‘Wicked’ proves spellbinding on the big screen
By Scott McDaniel, TheStatehouseFile.com Nov 29, 2024
Whereas some musical adaptations flop, “Wicked” defies gravity and soars into the cinematic spotlight.
“Wicked” already crescendoed to a $114 million opening, the third-best start of the year. And with Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s gonna be pop-u-lar.
Stephen Schwartz’s 2003 Broadway hit has entertained audiences for decades now, but film director Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights”) has finally brought the Tony Award-winning classic to the big screen.
Pop megastar Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) are sensational, choosing to sing live rather than acting over a prerecorded track. Fans of the theatre production should be pleased, as the insanely talented duo create an emotionally charged adaptation, with Chu using the magic of cinema to bring their fantastical world to life.
After accidentally displaying her raw magical powers, a young, green Elphaba finds herself enrolled in her sister’s college—which would be more exciting if she wasn’t forced to live with the roommate she never wanted: the pink-loving blonde Glinda.
At first, it seems they’re total opposites, bound to hate one another. But after one cruel trick, empathy takes hold and their relationship shifts to an unlikely friendship. So when Elphaba’s uncontrolled powers get her noticed, she brings Glinda with her to meet the Wizard of Oz.
All-star casting sees Michelle Yeoh (who won an Oscar for “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”) as the dean of sorcery studies, Michelle Yeoh. And a long time dream came true for many Broadway fans when Jeff Goldblum was picked to play the Wizard of Oz.
But it’s Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero who pops, or dances, off the screen. The “Bridgerton” star dazzles his Shiz University classmates and movie-goers alike with charm and rhythm.
The cast is amazing, working their way through part one of the musical in two hours and 40 minutes (part two is due out November 2025). The film doesn’t feel that long—not only because the musical numbers are stellar but because when the pace does slow down, the camera can move in close on some powerful acting, capturing the emotions more intimately than you’d see them from a theatre balcony seat.
“Wicked” is enchanting and may have you listening to its soundtrack on a loop as you count down the days until part two.
4.5/5
Scott McDaniel is department chair and an assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College. He lives in Bargersville with his wife and three kids.
