Not on display

Elphaba Shiz Wicked

Costume Design
2003 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is Susan Hilferty's design for Elphaba's Shiz University uniform, the first costume she wears on stage, comprising a jacket over a tunic with a pleated skirt and turtle neck, with a blue crochet beanie hat, and brown boots chosen by Susan Hilferty to connect her to the earth. Later at the Ozdust ball she wears the tunic on its own, with her witch's hat. Blue and white are the Shiz University colours so Susan Hilferty dressed Elphaba in dark blue and Glinda in white, with both colours for the ensemble outfits. As she explained: 'What I was trying to get at the end was an icon for each of them, where they become specifically representative: Glinda for goodness and Elphaba for evil. By using blue and white as the school colours, I was able to have Elphaba all in blue, and Glinda all in white. The goal was to make the two women be the most outstanding thing in every world they entered.'

Wicked has broken box office records in cities around the world since its opening at Broadway's Gershwin Theatre in 2003. The musical tells the story of the witches of Oz, and focuses on the relationship between the two witches Elphaba and Glinda. Susan Hilferty has designed costumes for more than 300 productions all around the world, and in 2004 was awarded the Tony Award for best costume design and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design for her designs for Wicked.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleElphaba Shiz Wicked (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Pencil and gouache on cartridge paper
Brief description
Facsimile costume design for Elphaba in Shiz University uniform in Wicked, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, Gershwin Theatre, New York, 30 October 2003. Giclée print, signed and titled by the designer Susan Hilferty (b.1953). Given by Susan Hilferty.
Physical description
Giclée print on taupe paper with white border showing Elphaba, full-length, wearing her Shiz University uniform of blue jacket over a turtleneck top and tunic with a pleated skirt, brown boots, and carrying a satchel over her left shoulder. Inscribed in pencil by the artist 'ELPHABA SHIZ WICKED' and signed 'XX HILFERTY'
Dimensions
  • Height: 45.6cm
  • Width: 30.0cm
Credit line
Given by Susan Hilferty
Summary
This is Susan Hilferty's design for Elphaba's Shiz University uniform, the first costume she wears on stage, comprising a jacket over a tunic with a pleated skirt and turtle neck, with a blue crochet beanie hat, and brown boots chosen by Susan Hilferty to connect her to the earth. Later at the Ozdust ball she wears the tunic on its own, with her witch's hat. Blue and white are the Shiz University colours so Susan Hilferty dressed Elphaba in dark blue and Glinda in white, with both colours for the ensemble outfits. As she explained: 'What I was trying to get at the end was an icon for each of them, where they become specifically representative: Glinda for goodness and Elphaba for evil. By using blue and white as the school colours, I was able to have Elphaba all in blue, and Glinda all in white. The goal was to make the two women be the most outstanding thing in every world they entered.'

Wicked has broken box office records in cities around the world since its opening at Broadway's Gershwin Theatre in 2003. The musical tells the story of the witches of Oz, and focuses on the relationship between the two witches Elphaba and Glinda. Susan Hilferty has designed costumes for more than 300 productions all around the world, and in 2004 was awarded the Tony Award for best costume design and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design for her designs for Wicked.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.259-2017

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Record createdFebruary 28, 2017
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