Two mᴀssive changes have been revealed to the story of Nessarose (Marissa Bode) in Wicked: For Good, and these changes fix a significant problem from the original musical. The second and final movie adapting the Broadway musical will continue the stories of Nessarose, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera), and other key characters after Wicked‘s dramatic ending.

There was a positive reception to the first movie casting a disabled actor, Bode, to play the role of Nessarose. However, there has been considerable speculation about how disability representation will be handled in Wicked: For Good‘s story since the second act of the stage musical sees Nessarose walking through Elphaba’s magic.

In an interview with CBN (via BroadwayWorld), composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz indicates that Nessarose will not walk in Wicked: For Good. He explains that he and writer Winnie Holzman have learned from the PWD (people with disabilities) community and do not want to send a message that Nessarose’s life is “solved” through her suddenly being able to walk. Check out his comments below:

Winnie [Holzman] and I learned a few things from the PWD community. It was important to them that it was clear that their lives would not be “solved” if they could just walk. And that was certainly never the message of the show, because Nessa’s life is not solved, quite the opposite. But we wanted to be respectful and still find a way to tell our story.

Schwartz also shares that another change has been made to Nessarose’s story, which is adding a character who is romantically interested in her and whose affection she ignores. This character is intended to make it even clearer that Nessarose’s underlying issue is her obsession with Boq (Ethan Slater) and has nothing to do with her disability. Read Schwartz’s explanation below:

There’s even another guy in there who likes Nessa, but she can’t see him. I’m not sure if that’s still in the movie, because I haven’t seen the final cut. But either way, the point is that we wanted to make it clear that the problem is Nessa’s obsession with Boq, not the fact that she’s in a wheelchair, which is what leads to the events that unfold.

What This Means For Wicked: For Good

A Major Story Problem Has Been Fixed

The changes that Schwartz describes ensure that Wicked: For Good will do better by Nessarose than the Broadway musical. Seeing Nessarose magically walking through Elphaba enchanting the iconic slippers has always been problematic and plays into harmful stereotypes, regardless of the original intent behind this creative decision.

Not having Nessarose walk fixes this long-standing issue and will allow for a more nuanced evolution of her character arc. Schwartz and Holzman wrote the original musical, but this did not prevent them from listening to their audience and making changes that provide more authentic representation that does not send the wrong message.

As for the new love interest Schwartz mentions, since he has not seen the final cut of the movie, it is possible that this character will not be featured in the theatrical release. If the character remains, he can demonstrate that it is not Nessarose’s disability, but rather her obsession with Boq that prevents her from being happy.

Our Take On Stephen Schwartz’s Comments

The Changes May Be Controversial, But The First One Is Long Overdue

I expect there will be a mixed reception to these changes in Wicked: For Good, with many applauding the improved representation while others will take issue with significant changes being made to the source material. The first change in particular is one that I am glad has been made.

Making Nessarose’s story less ableist in the second act is a change that is long overdue, and I love that Schwartz and Holzman committed to this change when they could have simply stuck with their original version. This is a case where making an alteration is more important than being faithful to the source material.

While I understand the intent behind the new love interest for Nessarose, this is a change that seems less necessary, and it will not bother me if he does not make the final cut. The first change is great news, though, and makes me even more excited about Wicked: For Good.

Sources: CBN (via BroadwayWorld)