long, golden mechanical arm extends out. At the end, rather than a hand or grip, are two handcuffs or shackles that snap around DOCTOR DILLAMOND's front paws. GROMMETIK turns away, rotating his body as the arm stays in place, and finally releases his smug smile. Then, with incredible strength for a robot of only a foot or so in height, he drags DOCTOR DILLAMOND from the room.
DOCTOR DILLAMOND
They're not telling you the whole story! Remember that class!
ELPHABA (Reaching out, only to be restrained by GALINDA.)
Doctor Dillamond!
MADAME MORRIBLE follows GROMMETIK and DOCTOR DILLAMOND from the room, hiding an uncomfortably similar smile in her expression. As MADAME MORRIBLE exits, a MAN in a tan overcoat and bowler hat comes in, wheeling a cart with a tarp over top to the front of the class.
ELPHABA (Appealing to her class.)
Well, are we all just going to sit here? In silence?
FIYERO
Elphaba, there's nothing we can do. Come on, sit down.
MAN (As cheesy as a children's show host.)
Good afternoon, students! More and more every day, with every tick of the Time Dragon Clock, in every corner of our great Oz, one hears the silence of progress! For example: this…
The MAN sweeps the tarp from his cart.
MAN
Is called a cage.
Atop the cart is a cage roughly the size of one for parrots, and inside, a small lion cub is shaking and looking around nervously from a corner. The students are intrigued, though ELPHABA is mortified.
MAN
Now, you'll be seeing more and more of them in the near future. This remarkable innovation is actually
The MAN lifts a pair of salad clippers from the side and snaps them loudly against the side of the cage, causing the lion cub to squeal in terror.
MAN
For the animal's own good.
The MAN snaps the clippers again.
MAN
And—
ELPHABA (Rising.)
Hey! If it's for his own good, why is he trembling?
MAN
Oh, well, he's excited to be here. That's all.
The MAN snaps the clippers again, and then puts them down.
MAN
Now, as I was saying, one of the benefits of caging a lion cub this young is that he will never, in fact, learn how to speak.
The class is mystified by the speech and slowly rises, eager to come forward and take a closer look but hesitant to interrupt the new teacher. ELPHABA slowly sits down in time with their ascension and begins to shake.
ELPHABA (Softly, distracting FIYERO's attention.)
Oh, no…
MAN
That's right! Come closer!
The class does so eagerly, except for ELPHABA and FIYERO.
ELPHABA (To FIYERO, now that she has his attention.)
Can you imagine a world where animals are kept in cages? And they never speak?
MAN
He may seem a bit agitated. But that's easily remedied.
ELPHABA
What should I do?
FIYERO
Why are you asking me?
ELPHABA
Well, somebody has to…
ELPHABA wheels around on the class and spreads her arms, palms out.
ELPHABA (Shouting.)
Do something!
The colors on screen invert, with the exception of ELPHABA, FIYERO, and the cub. Very slowly, everything with inverted colors goes into reverse. The students begin to retreat, the man picks the clippers back up and begins to clip in reverse, once more agitating the cub.
FIYERO
What's happening?
When ELPHABA moves her hands in agitation, the colors stay the same, but things go forward in this strange slow motion.
ELPHABA (Waving her hands and unknowingly changing time's direction.)
I don't know, I got mad, and then—
FIYERO
Alright, just don't move! And whatever you do, don't get mad at me.
ELPHABA freezes, and so does the class. FIYERO walks forward slowly, completely unnoticed, and grabs the edge of the cart. He then takes it and runs from the room.
FIYERO (Peeking back in quickly.)
Well, you coming?
As ELPHABA chases after him, everything goes into a dangerously rapid fast forward. As they race the cart with the cage through the halls, people come flying out of classrooms past them, several almost crashing into FIYERO and ELPHABA with breakneck speed. The longer they run, whipping through halls and around corners, the colors slowly fade to normal. Once they are outside, alone and unnoticed, the spell wears off and ordinary is restored. ELPHABA points to the nearby wood, and FIYERO and her take off at a sprint, disappearing into the trees.
Finally, they come upon a clearing. The yellow brick road crosses overhead at a distance with a yellow bridge going over a nearby river. They pause and rest.
ELPHABA
Be careful with him!
FIYERO
I am!
ELPHABA
You're shaking him!
FIYERO
I'm not!
FIYERO slowly lifts the cage to the ground, staring at ELPHABA to ensure that he has not upset her majesty.
ELPHABA
We
can't just let him loose anywhere, you know. We have to find
someplace safe!
FIYERO
I realize that! Wait, you just think that I'm really stupid, don't you?
ELPHABA (Pacing.)
Well, no. Not REALLY stupid.
FIYERO (Impatiently flapping his coat.)
Why is it that every time I see you, you're causing some sort of commotion.
ELPHABA
I
don't cause commotions.
ELPHABA looks up at the sky. It is ugly and gray, a bleak foreshadowing of rain.
ELPHABA
I am one.
FIYERO
That's
for sure.
ELPHABA
Oh, so you think I should just keep my mouth shut? Is that what you're saying?
FIYERO
No, I'm saying—
ELPHABA (Trampling his defense.)
You think I wanna be this way? Do you think I want to care this much? You don't think I know how much—
FIYERO
All
I meant—
ELPHABA (Continuing without pause.)
Easier my life would be if I didn't?
FIYERO (Angry.)
Do you ever let anyone else talk?
ELPHABA looks at him apologetically.
ELPHABA
Oh… sorry.
FIYERO steps forward, ready to try again.
ELPHABA
But can I just say ONE more thing?
FIYERO waves her on.
ELPHABA
You could've walked away.
FIYERO
So?
ELPHABA
So… No matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be—
FIYERO
Excuse me, there's no pretense here. I happen to be DEEPLY shallow and GENUINELY self-absorbed.
ELPHABA
No, you're not.
FIYERO shrugs.
ELPHABA
Or you wouldn't be so unhappy.
FIYERO
No… You know… Alright, fine. Look, you don't want my help?
ELPHABA reaches out to stop FIYERO, grabbing his arm, and consequently, his hand.
ELPHABA
No, I do—
ELPHABA realizes that she's holding hands with FIYERO. They both savor the moment, but after a time, ELPHABA lets go and drops down, devoting her attention to the lion cub and the cage. FIYERO stands with his hands in his pocket and watches her reach in to check on it.
ELPHABA
His heart is pounding. I didn't mean to frighten him.
FIYERO kneels down beside her.
FIYERO
Then… what did you mean to do? And why was I the only one you didn't do it too?
ELPHABA looks at FIYERO, shaking her head. She then spreads her eyes.
ELPHABA (Surprised.)
You're bleeding! He must have scratched you!
FIYERO
Yeah… or… or maybe he scratched me.
ELPHABA raises her hand to FIYERO's cheek. FIYERO begins to reach for her hand with his own, but then leaps up, running his hand through his hair instead.
FIYERO
I… uh… I better get to safety. I mean the cub!
ELPHABA
Of course!
FIYERO
Get the cub to safety!
FIYERO leans down to take the cage. He accidentally walks into ELPHABA, who backs up, raising her hands awkwardly out of the way. FIYERO grabs the handle of the cage and lifts the box up, looking once at the cub, and then for a longer moment at ELPHABA. He then turns and takes off through the trees. ELPHABA clenches her fists, debating whether to call out to him. She spins, wonders, and finally shouts after him.
ELPHABA
Fiyero!
FIYERO does not hear her.
I'm Not That Girl begins.
ELPHABA
Hands
touch.
Eyes meet.
Sudden silence.
Sudden heat.
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl.
He could be that boy,
But I'm not that girl.
ELPHABA begins to walk towards the stream. She keeps her distance and leans against a large tree.
ELPHABA
Don't dream
Too far.
Don't lose sight of
Who you are.
ELPHABA holds out her hands, remembering FIYERO's touch.
ELPHABA
Don't remember that
Rush
of joy.
He could be that boy…
I'm not that girl.
ELPHABA pulls down a branch over her eyes, blocking out the light as she closes them.
ELPHABA
(Smiling as she imagines.)
Ev'ry so often we long to
steal
To the land of what-might-have-been.
ELPHABA opens her eyes, releasing the branch, only to see the bleak skies filling with dark storm clouds. She rushes to get under the bridge.
ELPHABA
But
that doesn't soften the ache we feel
When reality sets back in.
ELPHABA leans against the support pillars of the bridge, looking up at the thick gold bricks above her.
ELPHABA
Blithe
smile, lithe limb.
She who's winsome, she wins him.
ELPHABA twirls her hair in her fingers.
ELPHABA
Gold hair with a gentle curl
Above ELPHABA during the next verse (unseen by her), FIYERO crosses the bridge, GALINDA's hand in his. They lean over the side to look at the river. FIYERO's eyes wander, clearly looking to see where ELPHABA has gone, and GALINDA admires the view. But then, the rain starts to fall, and they take off running, FIYERO throwing one last look behind him. A rose from GALINDA's hair falls over the side and flutters gently to the ground in the rain.
ELPHABA
That's
the girl he chose,
And Heaven knows
I'm not that girl.
ELPHABA sees the rose and feels immediate heartbreak.
ELPHABA
Don't
wish… don't start.
Wishing only wounds the heart.
I wasn't
born for the rose and the pearl.
There's a girl I know:
He
loves her so.
I'm not that girl…
MADAME MORRIBLE comes running through the trees with an umbrella in tow. She finds ELPHABA under the yellow brick bridge and comes over to her, holding the umbrella above them both.
MADAME MORRIBLE
Miss Elphaba! There you are!
ELPHABA
(Surprised.)
Madame Morrible.
MADAME MORRIBLE (Excited.)
I… I have thrillified news! I have just heard back from the Wizard! My dear, he wishes to meet you!
ELPHABA retreats, hand to her heart, dumbfounded.
ELPHABA
He asked for ME? Personally?
MADAME MORRIBLE shrieks with delight.
MADAME MORRIBLE
Yes! I know how devastated you were this morning for our poor Doctor Dillamond. But you see, my dear… as one door closes…
MADAME MORRIBLE draws a green letter from the folds of her gown.
MADAME MORRIBLE
Another one opens.
ELPHABA laughs in pleasure a laugh remnant of a witch's cackle.
ELPHABA (Hugging the headmistress.)
Oh, Madame Morrible! I don't know what to say! How could I possibly thank you?
MADAME MORRIBLE realizes that she's lowered the umbrella to hug ELPHABA, and throws it back over them.
MADAME MORRIBLE
Oh, careful, careful! You mustn't get wet!
MADAME MORRIBLE hands the umbrella to ELPHABA, backing up with an idea.
MADAME MORRIBLE
Ah! I know!
MADAME MORRIBLE waves her hands regally into the air. The rain slows to a halt, and the clouds fade into brighter skies. ELPHABA lowers the umbrella and closes it.
MADAME
MORRIBLE
Didn't I mention? Magic weather is my specialty. Now,
Oz-speed, my dear. I know you'll make me proud!
MADAME MORRIBLE heads back towards the school. ELPHABA opens the letter.
The Wizard and I (Reprise) begins.
ELPHABA
And so at last
I'll meet the Wizard.
And thank Oz now because
I can tell him about Doctor Dillamond,
How something bad is happening in Oz!
When we are making good
The Wizard and I.
ELPHABA drops the letter into her book sack and the camera drops down as she folds the flap over the pocket. When it pulls back, the steam from a locomotive train surrounds her. Behind her, the CONDUCTOR leans out of the train's engine room window.
OONDUCTOR
All aboard!
Several patient travelers board the cars beside ELPHABA. GALINDA has her hand on ELPHABA's shoulder.
GALINDA
And remember: eye contact! And don't forget to tell him how wonderful he is. Wizards love that.
GALINDA steps back, hanging on ELPHABA's hand with a tinge of sadness.
GALINDA
Oh,
and be yourself. Well, within reason.
NESSAROSE and BOQ are also there, and NESSAROSE wheels forward towards her sister as GALINDA steps back.
NESSAROSE
Elphaba…
Oh, I'm so proud of you! And I know father will be too. We're
ALL proud…
NESSAROSE turns to face BOQ.
NESSAROSE
Aren't
we?
ELPHABA
(Holding NESSAROSE's hand and leaning down.)
You're
sure you'll be alright without me?
GALINDA (Reassuringly.)
She'll be fine. Bick will keep her company. Won't you, Bick?
BOQ
It's Boq! And I… I can't do this anymore!
BOQ takes one frustrated look at GALINDA, turns to NESSAROSE, and runs off, out of the station. NESSAROSE wheels hurriedly after him.
NESSAROSE
Boq!
GALINDA
(Stopping NESSAROSE.)
Nessa… maybe he just isn't the
right one… for you.
NESSAROSE
No. He's the one. It's me that's not right.
NESSAROSE turns away, hiding her tears. ELPHABA moves towards her, but NESSAROSE cuts her off.
NESSAROSE
Don't worry about me, Elphaba. I'll be fine.
NESSAROSE leaves.
ELPHABA (Calling futilely.)
Nessa, wait!
GALINDA
Elphie, let her go. She'll have to learn to manage without you.
GALINDA looks at her, and then turns aside.
GALINDA
We all will.
ELPHABA
Oh, you'll barely notice I'm gone. You have Fiyero!
ELPHABA lifts up her luggage from the floor and takes a quick look around.
ELPHABA
Where
is he, anyway? I mean… not that I expected him to say goodbye to
me. We barely know each other.
GALINDA
(Teary-eyed.)
I don't know him either. Not any more.
He's distant, and mood-ified. And he's been thinking! Which
really worries me. It all started that day that Doctor Dillamond got
fired. I never knew how much he cared about that old goat!
FIYERO comes running down the train steps, checking a pocket watch nervously.
GALINDA
Oh, there he is! He DID come!
GALINDA waves to him.
GALINDA
Fiyero! Over here, dearest!
FIYERO is carrying a thick red flower, as bright and thick as a hibiscus, and hands it ELPHABA.
FIYERO
Elphaba, I'm so happy for you.
GALINDA
(Clutching protectively to FIYERO's arm.)
Oh, yes. We're
both so happy.
FIYERO (Detaching himself slightly from GALINDA.)
Listen… I've been thinking—
ELPHABA
Yes. I've heard.
FIYERO (Smiling.)
…About that lion cub… and… everything…
FIYERO gestures towards ELPHABA, hoping for some sort of response.
FIYERO (Thoughtfully.)
I… uh… I think about that day a lot.
ELPHABA (Not smiling.)
So do I.
GALINDA (Missing the exchange.)
Oh, me too! I think about it constantly. Poor Doctor Dillamond! It makes one want to… uh… take a stand. In fact… I've been thinking of… of…
GALINDA pauses a moment to decide what she has been thinking of constantly.
GALINDA
Changing my name.
ELPHABA and FIYERO raise their eyebrows.
FIYERO
Your name?
GALINDA
Well,
yes! Since Doctor Dillamond had no way of pronouncing my name… in
solidarity… and to express my, uh… uh… uh…
GALINDA looks at ELPHABA and then points at her with conviction.
GALINDA
Outrage! I will henceforth no longer be known as GA-linda, but as simply…
GALINDA opens her arms to bow, as if introducing herself.
GALINDA
Glinda.
FIYERO
Well, that's… uh… that's very… admirable! Of… you… uh… Glinda!
GLINDA moves forward to receive his pride, but he walks past her, hands in his coat.
GLINDA
Fiyero…
FIYERO
ELphaba! Good luck!
FIYERO leaves.
GLINDA (Near tears.)
There! You see?
ELPHABA
Galinda, don't!
GLINDA (Crying.)
It's Glinda now… Stupid idea: I don't even know what made me say it!
ELPHABA (Sympathetic.)
Oh… it doesn't matter what your name is. Everyone loves you.
GLINDA
I don't care. I want him!
GLINDA looks away, and then raises her head, enlightened, but still in tears.
GLINDA
This
must be what other people feel like.
ELPHABA wraps her arms around GLINDA and GLINDA sobs.
GLINDA
How do they bear it?
ELPHABA
How would you like to come with me?
GLINDA doesn't move.
GLINDA (Hardly interested.)
Where?
ELPHABA
To the Emerald City.
GLINDA lights up, suddenly smiling. She looks ecstatically at ELPHABA.
GLINDA
Really? I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!
CONDUCTOR
Last call for passengers! All aboard!
They board the train as it sets out, and the camera pans back and up towards the sky as the train takes off over the Oz countryside.
