At a time when bullying is at the forefront of discussion among youth, the showing of the musical Wicked in Ottawa will teach kids a universal lesson of acceptance, says lead actress Christine Dwyer.

The Boston native plays the green-skinned protagonist Elphaba in the musical based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The show will run at the National Arts Centre beginning Wednesday.

“This is a great show to bring kids to to really teach them that lesson of don’t judge a book by its cover,” said Dwyer.  “That’s a great lesson in this show I think we can all relate to because I feel like everyone at some point has felt like a little bit of an outcast.”

Dwyer worked her way up to the “dream role” of Elphaba following a two-year stint as an understudy of the character. She said a lot of people can relate to her character if they’ve ever felt bullied or just different.

“Everybody has their green whether it actually be the colour of your skin, the place you come from, being from a different company, or having a different sexuality,” said Dwyer. “All these things are encompassed in what we call green in the show.”

The show has something for everybody, she said, including humour, a story about friendship, dancing, singing, and all the familiar faces from The Wizard of Oz.

Wicked will run until July 29 and tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1-888-991-2787, or at the NAC box office.