Wicked

Wicked, Part 1 (2024) – This could be a very short review of just three words: “WOW! Must see!” But yeah, I’m gonna say more about it anyway! Let me start with something you’re all probably thinking or wondering: surely Erin has this Broadway musical memorized, right? I mean, it’s right up my alley, and there are a few others that I definitely know by heart. But not this one. I’ve listened all the way through the original Broadway cast recording once, I think, many years ago, and I think I have 5 songs from it on my Spotify Broadway playlist, though I don’t listen to that one often. But Wicked just hasn’t been one that I’ve had playing on repeat, like you might expect from me. (Nor is Hamilton, for that matter.) So here’s what “a fan of Broadway in general but one who isn’t intimately familiar with Wicked” thought of the film:

Holy cow, that was amazing!! I’ve been discussing it off and on with my brother (who is a huge fan and saw it on Broadway), and we both agree that the greatest strength this movie has – aside from the exceptional casting, which we’ll get to in a minute – is that it “leans in” to being a film that is based on a Broadway show. It doesn’t try to be “more movie, less show-like” (a mistake that Phantom of the Opera made in its film adaptation, IMO), it actually makes a big deal out of the chorus numbers and background dancers, just like what would happen on a real stage. Sure, the costumes and the sets – which were mostly practical, not green screen! – take it up that extra notch (they have to, because they require more detail due to the close-ups), but at its heart, it’s a stage musical, and it feels like one, in all of the best possible ways. But it also takes advantage of its new cinematic format, giving us those glorious tight shots so we can see the smallest touches of sparkle or fancy stitching, or the slight arching of an eyebrow that says more than words ever could. It’s a spectacular mix of the two formats, and the film is all the better for it.

As for the casting…. [chef’s kiss] Perfection. No notes.

Seriously, Cynthia Erivo absolutely took my breath away, with everything. The acting, the singing, the physicality (which is different on film than on stage), all of it. She is a force of nature, and that fact is clearly evident and inescapable every moment she is on screen. And Ariana Grande (or Grande-Butera, as she is shown in the credits), just wow. I am so impressed. I don’t know much about her, and I generally don’t care for her pop music, so I assumed this was “stunt casting,” just to have a recognizable name attached. And perhaps, she was, but that said, that girl can SING! Whatever reason they had initially for casting her, she wiped away any doubts. She absolutely deserves to be there. Remember, all of the singing was recorded live while they were filming. (I read an excellent article here about how that was done, but I can’t put my hands on it right now.) Both ladies are the real deal! The supporting cast are all underused, in my opinion, though I believe this is an issue with the musical itself, not because the film version altered or shrank their parts. Each person completely nail their roles/functions, Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero) especially.

I do have a lot of questions about how the musical version compares to both the Wicked book and the original Wizard of Oz books themselves, though I will not be delving into those until after I have seen Wicked, Part 2, due for release in November 2025. (Yep, you have to wait an entire year. Longest. Intermission. EVER!) I don’t want any potentially spoilers. That’s going to be a tall task to manage for the next 360-ish days, but I’m sure the payoff will be worth it. I do know from speaking with friends that the Wicked book is a lot… darker, and more mature. Please use caution if any of your tweens want to read it after seeing the musical; I would definitely advise parents to do a deep dive on the content or read it themselves before passing it off to a child. I know I tried repeatedly to read the book back in the early 2000s, probably around the time that the musical came out, and I just could *not* get into it. I don’t think I ever made it out of Chapter 1, and I’ve been advised by multiple people whose judgment I trust that it is probably not a book I would care for, so I’m willing to leave it there. Might look into the original L. Frank Baum novels at some point, though, just to see. I know there are differences from the books to the 1939 film adaptation, and I’m curious to see which of those might have carried over to the Wicked book/musical and which did not. We’ll see.

But as far as the move goes…. See it. Right now. Seriously, stop reading and leave. NO, WAIT! Two more things. #1: the movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes, not including the commercials and trailers that show in front of it, so be prepared to sit for a good 3 hours. And #2: Once the credits start rolling, there is no stinger, so you’re good to go. So go. Now. Right now! GO NOW! You won’t be sorry.