Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande make beautiful music together as they fight a fraudulent politician in the wildly energetic film adaptation…
By Matthew Creith
“Popular. You’re going to be popular.”
I have a confession to make: I’ve never seen the stage musical Wicked —a significant blind spot for a gay man and former theater nerd/thespian. But even without seeing the stage version of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s take on characters once conceived by L. Frank Baum and Gregory Maguire, many of the songs from Wicked have found their way into my subconscious in the past twenty years.
A pop culture injection into the back door of my brain, perhaps.
It’s rare that a Broadway show can have such a cultural impact beyond the streets of New York to make performers like Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth household names. Even to those like myself who never consumed the show’s lively soundtrack. But that is the power of Wicked, a revisionist prequel to The Wizard of Oz that takes place when Elphaba Thropp/the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galina Upland/Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, first met at university.
The film adaptation Wicked: Part 1 stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a green-skinned woman born from an affair her mother had, and thus an outcast in her own family as well as the outside world. On the other hand, Galinda (Ariana Grande) is a fabulously dressed, pink-obsessed popular girl who always gets her way. The two clash when Elphaba chooses to attend the prestigious Shiz University to watch over her younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode).
The two opposite lead characters are thrown together by Headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) to live together in the same dorm room. Galinda spots Elphaba’s magical talents almost immediately, and even though she is annoyed at the prospect of living with an outsider like Elphaba, Galinda leans on her instincts to capitalize on her roommate’s gifts to get in the good graces of Madame Morrible.
As idyllic as Shiz University is, with its array of students that includes a Munchkin named Boq (Ethan Slater), well-liked lackeys of Galinda named ShenShen (Bronwyn James) and Pfannee (Bowen Yang), and a good-looking prince named Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), the school has some dark secrets it tries to keep secret. Much like the concepts that have made the Harry Potter franchise so successful, the students begin to realize the school is changing based on the sins of the past. Animals were once revered, including the beloved goat History professor Doctor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), but their time in the limelight is slowly fading away as they become second-class citizens.
What is top of mind for everyone is The Wizard of Oz, a mythical-like figure who came to Oz in a hot-air balloon and subsequently rules the Emerald City with power and positive influence. Any casual observer of The Wizard of Oz knows the wizard himself is a fraud. But the characters of this story have yet to figure that out, attributing much to their innocence and optimistic outlook on the Emerald City.
However, Elphaba sees through much of the muck that Oz is presenting to its residents as not everything is what it seems, though she needs to figure out where she fits into the equation. Her adversarial relationship with Galinda transforms over time, as does the political nature of her bond with the dashing Fiyero, who takes a liking to Elphaba. It’s a dynamic that strives to cut through the propaganda when the characters aren’t quite sure of their future endeavors.
Wicked: Part 1 is a tour-de-force that proves a great movie adaptation of a well-liked stage musical can be done when the right actors are cast, and a dedicated filmmaker knows the material they’re up against. Director Jon M. Chu nails every scene and song with a world-building technique that never ceases to amaze with bright visuals and live singing. His main task as the director is to present the stage version but make it as cinematic as possible, and he delivers every step of the way.
The premise of Wicked has its roots as a cultural touchstone for the LGBTQ+ community, with themes of outsiderness and acceptance. Strong, powerful female leads help to accentuate the idea that while there are no romantic relationships between them, the emotional depth of their friendship mirrors queer experiences of navigating connections that aren’t always validated by societal norms. Elphaba’s iconic song, “Defying Gravity,” is a queer anthem that focuses on breaking free and soaring into personal identity, similar to the journey of coming out and embracing personal freedom in the face of political pressure.
It’s no wonder that much of the Wicked: Part 1 cast comprises actors identifying as LGBTQ+, including Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, and Bronwyn James. Galinda herself is the epitome of camp personified, adding to the idea that queer audiences have embraced Wicked for its ability to lean into its undercurrent of LGBTQ+ themes. The film adaptation stretches beyond what Broadway is able to accomplish in this regard, honing in on Galinda’s extravagance and Elphaba’s individuality and eventual marginalization.
Though Jon M. Chu deserves a lot of credit for what makes Wicked: Part 1 such a successful film adaptation of the stage musical, the nucleus that holds the movie together is all about Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Two of the best singers alive, Grande delights with wit and hilarity throughout the film, while Erivo gives the story much-needed depth and dramatics. This is merely the first act of the plot, so those in the know can expect what the last twenty minutes of this film depict…and Erivo predictably knocks it out of the park.
For someone who has never seen “Defying Gravity” performed live, the final moments of Wicked: Part 1 do not disappoint.
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