"No one mourns the wicked..." For 64 years, no one had mourned The Wicked Witch of the West whenever they watched 1939's The Wizard of Oz. However, 21 years ago a Broadway musical changed all that. When Wicked, a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, premiered it became an instant hit and made Idina Menzel (Frozen) and Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies) household names. Now, after much anticipation, Wicked Part I heads to theaters just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.
For the uninitiated, Wicked tells the story of Glinda (The Good Witch) and Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) before they became known by those titles. The two met at school, Shiz University, and through a mix up became roommates. Initially angry about sharing a room and disliking each other immensely, they quickly learned the other was more than they seemed, and a true friendship emerged. However, when faced with adversity, Elphaba chooses to buck the system while Glinda becomes a team player, putting the two at odds and making Elphaba a fugitive.
So much makes this film worth watching, beginning with the cast. Ariana Grande encompasses Glinda the decent-natured, somewhat selfish but equally misguided teenager. She does a great job being shallow yet kind and her voice is perfect for taking on the high notes of the soundtrack. Equally as impressive is Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the girl who has been scorned and ridiculed all her life simply because she was born with green skin. Her vocal and acting talents are perfect to play this role and she does a wonderful job bringing Elphaba to life. Equally as good are Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey round out the cast nicely.
Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) is no stranger to epic musical movies as he also directed In the Heights in 2021. He had a wonderful way of making the music flow easily into dialog and vice versa and he hit all the right angles and camera movements to make the musical numbers larger than life. He is genuinely creative and understands the delicate balance between grandeur and spectacle.
Chu also surrounds himself with truly talented craftspeople, including costume designer Paul Tazewell (West Side Story, 2021). Though the original Broadway costume designer was Susan Hilferty (Parade), whose costumes were intricate and layered, Tazewell takes them to another level in the movie, especially Glinda's many, spectacular outfits. If he does not win the Oscar for Best Costume Design, it would be shocking. Choreographer Christopher Scott (In The Heights) is good but there could have been less rhythmic stopping and clapping and more modern dancing with smooth, fluid movements. The makeup and hair team should be commended as well, especially where Erivo's appearance is concerned.
As a viewer, if you have never seen the stage show or are not familiar with the soundtrack at the very least, you will probably find the film weird and maybe a little boring. However, if you are one of the millions of fans the show has worldwide, this version (mostly) stays true to its source material. Coupling that with the high level of production values poured into the movie, you will more than likely be thrilled with the result.
Wicked, Part I is going to be a big box office hit, raking in tons of money and a projected opening weekend of over $170 million. Besides the built-in fans, word of mouth has most audiences and critics praising the film.
Grade: A
