When it was first announced that the Broadway show “Wicked” would be turned into a movie, I was apprehensively excited. Wicked is a very special show to me because it was my gateway into all things musical theater. I remember listening to the Broadway cast recording in the car starting at a young age. And I have to admit, while I love movie musicals, sometimes the translation from stage to screen doesn’t exactly work the way I’d like it to (for example, the recent adaptation of “Mean Girls”). “Wicked,” however, is the perfect example of how to do a musical adaptation correctly.
If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want spoilers, stop reading now. Just know that this movie exceeded the hype in every way and you absolutely have to go see it.
For those of you who might not know what “Wicked” is about, though it makes me question if you’ve been living under a rock, it is the prequel to “The Wizard of Oz.” It tells the story of Glinda, the Good Witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and who they were before the events of “The Wizard of Oz” transpired. “Wicked” was originally a book written by Gregory Maguire and was turned into a Broadway musical with music and lyrics written by Stephen Schwartz (who attended Carnegie Mellon), which premiered in June of 2003. “Wicked” is still running on Broadway today and has become a special show to millions of people around the world. Hence, the hype building up to the release of this film.
Everything about this movie was perfect. From the casting to the sets to the music to the special effects to the cinematography, everything was spectacular. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Galinda were so good, I can’t even describe it. When they were first cast, I was nervous that it would be difficult to separate the popstar performer of Grande from the character of Galinda. I thought people would watch this movie to hear Grande rather than to be swept away into the land of Oz. I’m so happy to admit that I was wrong. She was absolutely hilarious as Galinda and I can see why she was cast. Erivo was also amazing as Elphaba. I knew going into this that she had the vocal chops to pull it off, but her renditions of “The Wizard and I,” “I’m Not That Girl,” and “Defying Gravity” still brought tears to my eyes. I don’t think I took a breath the entire time she was singing. She brought so much depth, but also humor, to Elphaba. It was just so good.
Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero was a casting decision I had no qualms about, and I still believe I was right. His singing and dancing was incredible. “Dancing Through Life” was definitely one of my favorite sequences in the film. He was brilliant in this role.
Ethan Slater as Boq and Marissa Bode as NessaRose were also great casting decisions. I think it’s really cool that Bode is the first actual wheelchair user to play this role and it just brought so much authenticity to the film. She’s also incredibly talented and I can’t wait to see more of her in Part 2.
One of my favorite moments in this movie was the cameo appearances by legends Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth (the original Broadway Elphaba and Galinda). The packed Manor Theater erupted into cheers when they popped up on screen. They each also had a small moment with the respective characters they played which was so sweet and magical. Seriously, I felt like I was going to cry during that entire scene.
Another thing I absolutely loved about this film was the use of practical effects. While it would have been so much easier to CGI the poppy field or the Emerald City, director Jon Chu made the brilliant decision to construct all of these sets. They planted thousands of flowers outside Munchkinland, built the Emerald City, and even re-constructed a train for “One Short Day.” Obviously, there was some CGI, as monkeys can’t really fly (unfortunately) and goats can’t really talk, but it was utilized appropriately.
I also loved how this movie stayed true to the original songs, but also allowed the actors to put their own flair on it. Something I hated about the “Mean Girls” movie musical was that they changed the orchestrations and made the songs sound really bad. “Wicked” stayed true to the original music and it was beautiful. The rest of the score for the film was also great. I could hear little motifs from songs that will be in Part 2 of the film, such as “For Good,” but I also heard parts of the melody from “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which was sung by Judy Garland in the original “Wizard of Oz” film. The music and score just enhanced the story and I got chills several times.
I could go on forever about how incredible this movie was. The production design, the costumes, everything. The thing that I appreciate the most is how they stayed true to the original musical. So much of the dialogue from the Broadway show was included in this movie, and it brought me so much joy. Whoever decided that Chu would be the best director to bring this to life deserves a raise, because he nailed it on every level. As of the time I’m writing this, there are only 363 more days until Part 2 comes out. Even though I know what happens next, I can’t wait to see these incredible creatives bring it to life on screen.
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