WICKED's Elphie Award Honors Those Who Defy Gravity For Good

The term "defying gravity," of course, has a double meaning in Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's long running smash hit WICKED.

As the bullied outcast Elphaba literally lifts herself off the ground, she also pledges not to give in to hardship that would deny her a chance to excel.

This year WICKED has been using social media to call attention to those who inspire others to defy gravity, designating them as winners of their Elphie Award.

Recipients have included well-known figures such as Ellen Degeneres, Laverne Cox and Nobel Prize laureate activist for female education Malala Yousafzai. Also, Hertha Marks Ayrton, the 19th Century British mathematician, engineer, physicist and inventor noted for her work on electric arcs and ripples in sand and water.

But the honor has also gone to less-acclaimed people whose actions are worthy of attention, such as Josphat Mwangi, who volunteers to transport disabled people in Nairobi, 16-year-old Kiara Nirghin, who invented a new way to preserve water in drought-stricken South Africa, and quadruple amputee Jamie Andrew, who recently conquered the Matterhorn.

Just today, an Elphie went to all of Scotland, whose wind turbines provided more electric energy than what was needed for an entire day.

The Broadway sensation, Wicked, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz...but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships...until the world decides to call one "good," and the other one "wicked."

With a thrilling score that includes the hits "Defying Gravity," "Popular" and "For Good,"Wicked has been hailed by The New York Times as "the defining musical of the decade," and by Time Magazine as "a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart, and courage."

Winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards,Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 14 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, and Brazil) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production is directed by Joe Mantello with musical staging byWayne Cilento. Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.