The story centers on Elphaba, a misunderstood, smart, and fiery girl with emerald-green skin, who grows up to become the notorious Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda, the beautiful, blonde, popular girl who grows up to become Glinda the Good Witch of the South. The story is divided into five scenes based on the location and presents events, characters, and situations adapted from Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and its 1939 film adaptation in new ways.