As a theater kid, or as I like to say, a kid in theater, Friday, Nov. 22 marked a big day for me and so many other kids who enjoy the arts. On Friday, the movie musical “Wicked” was released after being constructed for over two years.
The introduction of Broadway into the film industry has been monumental in introducing the theater arts to those who have never seen the world of theater or a professional production of some of the most iconic musicals. Broadway has been more active in the film industry in recent years with the production of movies such as “Mean Girls,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Hamilton,” “Waitress” and most recently “Wicked.” Movie adaptations of musicals, whether the professional stage production is recorded and produced or the traditional movie-making process like “Wicked,” have opened up the world of theater and expanded the boundaries of what can be done on a stage.
The musical “Wicked” was first based on Gregory Maguire’s book following the tale of two witches, Elphaba and Galinda, and their friendship before and after the iconic introduction of a young girl named Dorthy into the wonderful world of Oz. “Wicked” was first performed on Broadway in 2003 and since has been an iconic show globally in the musical theater community. “Wicked” features music written by Stephen Schwartz. Schwartz is a prolific composer known for musicals “Pippin” and “Godspell,” but had composed music for Disney films “Pocahontas” and “Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Since 2003, “Wicked” has been nominated for 63 various awards and has won 32 of them.
When the production of the movie first started, many fans were confused and frustrated with the casting for the two leading ladies, Elphaba and Galinda. Elphaba is played by Cynthia Erivo who is incredibly talented and well-established in the theater world. According to Prestige, Erivo has earned at least one Emmy Award, Grammy Award and Tony Award, making her one step away from the achievement of EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). Where most of the controversy came regarding the casting of “Wicked” was not with Erivo playing Elphaba, but with Ariana Grande getting cast as the role of Galinda. Many thought that Grande was incapable of bringing the complexities of her character to life because of her background as a pop singer rather than having a theatrical career. When word came out about others who had auditioned for the role of Galinda, many fans expressed their opinions saying that Grande was not the best choice for the role. However, after seeing the film, I think no better choices could have been made regarding the casting of Elphaba and Galinda.
The movie was broken up into two parts, corresponding with Act One and Act Two of the musical. According to Times of Indiana, “The decision to divide ‘Wicked’ into two movies, came from a desire to do justice to the original musical while taking advantage of the cinematic medium.” After seeing part one of the movie, many fans, including myself, are excited to see part two of the movie and dive deep into comparing the full movie adaptation with the on-stage musical. Part two is expected to be released in 2025.
After viewing the movie twice, I can say that “Wicked” was beautifully adapted into the movie format. I have not yet had the opportunity to see the “Wicked” musical on stage, so for the movie to be my first introduction to the full story, I was in awe. I was so surprised by the plot line, and while the movie often uses foreshadowing to play into the story’s development, I do not think that too much or too little was given away by this element. After my second watch of the film, I noticed so many minuscule details that added so much to the intricacy of the story. The “Wicked” film has sparked a love for theater in so many and has allowed the story to reach fans it otherwise would not have been able to, including myself.
