In 1995 Gregory Maguire wrote a revisionist book featuring L. Frank Baum’s Land of Oz and its inhabitants. This was not the Oz we knew. The Technicolor utopic dreamscape ruled by a beneficent protector was upended, revealing a society threatened by political and social unrest and oppression and presided over by an almost fascist tyrant. Against this setting, a little green misfit and a perfectly perky upper crust girl slowly and reluctantly become friends until the direction of their lives sets them at odds with one another. Eight years later Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz debuted on stage in musical form. And I finally saw it.

I had been listening to the Broadway Wicked soundtrack for years and there are always certain preconceptions one has when that occurs, especially having read the book from which any adaptations stem. There’s the fear that they will somehow get it wrong; that it won’t be the way you imagined; that something vital will be omitted. My expectations were high, but TPAC’s Wicked blew all of my expectations away. From the Tik-tok Dragon that chimes the hour of doom from atop the stage itself to Doctor Dillamond’s descent into politically oppressed senility, from Glinda’s tragic expression throughout “No One Mourns the Wicked” to Elphaba’s defiance in “No Good Deed,” not a single line was out of place.

I have always been impressed with TPAC’s use of space, and Wicked was no exception. The drops and screens make the stage feel much bigger than it actually is, and no negative space is left unutilized. When the flying monkeys first appear, it is appropriately chill-inducing and impressive. The use of color, while not subtle, sets the mood without being overwhelming. The costumes were more subdued and less ridiculous than I expected, except (of course) for Glinda’s iconic white, sparkling ball gown which was exactly as ridiculous as it needed to be. And while the transitions between sets were incredible enough in and of themselves, the cast performances, as expected, lay at the core of one of the most breathtaking performances I’ve ever seen.

Glinda (Gina Beck) pranced about the stage like the world’s most charmingly giddy socialite while Elphaba (Alison Luff) stomped around like a rock star. One transitions from a shallow and thoughtlessly cruel young social climber to a place of almost heartbreaking maturity with the whimsy of a butterfly caught in a cyclone. The other remains steadfast to her principles despite the crushing burden of being loathed by everyone she knows with tender gravity. Fiyero (Nick Adams) careens onstage with all the charm of a Disney prince and has earned the title by the end of the production while Nessarose’s (Jenny Florkowski) and Boq’s (Jesse JP Johnson) performances engender both sympathy and pity as Elphaba’s sister and Nessa’s love interest, respectively.

Madame Morrible (Alison Fraser) offers fantastic comedy while being one of the vilest manipulators in the same breath.

While the musical does takes several liberties with the source material, it all works, even for the most hardcore of book-lovers. Many elements of the story are changed to accommodate requisite time constraints as well as aid the flow of a story that has been rewritten with a musical formula. All loose ends are satisfactorily tied up in a wonderful, surprisingly funny, unsurprisingly touching rendition that is so artfully done it leaves you breathless and amazed (and possibly in tears). I cannot recommend this production more highly. If you have the opportunity to see it, it is a must.

And don’t drink anything during the climax of “Defying Gravity.” You will choke.

Wicked plays at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall through April 20; for tickets, visit tpac.org.