After 21 years on Broadway, the Wicked movie adaptation has been released! As Glinda would say “Thank Goodness!” I’ve been anxious and excited for this day as this musical is near and dear to my heart and movie-musical adaptations can struggle to do well. I’m glad to say Wicked has prevailed!
For starters: Singing, acting, choreography, costuming, all check. Plus no cut songs and no added songs? Vocals performed live in filming? Basics passed with flying colours? Check. Even Erivo and Grande have that amazing chemistry that continues to be promoted, and I can finally say I understand why they keep on crying together in interviews. There’s something electric between them that I can’t fully put into words.
I’m glad to say Wicked has prevailed!
The biggest gripe I’ve heard was Grande being cast as Glinda. I won’t lie, I was concerned too, but I think she proved many people wrong. She’s mainly popular (ha) for her pop-music career these days, making it hard to separate herself from that image, but she morphed into Glinda. She captured the fun, ditsy energy and truly proved herself as a comedic actress. I knew the jokes coming up but I still laughed. At the same time, she nailed the more complex, suppressed emotions of Glinda, specifically in the opening scene. I’m very hopeful for any future acting she pursues.
Erivo was not met with the same criticism as Grande in the casting process and I can understand why. This woman can sing. These challenging songs flow out of her like she’s simply breathing. Plus, I think she brought a softer side of Elphaba out. I usually appreciate a more chaotic take on Elphaba, but I think Erivo’s version fits well in an extended telling.
Side character quickfire: Jonathan Bailey, you stole my heart! Peter Dinklage, I’m so happy I learned you can sing well as a goat! Michelle Yeoh, I want you in every powerful woman role! Jeff Goldblum, I could watch you ramble on all day and I can’t wait for you to perform “Wonderful!”
I eagerly await to cry at “For Good” in part two.
Something I struggled with, as someone who has seen the musical on stage, was the extent of the sets. The sets were beautiful, don’t get me wrong. I’ll just warn you that if you’ve seen the musical, it may feel like an adjustment. There were times when I thought it worked amazingly, like in “Dancing Through Life”, where it amplified the playful energy that the song evokes, but at other times I think they could’ve scaled back, like in “The Wizard and I”, and I’d rather just focus on connecting with Elphaba.
I could talk about this all day but the gist is that the movie is great and everyone should go see it, musical lover or not. My only warning is to prepare yourself for post-movie sadness realizing that you have a one-year intermission to sit through. I eagerly await to cry at “For Good” in part two.
