“Yes, the Wicked Witch of the West is dead.”
These were the words that filled the theater with the magic of Oz as the film began.
The musical “Wicked,” starring Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, originally premiered on the Broadway stage in 2003. On Nov.22, it made its resurgence onto the big screen in “Wicked: Part I,” the first of a two-part movie spectacle.
The ‘Popular’ Classic
Accompanied by an all-new cast, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo truly created their own versions of the classic G(a) Linda and Elphaba characters while still paying homage to the musical’s authentic feel.
The film stays true to the plot of the musical as it follows the tumultuous relationship between Glinda and Elphaba. As this film is only representative of the musical’s first act, it follows the two as unlikely frenemies who find themselves at Shiz University.
When the animals of Oz begin losing their ability to speak, Elphaba steps into leadership’s shoes to ask the Wonderful Wizard of Oz for help. Chaos ensues when she discovers that this Wizard might not be as wonderful as she thought.
The “Wicked” story pays beautiful homage to the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz,” creating an origin story for the witches who shaped many of our childhoods. In an interview with Buzzfeed UK, Grande and Erivo revealed their favorite easter eggs that spotlight the 1939 film. They mention the embroidery on their clothes that featured bubbles for Glinda and little dogs (representing Toto) for Elphaba. Erivo’s representation of Elphaba included long nails as well, reminiscent of Ms.Gultch, Margaret Hamiltons’ Wicked Witch of the West.
A Wickedly Wonderful Cast
Directed by Jon. M. Chu, the “Wicked” movie was not necessarily an adaptation of the musical, but rather a way to bring Broadway to the big screen. Other films that might be classified as “musicals” rely more on dialogue and simply have music in them, whereas “Wicked” is a musical in as pure a form as it can be apart from on the Broadway stage itself.
The beauty of Broadway musicals is that they are created to be re-interpreted by every new cast in every new generation. Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, Eden Espinosa and Megan Hitley and a litany of other duos have each brought something unique to the characters. Grande and Erivo’s interpretations are no different. Their cadence and unique delivery created a truly one of a kind viewing experience.
This new cast, complete with Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, has brought personality and their own set of talents to the classic “Wicked” story. Bailey, who made his mark as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix series “Bridgerton,” brought a certain edge and unbridled sarcasm to his character.
A Sentimental Soundtrack
The film was accompanied by a helping of nostalgia as it featured new renditions of all of the musical’s original songs. The film opened with “No One Mourns the Wicked,” and the reminiscence in the room was magical. Other fan favorites like “Popular” and “What Is This Feeling?” also found themselves in the spotlight. The final moments of this film were filled with the sound of “Defying Gravity;” and you could hear a pin drop in the silence that filled the theater as tears were most definitely shed. Erivo truly gave an unforgettably emotional performance.
The most incredible aspect of this film’s soundtrack is that it was all sung live. Generally, movies that center around musicality have their actors record the songs in the studio and then lip-sync to them during filming. However, the cast of “Wicked” wanted to do it differently. When Erivo, Grande, Bailey and Goldblum all made an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Grande highlighted their dedication to the cause.
“It was really important to us. A) because we love it, and B) because the emotional integrity of the content itself kind of demands it,” she said. “Also, when the comedy is in the room, you know, improv and play and surprise … you can’t really do that if there’s a track.”
The live singing allowed for a more authentic performance from the entire cast and really emphasized the “Broadway” roots from which the cast was drawing inspiration.
