Is It Time for “Wicked” to Come to School Stages?
by Chris Peterson
For the past year due to the film’s massive success, Wicked feels brand new again.
It is funny when you think about it because Wicked has never really left. It has been sitting comfortably in the Broadway landscape for more than twenty years. But something shifted when the movies arrived. The excitement suddenly felt louder. Kids were discovering the story. And when you see that kind of energy building all over again, it makes you start asking questions that used to feel a little off limits.
Is it time to start talking about releasing school licensing rights for Wicked?
Not amateur rights. Not community theatre rights or regional licensing. Specifically schools.
And yes, I know very well how the long-standing licensing rules work. A Broadway show stays locked tight while the run continues. Wicked is a long way from slowing down. It is a landmark at this point. There is no indication that the Broadway production is nearing its end. And no one is pretending otherwise.
But Hamilton changed the conversation. The day they announced that starting in 2028, schools will be able to license the show, it felt like a collective double take. It was a moment where the industry quietly admitted that maybe the old rules could be reconsidered if it meant giving young people a real chance to connect with something current and alive in the culture. It was an investment in the next generation more than anything else.
And when you look at the landscape right now, school theatre could use that kind of investment again.
Programs are rebuilding. Students are searching for stories that feel relevant to them. Teachers are trying to find titles that will get kids excited enough to audition after school. Administrators are looking for evidence that the arts still matter to a new generation. A big show can change everything for a program. It can draw in students who have never touched a script. It can make families show up. It can make the community pay attention.
Wicked could be that show in a way almost nothing else could.
The movie reminded everyone why the story hits so deeply. A whole new generation is discovering Elphaba and Glinda with fresh eyes. Middle schoolers are analyzing the friendship arc like it is a brand new piece of mythology. The movie brought the story back into the center of the cultural conversation. That is rare for a musical more than two decades old.
So imagine what it would look like if schools were allowed to join that moment.
Think about the auditions where students who have never performed before suddenly want to try. Think about the orchestra kids getting to tackle that lush, emotional score. Think about the creativity from tech students as they figure out how to bring Oz to life with whatever resources they have. Think about the student who has always felt a little out of step finally seeing themselves in Elphaba in a way that feels personal and powerful.
So no, the rights will not be released tomorrow. And no one is pretending that the Broadway run is ending soon. But with Hamilton setting a precedent and the movie reigniting massive interest, it feels like the right moment to begin asking the question.
Not with pressure. Not with entitlement. Simply with hope.
If theatre education is truly about inspiration and opening a young person’s world, then maybe this is the moment to start imagining a future where students get to bring Oz to life.