Wicked has two female leads

I had the most infuriating interaction with someone on another sub and had to get this off my chest.

Wicked is a story with two female leads. Every possible synopsis of the story that you can find proves this.

From the official website for the movie:

“Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning and Oscar®-nominated powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman misunderstood because of her green skin who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman gilded by privilege who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.”

From the official website for the Broadway show:

“Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another girl, born with emerald-green skin—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.’”

And from Wikipedia, an unofficial source but one that we all use as a reference anyway:

“The musical is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Glinda, before and after Dorothy Gale's arrival in Oz. The story explores the complex friendship between Elphaba (who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (who becomes Glinda the Good). Their relationship is tested by their contrasting personalities, conflicting viewpoints, shared love interest, reactions to the corrupt rule of the Wizard of Oz, and ultimately, Elphaba's tragic fall.”

All three synopses highlight a few things: Elphaba, Glinda, their unlikely friendship, and the different paths their lives end up taking. Wicked has always been considered to have two female leads; in fact, it was this aspect of the story that set it apart from other musicals back when it first made waves on Broadway over 20 years ago.

Cynthia Erivo being nominated in the lead category and Ariana Grande being nominated in supporting during awards season does not change this. There is a long history of lead performances getting nominated in supporting and vice versa at the Oscars. Category fraud is very common.