Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, Wicked. In the original 1900 L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and little is explained about her life. Elphaba is modeled after the Witch portrayed by Margaret Hamilton in the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz: green-skinned, clad entirely in black and wearing a tall peaked hat. Maguire formulated the name "Elphaba" from the phonetic pronunciation of Baum's initials — "L.F.B.". Actresses who have portrayed Elphaba The role was originated on Broadway and in London by Idina Menzel, who won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The role is currently slated to be played by Cynthia Erivo in the upcoming film adaptation of the musical. Actresses billed in the lead role in various productions include: North America Broadway Idina Menzel (October 2003 — January 2005) Shoshana Bean (January 2005 — January 2006) Eden Espinosa (January — October 2006) Ana Gasteyer (October 2006 — January 2007) Julia Murney (January — October 2007) Stephanie J. Block (October 2007 — June 2008) Kerry Ellis (June — November 2008) Marcie Dodd (November 2008 — January 2009) Nicole Parker (January — July 2009) Dee Roscioli (July 2009 — March 2010) Mandy Gonzalez (March 2010 — January 2011) Teal Wicks (February — September 2011) Jackie Burns (September 2011 — January 2013; July 2017 — July 2018) Willemijn Verkaik (February — May 2013) Lindsay Mendez (May 2013 — February 2014) Christine Dwyer (February — December 2014) Caroline Bowman (December 2014 — September 2015) Rachel Tucker (September 2015 — July 2016) Jennifer DiNoia (July 2016 — July 2017) Jessica Vosk (July 2018 – May 2019) Hannah Corneau (May 2019 – February 2020) Lindsay Pearce (February – March 2020; September 2021 – May 2022) Talia Suskauer (May 2022 – Current) Alyssa Fox (beginning March 2023) 1st U.S. National Tour (Emerald City Tour) Kristy Cates (Temporary: March 2005) Stephanie J. Block (Original) (March 2005 - March 2006) Eden Espinosa (Temporary) (August - September 2005) Julia Murney (March - September 2006) Shoshana Bean (September - December 2006) Victoria Matlock (January - November 2007) Carmen Cusack (November 2007 - November 2008) Donna Vivino (November 2008 - July 2010) Jackie Burns (July 2010 - June