Cynthia Erivo Added Micro Braids to Elphaba So That ‘Wicked’ Could Honor Black Women

How and why did the kind-hearted, smart and green Elphaba Thropp become such a nasty, powerful, dare we say wicked witch of the classic tale “The Wizard of Oz”? The big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical “Wicked” uses subtle nuances to hint at Elphaba’s growing powers, but also nod to Black women.

“Wicked” follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) as college roommates long before Dorothy, Toto and her three pals skipped down the yellow brick road and met the “good” and the “bad” witches. In the film, Elphaba is introduced as a baby who is born with green skin, is ostracized by her family as a young woman and later discovers her magical abilities.

Costume designer Paul Tazewell resonated with Elphaba’s story on many levels because, he says, “We’re talking about a young woman who was marginalized because of the color of her skin.” In designing her costumes, he looked at how the character found solace in nature and her relationship to animals.

When audiences are first introduced to her, she’s dressed in black. Not only does it set her apart in this colorful world, but Tazewell also explains it’s a reflection of her mourning for her mother, who died in childbirth. “It’s a tricky color to represent on film because much of the detail gets absorbed into the black. So it was important for me to bring a richness to the choices,” Tazewell says.

When Elphaba arrives at Shiz University, Tazewell points out that her silhouette is very much defined by 19th century Victoriana. When she gets to the Emerald City, her dress is embroidered with fiddlehead ferns, and he used hand felting to pull the texture out. Later, Tazewell looked to the underside of mushrooms and inspired by that “pleating,” he re-created it on her classic witch costume when she’s evolved into her most powerful self. Pleating, gathering, crinkling and draping not only gave the black material texture but also reflected the growth of her magical power.

Those nuances were also shown in her hair and makeup details, for which Erivo was a key collaborator in crafting.

Erivo knew when she signed on that she wanted her skin to actually be green, and not be turned green in post-production. Makeup designer Frances Hannon was delighted with the challenge of finding the right hue. Together with Erivo’s personal makeup artist, they worked to find a shade that would complement Erivo’s beauty and make her look naturally green. The solution lay in a discontinued eyeshadow base mixed with neon yellow. British makeup manufacturer and developer David Stoneman re-created the product and also developed a primer so it wouldn’t come off on co- star Grande or Tazewell’s costumes.

Little by little, Elphaba’s powers grow; however, “The green never changed,” Hannon says. “But the strength of her lips, her eyes and the nails do. And that came from Cynthia.”

Erivo spoke with Chu about Elphaba’s nails. Not only has she been doing her signature nails since she was 16, but she noted a photo of Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz”) on display at the Academy Museum. “I looked closely, and she has a full set of long nails.” Erivo thought it was kismet, and so her nails tell her story — they get darker and longer as her powers get stronger.

Hair was perhaps the most important nuance for Erivo in bringing the character to life. Historically, on stage, Elphaba’s hair was long, black and wavy. But Erivo says she “wanted something more connected to the person underneath, me.” Not only would it honor her, it would also honor Black women and give them something to connect with. “I asked if we could reimagine that hair as micro braids because I knew you’d still have the movement, and you could still have the length, but there was a texture that was slightly different to what you would normally see on stage, and it was a direct connection between me as a Black woman and Elphaba as a green lady,” Erivo says.

The Ozdust Ballroom scene marked a crucial turning point for Elphaba. Up until then, her costumes — particularly her Shiz uniform — were, as Tazewell points out, “tailored, but restrictive.”

In the story, Glinda regifts her grandmother’s hat — the black witch hat — to Elphaba and invites her to a university party, knowing if she wears it that she will be mocked. And Glinda is right. But then she realizes she has been tricked once again. Rather than leave, Elphaba holds space and silently dances, refusing to stop.

It’s the first time her hair is loose. Sim Camps posted on social media and explains the look “reflects Elphaba’s journey — strength and vulnerability woven together in a Celtic knot design. Her loose hair symbolized Elphaba beginning to let down her guard, revealing a softer side.”

Alice Brooks, the film’s cinematographer, says, “This is the first time these women see each other ‘for the first time.’ This is where they fall in love with each other.”