There’s been a lot of talk about Wicked’s casting of Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. As it turns out, there could not have been a more perfect combination to keep a captive audience in Jon Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway smash.
In its 160-minute run time, Wicked covers just the first part of the story. The movie begins with a familiar moment for anyone who’s seen the iconic Wizard of Oz: Glinda visits Munchkinland to confirm that the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West is dead after having water tossed onto her by Dorothy. But as the Munchkins begin to ask Glinda about the Wicked Witch, the film flashes back to tell the story of how Glinda first met the green-skinned Elphaba at Shiz University in the Land of Oz.
Packed with a powerhouse cast, Wicked also features performances from Michelle Yeoh as headmistress Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Munchkin Boq and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz. Marissa Bode makes her film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba’s sister, and is the first actor who uses a wheelchair in real life to play the disabled character.
Bits of movie magic bring the ideas of the Broadway hit — like talking animals and monkeys that grow wings — to life on the screen. Upbeat songs like “Popular” and “Dancing Through Life” might inspire you to get out of your seat and dance with the characters on screen. (I spared the audience from my moves this time.)
Fans of the musical won’t be disappointed by the iconic songs’ performances here. Grande’s Glinda is just as bouncy and energetic as Kristin Chenoweth’s, and her take on “Popular” draws inspiration from the original while adding a different spin to certain parts of the song. When it comes to “Defying Gravity,” Erivo doesn’t just mimic Idina Menzel’s version — she makes the song all her own with her dynamic vocals, which were recorded live while she performed her own stunts.
Plus, there’s more than one enchanting detail for fans of both The Wizard of Oz and the Broadway musical — including a special moment as Glinda and Elphaba make their way through Emerald City.
The film is billed as part one of the story, and its ending feels natural, considering it was adapted from the finale of the musical’s first act. There’s much to look forward to in part two.
