The Wicked movie was nothing short of magical. Walking into the fully-packed AMC theater on opening night felt like the rush of the Barbie movie premiere, but for theater kids. Everyone was dressed in pink and green colors; they had tiaras on and Wicked-themed pins and souvenirs…it was unifying. As a Broadway lover myself, especially of Wicked, the movie did not disappoint, and it was so emotional to watch in this setting after growing up with the power of Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel as the original Glinda and Elphaba.
I first want to start off by saying how enchanted I was with the performances of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as the leads. Of course, I knew the talent these two women already held, but seeing them portray such powerful roles as the main witches was jaw-droppingly amazing. The chemistry these two had with one another was the entire heart of the movie, and the clear beauty of their friendship was what made me start crying about two minutes in because of how visible the love between Glinda and Elphaba was.
Diving into what makes this movie what it is, we have to talk about the killer soundtrack. “Popular,” a song so beloved in the musical, was set at the highest bar because of Chenoweth’s phenomenal voice and delivery of the comedic, heartfelt song. Grande did not lower this bar even the slightest; her rendition of “Popular” was one for the books, as she gave a campy, genuinely funny, and impressive performance. We need to, of course, focus also on Jonathan Bailey’s “Dancing Through Life” as Fiyero. He gave a mesmerizing performance that I know had everyone in the audience wearing heart eyes. This was a standout scene of the movie, as there were tons of moving parts coming together all at once to create such an extraordinary sight during the song. The choreography, the set, the romance, and of course, Bailey’s irresistible charm made the performance of “Dancing Through Life” a fan favorite. The last performance of a song that we absolutely must talk about is “Defying Gravity,” which ended part one of the Wicked movie. This performance by Erivo and Grande was showstopping, especially with the beautiful harmonizing the two are able to do together. “Defying Gravity” is a make-or-break for Wicked lovers as they take in whoever is playing the role of Elphaba, and Erivo definitely made that song hers. It was emotionally beautiful, and such a perfect and iconic way to end the film with a ground-breaking battle cry.
Another fabulous piece of the Wicked movie was the attention to detail in sets and costume design. From the opening scene of a 25-acre field of multicolored vibrant tulips, to Glinda’s sequined, pink silk, bubble gown. Every costume and scene was made with such a perfect eye, bringing even more life to each character and performance. What I also loved was Glinda’s iconic bubble crown and wand being 3D-printed for that extra fantastical look to it. The setting production of Shiz University, The Ozdust Ballroom, The Emerald City, and so much more were created so intricately that it poured out magic and imagination everywhere you looked on screen, giving viewers the chance to step further into the world of Wicked that they’ve never seen before.
For fans of The Wizard of Oz, you may have caught onto some easter eggs the Wicked movie offered, but if not, I’ll give some of my favorites away. The title screen for Wicked appears to us in black-and-white, using the same font as the original The Wizard of Oz, paying homage to it right from the start. At the beginning of the movie, we zoom out from the Emerald City to see Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow, all walking alongside one another on the yellow brick road to Oz. Another easter egg is the bejeweled silver shoes that Nessarose receives from her father. Many would expect to see the ruby red slippers that so iconically brought Dorothy back home, but the silver shoes pay a subtle tribute to the original book and the ruby red slippers, as they are presented in a ruby red case, and have a swirling design around the heel resembling a tornado. Aside from the Wizard of Oz easter eggs, the Wicked movie includes new elements not present in the original music to further develop the storyline. When Elphaba is first born and grows up as a young girl, she is taken care of by her nanny, a bear named Dulcibear. This sets up the importance of animals in the Wicked plot line, and Elphaba’s growing activism for animal rights. The Wicked movie is a very worthy and magical screen adaptation that captures fans of the Broadway musical and the classic The Wizard of Oz as it takes on a whole new world for audiences to jump into. Thanks to Grande and Erivo, Glinda and Elphaba are back and bursting with love, friendship, and incredible harmonies. The feeling I got while watching this movie at my local AMC was reminiscent of the same feeling I had sitting in the Gershwin Theater for the first time. I’m already planning my Wicked rewatch, and in the meantime, I will be taking the lyrics of “Defying Gravity” and holding space with them.