Grab your popcorn because Jon M. Chu’s film “Wicked” was released on Nov. 22 in theaters. Anticipation was high for this film adaptation of the famous Broadway musical.
Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the popular story — of the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the South — is retold on screen. In this enemies-to-friends story, Elphaba and Glinda share a room at their new university, Shiz. While everyone is trying to come to terms with the fact that they have a green-skinned peer, Glinda starts to find that Elphaba (or as she would like to call her, “Elphie”) is not dark-hearted but kind and insightful.
The news of this film was most anticipated in the theater department. Theater-involved students were already familiar with the Broadway musical; they went into the cinema with prior knowledge of the adaptation’s contents.
Colin Tauriainen (12) has already seen the film four times while it’s been in theaters. “‘Wicked’ to me just shows that even if you’re different you can still do anything,” Tauriainen said.
Not only is this film a fun and whimsical experience, but it also portrays a good message to viewers. “We are so polarized and ‘Wicked’ is a good lesson on unity,” Tauriainen said.
The film continues as Elphaba becomes emotionally involved in the fight against the discrimination of the animals at Shiz. Doctor Dillamond (the professor who is also a goat, voiced by Peter Dinklage) experiences challenges toward his career now that the animals are in danger. Elphaba continues her journey to the Wizard to make her heart’s desire come true, which the film hints — through the song “The Wizard and I” — is a wish for her green skin to be transformed.
“I hadn’t heard much talk about (‘Wicked’) until it came to the big screen,” Leah Gilmore (12) said. Although the performance had been shown for years on Broadway beforehand, it wasn’t the talk of the house for most like “Hamilton” was.
“I think everyone is loving ‘Wicked’ right now, which kinda breaks that wall between regular movie-watchers and musical theatre movie-watchers,” Gilmore said.
The movie continues with Elphaba and Glinda taking the train to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard; prestigious sorcerty teacher Miss Morrible, played by Michelle Yeoh, helps Elphaba secure a meeting with the Wizard. The audience soon learns the sour ideals of the Wizard and how he is not the powerful man he claims to be. In fact, his only reason for meeting with Elphaba is that she has more magical powers than he does, which he wishes to use to his advantage to further subjugate the animals of Oz.
“Ending with ‘Defying Gravity’ … it’s this manifesto that is going against the authoritarians,” said Ethan Mattix (staff), long-term theater kid and now English teacher.
The jaw-dropping act one finale song “Defying Gravity” has taken the internet by storm with its ridiculously high notes performed by Erivo and impressive tension between the two main characters.
“There is this beautiful moment in the end where we see Glinda put the cape around Elphaba … and you can see that (Glinda) knows she should be fighting but doesn’t want to make herself uncomfortable by fighting,” Mattix said.
While waiting for act two to release (slated for 2025), catch this wickedly high-rated movie in theaters now.
