'Wizard of Oz' Easter Eggs in the 'Wicked' Movie That Aren't in the Broadway Musical

Somewhere over the rainbow in a movie theater near you, Wicked fans are rejoicifying over the new movie musical that made its highly anticipated debut Nov. 22.

The film, starring Cynthia Erivo as not-so-wicked witch Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande as the the effervescent Glinda Upland, is based on the Broadway musical of the same name and serves as an unofficial prequel to The Wizard of Oz.

While the stage show is filled with Easter eggs that call back to the 1939 classic starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, the Wicked movie delivers more magic than ever before. Here are a few of the blink-and-you'll-miss-them moments that pay tribute to The Wizard of Oz.

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Caution: spoilers ahead!

'Wizard of Oz' Easter Eggs in the 'Wicked' Movie

The Wicked Title Text

After the movie musical's opening number, "No One Mourns the Wicked," the opening credits appear on screen. The film's title, Wicked, is written in text similar to the font used in the opening credits of The Wizard of Oz. In a nod to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," rainbows are also spotted throughout the film.

Dorothy, Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man Make an Appearance

According to the Broadway musical's tagline, "So much happened before Dorothy dropped in." Well, in the Wicked film's opening moments—which are set just after Glinda proclaims the Wicked Witch of the West has died—Dorothy and her friends Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man are briefly seen skipping down the Yellow Brick Road en route to the Emerald City.

Related: 'Wicked' Is Coming to Streaming: Here's How to Watch 

'Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead'

As composer Stephen Schwartz promised in a previous interview, "Right at the top of the movie, I'll just tell people you have to listen quick because it goes by quickly. But when the kids run through the tulip field at the very beginning to announce the death of the witch, listen!" Well, Wizard of Oz fans may notice a familiar musical motif, written by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg, used in the Golden Age film that plays in the background during the first few moments of Wicked.

The Yellow Brick Road

When Glinda descends by bubble in the opening number of Wicked, an overhead shot shows the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road exactly the way it appears in The Wizard of Oz. Later in the film, a moment written specifically for the Wicked movie explains how the color yellow was picked for the iconic path to the Emerald City.

Ruby Slippers

After Wicked's two witches form an unlikely bond, Glinda is determined to transform her newfound friend, Elphaba, by giving her a makeover during "Popular." As Grande's Glinda rummages through her closet to find Erivo's Elphaba a few chic pieces to add to her ensemble, she briefly hands over a pair of ruby slippers reminiscent to the ones Dorothy wears in The Wizard of Oz. As for the film's silver shoes, which are based on the ones in L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, take a close look at the heel (which is twisted in the shape of a tornado!).

"Poppies Will Put Them to Sleep"

In The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West uses poppies to stall Dorothy, Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man's arrival to the Emerald City. During a classroom scene in Wicked, Elphaba brings her professor Dr. Dillamond poppies—the talking goat's favorite flower—in a slightly rewritten scene for the film. When Elphaba is angered by the mistreatment of animals currently happening in Oz, she slams the poppies on her desk. The flowers fly through the air, causing her classmates to temporarily doze off so Elphaba and Fiyero could run off with a lion cub that was locked in a cage by the school's staff. (In the stage show, the moment plays out similarly; however, Elphaba's unexpected spell is cast without the use of the 1939 film's famous flower.)

Homage to Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West

As Elphaba and Fiyero run off with the innocent lion cub, they find bicycles to make their escape from the classroom. Before Elphaba hops on, she places the lion cub in a basket attached to the back of the bike. As she rides off, the cub pops his head out, replicating the moment Almira Gulch steals Dorothy's dog, Toto, and rides off with him on her bike in The Wizard of Oz. Diehard fans will also notice the shadow of Elphaba's hands in certain parts of the film that mirror Margaret Hamilton's iconic pose in The Wizard of Oz.

Pampering in the Emerald City

Much like in the classic film number "The Merry Old Land of Oz," when Dorothy and her friends make it to the Emerald City and are pampered by its inhabitants upon their arrival, Glinda and Elphaba are freshened up by the Ozians before heading to meet the Wizard himself.

Related: 'Wicked' Part Two (2025) - Cast, Release Date, Musical Changes

"The Wizard Will See You Now"

As Elphaba and Glinda approach the gates of the Wizard's palace in Wicked, the guard at the door grants them entry with the iconic line, "The Wizard will see you now." In the film, the gatekeeper has the same mustache sported by Frank Morgan in The Wizard of Oz—and the character is actually played by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz. (There are plenty of other cameos in Wicked that are too exciting to spoil!)

Related: The Wizard of Oz is the World's Favorite Movie. Here's Why.