The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wiz The Wiz], the all African-American version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
She seeks to capture Dorothy, take the silver slippers, and rule all of Oz.
First Appearance
She first appeared in the stage production of The Wiz on Broadway, which was a hit. She is depicted as a large woman with unappealing makeup, and is the second-most powerful witch after Glinda. She wears ugly clothing and a spiky uneven crown on her head. She sits on a strange looking throne which is covered in various and different objects, such as food or meat, including hot dogs on a string. Her slaves, the Winkies, are absolutely terrified of her. She sends her Winged Monkeys to capture Dorothy Gale and the Lion. Later she tries to take the silver shoes from Dorothy, but the Lion distracts her by calling the Witch "your royal fatness". This makes her outraged, but as she tries to kill the lion for the insult, Dorothy throws a bucket of water on her. This causes Evillene to melt away and die. She is portrayed by Mabel King on the original Broadway run.
Second Appearance
She appeared again in the 1978 film production of The Wiz once again portrayed by Mabel King. Instead of a castle, she lives in the sewers and underground domains of Oz,a gigantic Sweatshop of never-ending labor that she rules over and completely controls. She sleeps most of the day and wakes up in the afternoon, which pleases her. When she comes out of her chambers she sits on a gigantic throne next to a flaming furnace of fire. Yet her throne is actually a giant dirty toilet, decorated in tacky and gaudy items. She screams, yells and shouts a lot which fills her slaves (The winkies, poppy girls, the crows, and the subway peddler) with great fear and she will put an end to anyone who questions her authority. She calls her biker gang "Flying Monkeys" to capture Dorothy and her friends. Once captured, Evillene tortures Dorothy and her friends. This includes Dorothy's little pet dog, Toto, with Evillene threatening to burn him alive. But just as Dorothy is willing to surrender, the Scarecrow], while still split in half, hints Dorothy toward a fire alarm. Just as Evillene screams at Dorothy, Dorothy pulls the fire alarm, activating the sprinklers and putting out the fire; this also manages to melt Evillene (as a result of her being allergic to water) as she disappears and is flushed down her toilet throne.