Wicked

The 2003 Broadway musical, Wicked, became an instant pop culture phenomenon when it first opened. The musical, starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, was an adaptation of the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire that took a “what if” approach to the world of The Wizard of Oz. Chronicling the rise of The Wicked Witch of the West and her eventual turn to evil, the stage musical depicts the infamous Witch and her rivalry/friendship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The musical has become deeply rooted in pop culture and is arguably the most beloved Broadway musical to emerge from the 21st century. I can recall seeing the show in Detroit around 2006 and being completely swept up by the sheer power of the music and the chutzpah of the material. For anyone who grew up with the music of the show, loved it when it came out or just so happened to have shared a home with a sibling with a room decorated in Wicked posters, the prospect of a film adaptation has been eagerly awaited for quite some time. Now that it’s finally here, fans can rest assured this adaptation is much closer to a West Side Story than Cats. This is just Part 1 of 2, with the conclusion set to hit theaters this time next year. While a 160-minute first half of a 3-hour play sounds excessive, this film proves to still be moving and exhilarating. 

Courtesy Universal Pictures

Before she was the Wicked Witch of the West, her name was Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). Born with green skin and ostracized by society, including her own father, Elphaba is extremely smart and possesses powers she also tries to withhold to the world. Elphaba arrives at Shiz University — sort of like Oz’s Hogwarts, to escort her sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), to her first day at school. However, Elphaba accidentally unveils her powers, leading to the school’s Headmistress, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), inviting her to attend the school and to further study her abilities. This leads to Elphaba having to room with the preppy Galinda — before changing it to just Glinda (Ariana Grande) where the two students immediately clash. Glinda wants to become a Witch, but doesn’t have any powers. Seeing her roommate be able to conjure up power at ease makes Glinda agitated, with her resorting to typical “mean girl” style bullying tactics. The two students butt head until they eventually come to understand and learn from one another. When Elphaba discovers that local animals are beginning to lose their literal voices, including Shiz professor Doctor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), a goat who takes to Elphaba’s kindness, she raises her concerns to Madame Morrible, who she hopes will be able to set up a meeting with the mysterious Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum).

Director Jon M. Chu gives perhaps his best directorial outing of his career. Wicked: Part 1 immediately explodes off the screen with radiance and a crackling energy that never sags. Having tackled musical fare in the past with In the Heights, Step Up 2 the Streets and Step Up 3D, Chu brings such a dynamism to the screen. If his In the Heights was slightly dulled by overly-busy editing, Chu reinforces his style here not dissimilar to his energetic Step Up 3D. The camera rarely feels static, with Chu and cinematographer Alice Brooks moving the camera up, down and all around the screen for many of its dazzling musical numbers. Chu excels in maximizing the frame, filling each musical sequence with complicated choreography, impeccable art direction and marvelous performances from his stars. As someone who has grown up hearing this song an ungodly amount of times, his handling of the “Popular” number is thrilling. It’s not the most ambitious sequence in terms of scale, but Chu leans on Grande’s joyous rendition to take front-and-center. The pacing of the film maintains an infectious zippiness throughout its long 160-minute runtime. Jonathan Bailey’s wonderfully charming Fiyero gives a standout performance during the “Dancing Through Life” number, set in a library with a fully rotating bookcase set that sees actors and dancers running through the wheel, sliding up and down and climbing on it parkour style during single takes.

Despite the show-stopping numbers, arguably the best sequence in the film is a quiet, understated set piece where Elphaba dons her iconic hat for the first time in public at a dance club where she is ruthlessly mocked by everyone in attendance. It’s a sequence that starts off as funny and exciting, but slowly turns heartbreaking and greatly moving by the end. Mind you, this sequence is largely wordless, but carries such weighted emotion through the performances, the staging and Chu’s storytelling prowess. Simply put, it is one of the finest directed sequences of the year, one that would not work without the overwhelming power of its leads, Erivo and Grande.

Courtesy Universal Pictures

Cynthia Erivo channels so much power from just her screen presence. She portrays Elphaba as the smartest person in the room, but she second-guesses herself because of how she’s viewed by others. As her friendship with Glinda grows, so does her outer confidence. Erivo finds a real soulfulness in the character that emboldens both her strength and vulnerability. Grande’s performance is a terrific feat of comedic timing and physicality, but Glinda’s continuing character depth keeps her from feeling like the comedic relief. Glinda’s blinding perkiness mixed with her bumbling quirky personality is a recipe for charm that Grande nails time after time. The two actors have unbelievable chemistry together, making their ultimate arc feel that much more tragic and bittersweet.

When the film reaches its finale, set to the most iconic song of the production “Defying Gravity”, you can feel the full potential of the stage production fully come to life. The climax to Part 1 genuinely evokes tears and goosebumps in equal measure. It cannot be overstated just how magnetic Erivo’s abilities as a singer and an actor are. Filling in the shoes of Idina Menzel is no easy feat, not to mention the sky-high expectations of fans, but there is no question that Erivo makes Elphaba a truly sensational screen character.

Chu’s adaptation is surrounded by gorgeous art direction with sets that feel like a mix of steampunk and classic MGM technicolor musicals. It is unfortunate that some flat lighting and artificial-looking digital surroundings do occasionally undercut the grandeur of the production design. The ratio of visual splendor over smeary CG is roughly 5:1. The script, penned by Dana Fox (Cruella) and Winnie Holzman (who also wrote the musical book for the stage), manages to weave in many universal themes including self-acceptance and prejudice without feeling forced or preachy. The eventual trip to Oz and meeting with the Wizard hits on more urgent, timely elements of silencing those without a voice, instilling fear in order to control the populace and the rise of looming fascism. Ultimately, this is one half of a film, but the ending feels complete here. Unlike other recent Part 1’s, there’s a payoff that feels earned and even with its sizable cliffhanger ending, there is fulfillment to be found. Even the terrific Across the Spider-Verse had to struggle with this.

Courtesy Universal Pictures

Wicked Part 1 is a thoroughly enchanting screen adaptation. Led by the irresistible power of its leads in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu’s first half of the iconic musical is both grandiose and epic, but intimate in its character depth. This is a moving, funny, dazzling and lavish big-screen musical that sets up Part 2 with real skill.

Wicked is now playing in theaters.