Wicked (theatre)/Tear Jerker

Some things can bring tears to the eyes of even the most wicked of witches.

Knowing exactly what was going to happen.
"For Good"
Curse "We can never go back to Oz, can we?"
Elphaba's painfully ironic prophecy in "The Wizard and I"
- "And I'll stand there, beside the Wizard, feeling things I've never felt..." Things like what, exactly? Acceptance? Pride? Fullfilment? Support? Happiness?!
- Or how about "I'll be so happy I could...melt!" Ohgod. It's cringeworthy at the very least, but hear it in the right mindset and it can make one cry.
  - Which leads into the little reprise of "A Sentimental Man:" "I am a sentimental man...who always longed to be...a father."
The story behind "For Good": The lyricist called his daughter Jessica, who was in college at the time, and said, "Imagine you're seeing your friend Sarah for what may be the last time ever. Tell me everything you need to tell her."
"Thank Goodness," a tearjerker, for Glinda's sake. It's not big and dramatic, but it's just... this quiet everyday little tragedy about growing up and compromise.
- "There's a kind of a sorta... cost... there's a couple of things get... lost..."
- The little quaver in her voice when she asks "Well, isn't it?"
- "I simply couldn't be happier... (aside) well, not simply..."
Chistery squeaking out his first words after Elphaba had gone. That unsure little "Miss Glinda?" as he gives Miss Glinda her friend's hat rendered her unable to speak.
No Good Deed. Elphaba is watching everything she's worked for crumble around her, culminating with the (apparent) death of the man she loves, and all her magic is apparently useless to protect him. The pain, despair, and rage in the voice of who, up until then, had been a smart, determined, and ultimately good-natured character always rips my heart out to hear.
- You can hear her going insane just through her voice. Played right, you can tell every time that Fiyero is being tortured by her screaming his name.
For Good was even more of a tear jerker during Kristin Chenoweth's last show. Audiences everywhere (aware of the show being Cheno's last) were crying all over, and both actresses themselves (especially Cheno) couldn't stop crying.
The Wizard discovering Elphaba was his daughter after he just sent people to kill her. His sad little reprise of A Sentimental Man was just too much.
Even the very first song is a tearjerker...knowing what close friends they become, it's awful to watch Glinda be forced to sing about how happy she is that Elphaba is dead. Especially when she repeats the line "she died alone". Because as far as Glinda knows, she did die alone.
"The Wicked Witch of the East" for sure. Poor Nessa begs Elphaba to save Boq after she almost killed him with a spell, revealing how alone and unloved she really feels. Then there's Elphaba mourning over her sister's death later on, especially how broken her words are when she begs Nessa's forgiveness.
- Nessa's desperate "Elpheba Please Don't Leave Me!" (which she says after insulting her no less) gets me everytime...
"I'm Not That Girl". Knowing that you're always going to be on the sidelines watching other people be happy, watching other people succeed, and comforting yourself by being happy for them, knowing you won't ever have it yourself because..."I'm Not That Girl."
- It's upsetting enough when Elphaba sings it, having accepted that fate, but Glinda's reprisal after her fiance runs off with with her best friend is even more so, as she's all but crying when it happens.
  - It can best be summed up as "Cry Cute: The Song".
"Defying Gravity". "Unlimited... together we're unlimited", because we know from the opening number what's going to happen, that they won't be together again.
- "I hope you're happy, now that you're choosing this ("You, too.")... I hope it brings you bliss. I really hope you get it, and don't live to regret it... I hope you're happy in the end. I hope you're happy, my... friend." Freaking rivers.
  - Preceded by "Glinda...come with me. Think of what we can do. Together." Combine that with the small hesitation, and Glinda mournfully continuing into the aforementioned line. You can hear Elphaba's heart wrenching and breaking.
    - If you listen carefully during that segment, right after Elphaba's lines, the orchestra music gives the slight impression of happiness, almost giving the idea that Glinda would say yes to Elphaba and everything would be good and happy. Then the music whiplashes into a sad minor key change and Glinda starts singing "I hope you're happy" and then...then...sorry...something in this troper's eye...