Wicked Part 1: This First-Time Watcher is Changed For Good
It feels shameful to admit as a huge musical theatre fan, but I have never seen Wicked before. In my defence, the only musical I have seen live was the North American tour of Hamilton earlier this year. However, when Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera were announced to be the lead roles in the movie adaptation in 2021, I remembered that there was still a first time for everything. I became excited, but I was not sure if I was just projecting my love for the cast onto the film. After more than two years of anticipation, an extraordinary marketing campaign, and a story so expansive it had to be split into two parts, did director Jon M. Chu bite off more than he could chew with taking on this project? I definitely do not believe so.
Wicked, debuting on Broadway in 2003, explores the complex relationship between Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande-Butera). It begins after the events of the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, with the citizens of Oz celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West at the hands of Dorothy Gale splashing water on her. Glinda the Good visits the Munchkin people to confirm the delightful travesty, but when questioned about her friendship with the witch, launches into the origin story of her former roommate and best friend.
Glinda, then known as Galinda, was very comfortable in her bubble of privilege and narcissism. Feeding off the public adoration of her outward goodness, she was accustomed to getting everything she ever wanted, with her current sights set on mentorship by the Shiz University’s premier sorcery professor Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and loved by new student Prince Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey). Elphaba, on the other hand, had been forced to remain polite and unseen. At least, as unseen as she could be with her deep green skin borne out of an elixir her mother drank during her affair. Her father, governor of Munchkinland, showed a clear preference for her “tragically beautiful” paraplegic sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) and Elphaba’s only purpose for being at Shiz University’s campus was to keep an eye on her. However, after a magnificent display of power when Miss Coddle (Keala Settle) attempted to separate them, Madame Morrible decided to privately nurture Elphaba’s potential and assigned her to room with Galinda, a double loss for the latter.
Grande-Butera and Erivo portrayed the shift in the dynamic between Elphaba and Galinda from one of “unadulterated loathing” to one of deep trust and acceptance so beautifully. The Ozdust ballroom scene may perhaps be permanently fixated in my head. Elphaba, while dancing in what is viewed as jarring or foreign to the other attendees, was joined by Galinda, plagued with guilt upon realising the pain she has caused her roommate. For once, we see Galinda not focus on whether her social capital would benefit from her actions, but rather genuinely consider another person’s feelings. We also see this become a turning point for Elphaba where she is beginning to learn that she does not need the acceptance of anyone but herself.
As a fan of Grande-Butera since her Victorious days, I did not doubt that she would shine in this role, but she exceeded my expectations in every way possible. From her impeccable comedic timing to her operatic and expressive vocals, I appreciated Glinda’s humanity as she became increasingly aware of how performative goodness and true goodness through actions are not the same. With Erivo, I have been a fan since she appeared on The Terrell Show, a popular YouTube series. I have always adored her voice’s stillness and her capability to move a person so deeply, but what stood out to me in this film was her micro-expressions. Everything that needed to be heard could be seen just as clearly through her eyes. There was a vulnerability and rawness to Elphaba that I resonated with in a way I never had with a previous musical adaptation.
An excellent supporting cast accompanied the leads. Pfannee and Shenshen (Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James, respectively), Galinda’s most loyal uppity supporters, are comedic gems. Bailey as Fiyero has unintelligible levels of charisma and chemistry with anyone he interacts with. Boq (Ethan Slater) turned out to be more adorable than I anticipated, as I found his quirkiness quite charming. The ensemble was incredibly expressive and added depth to the situations around them.
As a musician first, I could rave about the soundtrack forever. The cast singing live during filming added so many levels to the emotion conveyed through Stephen Schwartz’s lyrics. The crisp harmonies and blend between voices made it immensely pleasurable for a listener. I could physically feel the love Erivo and Grande-Butera had for the roles, like the hopefulness Elphaba had during The Wizard And I and the crossroads they faced in Defying Gravity. The choreography was incredibly synchronised and immersive, and one of my favourite moments in the entire film was the three clacks of the ruby shoes by Galinda in Popular.
Visually, I understand the slight grievance some have that it lacked vivid colour similar to the Technicolour of The Wizard of Oz. Regardless, I still enjoyed the pastel-leaning palette and it was especially striking in contrast to settings such as the Enchanted Forest, the pink hue overtaking during the Popular scene, or the field of nine million tulips planted just for production. The wardrobe deserves an analysis of its own, from the black vs pink of Elphie and Glinda to the various people of Oz having their unique styles. I hope for Paul Tazewell to release a book similar to Barbie: The World Tour for an indepth look into the designs.
Arguably the most important part of the film was the themes, which still resonate in today’s political landscape. The political corruption led by Madame Morrible and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) in efforts to silence speaking animals led Elphaba and Glinda down differing paths. Elphaba, upon learning that she had been manipulated into using her powers to aid their agenda, decided to stay true to her values instead of letting them continue to assign her worth. Glinda, though, reverted to complicity within the system that has typically always worked in her favour, even though it placed her on opposite ends with her best friend. This was also evident when she reciprocated the hug from Madame Morrible, indicating that her priority in making her decision was herself. It is important to note that neither are right or wrong in their positions, but should rather be seen as choices representative of the beliefs they operate under that we will see the effects of – good or bad – in Part 2. We could also discuss the political propaganda through the pop-up books praising the Wizard that came from the skies from Elphaba’s childhood, the attempt at indoctrination in the aftermath after Dr. Dillamond is captured (voiced by Peter Dinklage), and the immediate shift in the narrative surrounding Elphaba as soon as she did not serve their purpose anymore, but I fear we will be here for a long time.
The biggest takeaway for me was Erivo’s Blackness so intentionally infused in the role and how she truly captured the feeling of being othered that many like me can relate to. Then, for Elphaba to reclaim her power and continue to stand by her desire to tear down oppressive systems, despite losing out on the acceptance and recognition beyond her skin colour that she longed for, moved me beyond words I can articulate. I have rarely ever felt so seen by a character.
There is much more that I could say about this film. I had my fair share of laughs, cries, and gasps when watching and I am still reeling from the effects as I write this review. What Jon M. Chu achieved in this 2-hour and 40-minute runtime excites me for what is to come in the second film next year. The incredible storytelling, foreshadowing, subtlety in expression, vocal prowess, and cinematography exceeded any expectations I walked into the theatre with. This review was essentially my long-winded way of saying that I will be creating my own bubble of everything Wicked until further notice. I cannot wait to be seated for another showing and the sing-along version to give the cast and crew, but especially Cynthia Erivo, their tens across the board.
