Thank goodness! Let us be glad, and let us be GRATE-FUL because after years of waiting, we finally have news about the Wicked movie. It was announced on Thursday, November 4 that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have been cast as the leading ladies from Oz in the Universal Pictures upcoming screen adaptation of Wicked. Social media has been in a frenzy ever since, and can I just say that I couldn’t be happier.
Wicked is a smash-hit musical based on the 1996 Gregory Macguire book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2003 with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenowith starring in the lead roles. Wicked was nominated for ten Tony Awards in 2004 and continues to be one of the most successful musicals all over the world.
The musical tells the story of what happened before Dorothy flew into Oz. We follow Elphaba, a socially awkward green-skinned girl who is hoping to find a purpose in her life besides caring for her sister. Alongside Elphaba is Glinda, a popular and bubbly blonde who wants her entire life to be absolutely perfect. Throughout the course of the show, these two girls start as rivals and soon turn into unlikely friends as they clash over their personality differences. It’s a story of hope and friendship, one that resonates with every person who sees it.
So, onto casting news! Powerhouse belter and all-around goddess Cynthia Erivo has been cast as Elphaba and personally, this was something I didn’t know I needed until now. As someone who was expecting Ariana Debose (The Prom, Hamilton, West Side Story), this was a pleasant surprise. Erivo (The Color Purple, Harriet) gained popularity when she starred as Celie in the revival of The Color Purple on Broadway in 2015-2017. I am a HUGE Cynthia Erivo fan; I’ve listened to The Color Purple cast recording and been obsessed with her ever since I first heard it. Just imagining her rendition of these iconic songs is giving me chills. Every actress that has played Elphaba on Broadway puts their own spin on the songs and adds their own riffs, and saying that I’m excited to hear Erivo put in hers is a gross understatement. The other part of Erivo’s performance I am curious to see is her take on Elphaba’s personality. Elphie is notorious for being awkward and not fitting in, and I’m curious to see how Erivo plays that because she just exudes confidence all the time. I really don’t think it’s possible for Cynthia Erivo to ever be uncool, but maybe she’ll surprise me.
Now, from what I’ve seen on social media, there is a bit more hesitancy around Ariana Grande being cast opposite Erivo as Glinda. The main concern is how she will switch between singing in a pop style and singing in a musical theatre style, but I think a lot of people are forgetting that this girl can BELT. Grande actually started in musical theatre as a young teenager, starring in 13: The Musical by Jason Robert Brown on Broadway in 2008. She went on to play Cat Valentine in Victorious on Nickelodeon, which I think is weirdly similar to the bubbly side that Glinda has. Based on her acting experience and her obvious vocal talent, I think audiences will be pleasantly surprised (and I will be blown away) by her performance. I am very curious to see the dynamic between Erivo and Grande, but I have no doubt that they will blow this movie out of the water.
I know the rest of the cast has yet to be announced and everyone is speculating on who is going to play the various parts. As with most topics, I certainly have opinions. Read on for my dreamcast!
My ideal Fiyero would be Aaron Tviet, hands down. Not only am I one of his biggest fans, but he’s played Fiyero on Broadway and he needs to reprise the role. I know that A LOT of people want Jordan Fisher to play Fiyero, but that’s just not it for me. I think Jordan would be too young opposite Cynthia and Ariana, and honestly I just don’t understand all of the hype surrounding him. He’s great and talented, sure, but he doesn’t need to be in everything. I would love it if they cast actual musical theatre performers in these parts, but I just don’t see that happening, and unfortunately, Aaron Tviet is not as mainstream as Jordan Fisher. Still, he is dreamy, talented, and positively swankified – everything you need to play Fiyero.
I have heard a lot of buzz about Kristen Chenowith potentially being cast as Madame Morrible, and I would love that. I mean, Kristen is an icon and I would love it if her and Idina Menzel made cameos in the movie, but I have another suggestion for Morrible. Hear me out: Cher. She was in Mamma Mia: 2 and I just think that she needs to be in this movie in some way, shape, or form. Morrible isn’t the biggest character in the story, but I think Cher has what it takes to play her.
I haven’t heard too many suggestions for the Wizard, but I think it’s time that we gender-bend a little in this movie. My dream Wizard is Meryl Streep, and no, I will not be giving explanations at this time.
Ironically, I have not given much thought to who I want to play Dr. Dillamond, but I know that I don’t really want James Corden to play him. Now, I like James Corden probably more than the average theatre kid, but I think he should pick his parts a little better. His performance in Into the Woods was incredible, but Wicked is not the sort of comedic musical that James would shine in. I actually think that someone like Andre de Shields would be an amazing Dillamond, but again, there’s the problem of casting lesser-known musical theatre performers.
I have also heard rumors that Ben Platt is going to be cast as Boq, and I’m not mad about it. I absolutely love Ben Platt (ever since Pitch Perfect) and I think he would be great in this part. The only complaint that I would have is that he doesn’t have a bigger part.
Oddly, I haven’t heard anyone really speculating on who they want to play Nessarose, but I have a few suggestions. I think Ariana Debose would be great. She was rumored to be cast as Elphaba, but I think this part would actually suit her better in the movie. I also think Hailey Kilgore would be incredible, but she is not as well-known as Debose is. Dove Cameron would be good in this part too, but I’m not her biggest fan so she wouldn’t be my first choice.
As we all know, only Erivo and Grande have been announced for the cast, and now we have to wait until Jon M. Chu decides to enlighten us with more news about the movie. And I will be waiting (not-so-patiently) until we know who else is going to be cast. I know that there has been a lot of controversy over who is in the cast, but I for one cannot wait to see this cast defy gravity.