On November 22, “Wicked” flew into theaters, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. The movie was directed by John M. Chu, who also directed “In the Heights” and “Crazy Rich Asians.”
The movie is based on the 2003 Broadway musical inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book, “Wicked,” which expands the world made famous by the 1939 classic film “The Wizard of Oz” starring Judy Garland. Each work has author L. Frank Baum to thank for the source material as Frank introduced the world of Oz and its characters to readers in the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” published in 1900.
The story follows Elphaba, an outcast in Oz, on a journey to becoming an extraordinary witch with the help of her enemy-turned-friend, Glinda. Amidst mysterious happenings in Oz causing animals to lose their ability to speak, a determined Elphaba seeks to find the source of the problem and return the animals to their rightful place in Oz as equal citizens.
This story is set prior to the events in “The Wizard of Oz” and before the characters come to be known as Glinda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West.
There aren’t many differences between the musical and the movie. However, the movie has quite a bit more background context than the musical due to its length. The movie only covers the first act in just under three hours compared to the entire musical, being just about the same length for both acts. I don’t think the time takes away from either format of “Wicked,” but they both work for their respective mediums.
The main stars of the show are Erivo and Grande, both on and off-screen. Their friendship and interviews have been a centerpiece in the marketing for the new movie, causing people to speculate about their friendship behind the scenes.
TikTok has been discussing Grande and Erivo’s interviews so much that the interviews are their own trending topic. The two are seen as very close and emotional in most of them. Clearly, the movie has meant a lot to both of them, and they have found good friends within each other, as they have stated in multiple interviews.
There have been multiple memes that have come from the interviews and marketing of “Wicked” such as Grande holding onto Erivo’s finger in an interview, the Wicked Target commercial, and an interviewer telling Grande and Erivo that there are people “holding space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.”
Marketing aside, the film does a great job honoring the Broadway show. The set design is intricate and adds to the backstory of Oz and Shiz, the university in Oz that Glinda and Elphaba attend.
The musical numbers are beautiful, too. “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” were my favorite musical numbers within the film as they showcased the acting and singing range in both Grande and Erivo. The dance number in the Ozdust Ballroom was also incredible. The showcase of all the main characters’ dancing abilities and the use of the background characters added to the scene, making it one of my favorite moments in the movie.
I wish the film had been more vibrant as an homage to the original “The Wizard of Oz.” Many films within the past decade are either too dark to see what is happening on screen, or they seem washed out because of all the light colors being used. If “Wicked” had mimicked the technicolor look from the original “The Wizard of Oz,” it would have made a lot of film buffs happy and recreated the whimsical look while adding a dose of nostalgia for movie-goers.
While the film’s director, John M. Chu, has directed a movie musical before this (“In the Heights”), “Wicked” solidifies his talent in making a musical entertaining for almost anyone regardless of whether they enjoy musicals or not. His background in directing serious and comedic films also helped to balance out the funny and solemn moments in the movie.
The movie is a showstopper, and the ambiance of a movie theater only adds to its impressiveness. For all those who have yet to see the movie, in my opinion, “Wicked” is best seen on the big screen. So, follow the yellow brick road before it leaves theaters.
