In the world of Broadway musicals, most productions focus on a love story between two different people who end up happily ever after. With the likes of “Beauty and the Beast,” “West Side Story ” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” those musicals are great in their own right because of the romantic plot line. But romance shouldn’t always be the major focus in the story.

The Tony Award-winning musical “Wicked” is by no means a love story, but rather a tale about an unlikely friendship between two beloved pop culture characters: Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Not only does the musical make one laugh and tap their foot, but it will teach you the power of friendship.

Set in the Land of Oz, way before Dorothy dropped in, the story follows college roommates Glinda and Elphaba as they slowly obtain their respective future roles. At first they are the unlikeliest of friends: Glinda being the rich, popular girl amongst the other students as opposed to Elphaba who deals with life as a social pariah with — you guessed it — green skin.

The pair slowly become friends throughout the two-and-a-half hour performance as they visit the Emerald City for the first time to meet the Wizard and soon discover powers they never knew they had.

It’s captivating to watch their friendship bud into one that should inspire anyone to stay friends with the ones who are true to you and will do anything for you.

Most people have watched the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz.” They could probably even tell that whole story in their sleep — I know I could. If you have never seen it, you must have lived under a rock your whole life. With “Wicked,” viewers will see Glinda and Elphaba like never before and even how beloved characters like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion came to be in their own right.

Broadway musicals are by no means for everyone. They’re not for me either — the exception being “Wicked.” The more times I watch, the more I value the true friends I have made and kept at college and back home. They are there to share a laugh, exchange life stories and are always ready at your side in the click of a heel when you need them the most.

If you have great friends in your life, cherish them. And if you ever need a jolt of inspiration to continue being a good friend or be grateful for the ones you have, “Wicked” is a must-watch. Even if you’re not an Oz freak or dislike musicals, you won’t hate this one.

Cheers to great friendships! When you’re in good company, you always know there’s no place like home.

Noah is a junior in the College of Media.

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