Photo: Joan Marcus

With a name like Wicked, it’s no wonder that the Broadway blockbuster about how Oz witches and former friends Glinda the Good and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, became bitter enemies has become a Boston favorite. Based on the book by Boston area resident Gregory Maguire, Wicked tells the behind-the-scenes backstory of two of the principal figures in The Wizard of Oz, pre-Dorothy and Toto. Packed with memorable tunes and dazzling special effects, including the show-stopping number “Defying Gravity,” this musical wonder touches down at the Boston Opera House from June 7–July 23.