Early Concerns
One of fans’ biggest fears for “Wicked“ the musical, when it was announced, was that like many other Broadway-to-film adaptations before it, the production would prioritize casting household names over talent. This fear grew even more in November 2021, when it was announced that Ariana Grande would be playing one of the lead roles.
Fans of the stage show groaned, as a pop star seemed to be taking the opportunity from someone with the talent needed to pull off such an iconic role that required both strong acting and vocal ability. The movie’s star, Cynthia Erivo, playing the main lead as Elphaba, was reportedly never doubted, as she was a Broadway veteran who had already proven she had the range. But Ariana was a wildcard. We knew she could sing, but Glinda’s spoiled and entitled character demanded an airy yet powerful operatic voice, as well as a nuanced performance for the layered frenemy.
I’m happy to report that the casting was not a mistake. Ariana was able to pull it off incredibly well, making the role her own while still channeling Kristin Chenoweth, the original Glinda (then spelled “Galinda”) who debuted the character, when she needed to.
Do Movie Musicals Need Cuts?
Adaptations need cuts—that is one of the worst aspects of switching mediums. However, “Wicked“ decided to go the opposite route and is splitting the plot of the musical’s two acts into separate films.
The two-hour and 45-minute runtime of the original play has its first half coming in at almost the exact same length, as the movie is two hours and 40 minutes. In that space, they’ve added more worldbuilding and attempted to fix some much-needed pacing issues that plagued the original show.
Vocals
Everyone brought their A-game in this one. Cynthia Erivo steals the spotlight, giving a sincere and emotional depth to Elphaba, the misunderstood and marginalized Wicked Witch of the West. Jonathan Bailey of “Bridgerton” fame, who was in the West End’s production of “Company”, adds an updated charm to the love triangle dynamic. And of course, Ariana Grande showed that she had what it takes to play a supporting lead in a Broadway adaptation.
Songs
Every single one of the original Broadway songs is here. In most Broadway adaptations, due to timing issues, it’s necessary to trim a few songs from the original soundtrack to ensure plot and story beats aren’t overlooked. But with the decision to split the movie in two, they were able to keep every song. It has been announced that Part 2, which comes out in 2025, will feature two additional songs, as the second act of the stage show has less music than Act 1.
Thoughts from Anajoy
I had the opportunity to discuss the movie with a Butte College student, Anajoy, who isn’t a musical theater fan, and here’s what she had to say.
She thought that the two leads would have worked better as a lesbian couple than the love triangle they were trapped in. As someone who doesn’t like musicals, she didn’t hate herself listening to the music. She also mentioned she is loving songs like Popular, performed by Ariana Grande.
Overall, her rating is 8/10, and she recommends the film.
Conclusion
Overall, I’d give the film a 9/10 and say it’s the best movie musical adaptation since “Chicago.” It was perfectly cast, the music and vocals were incredible, and they honored the original while still doing their own thing.
So go give it a watch—you won’t regret it!
