A Wickedly Good Time

Elena Thomas • January 15, 2025

Following the success of a hit stage musical and novel, the movie “Wicked” has reached levels of great triumph since its release on Nov. 24. The film grossed $163 million in just its first weekend in theaters (NBCUniversal), surpassing a record set by the opening of Les Misérables for the most any movie based on a Broadway show has gained in its first weekend. By Dec. 29, over a month after its release, “Wicked” had made $634.4 million worldwide, officially becoming the top grossing film based on a Broadway musical (Billboard). The love that the cast, crew and director have for the story shines through in the hard work put into every detail of the film, especially the moving performances by leads Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Their subtle yet powerful choices while playing Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland gave a personal twist to the iconic duo, while staying true to the great whimsy of the beloved stage musical. This movie, which is part one to the story and encompasses plotlines from the first act of the show, has left audiences eagerly awaiting the second part of the film (and for those still waiting to watch, wanting complete surprise, the following contains spoilers). Despite the movie only showing half of the film, “Wicked” has managed to attract and charm both devoted fans and those experiencing Oz’s magic for the first time, defying expectations.

The story of “Wicked” was first released to the world in the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire to serve as a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” published in 1900. Since the two stories were written by two different authors, many years apart, “Wicked” is not regarded as an accurate prequel. Maguire borrowed characters from “The Wizard of Oz,” many of which were one-dimensional; they were either completely good or inherently evil. To fix that and also explore the nature of malice, he chose the antagonist in “The Wizard of Oz,” known as the Wicked Witch of the West, to be his protagonist, whom he named Elphaba. Both stories take place in the land of Oz, home to talking animals, Munchkins and the famous yellow brick road. The tales depict some of the goings-on in this whimsical realm; however, it is the new perspective in “Wicked” that sets Maguire’s work apart from “The Wizard of Oz.” The Broadway production of “Wicked” premiered in October 2003, quickly becoming an international hit. The musical, performed in over 100 cities and 16 countries, is the winner of over 100 awards and the fourth longest-running Broadway show (Playbill). Between the novel and musical, “Wicked” has had a successful history and created a high bar for its new film adaptation.

The film begins when the young witch Elphaba, born with a green complexion, ends up at Shiz University after a life of being misunderstood, hated and feared due to her unusual color in the land of Oz. At school, she learns to understand her magical powers and forges an unlikely friendship with Glinda, her roommate. When she finally meets the revered Wizard of Oz, Elphaba unfortunately learns terrible truths about Oz, leading her on a different path in life.

The movie, which is almost three hours in length, contains many fun and impactful moments, as well as numerous musical numbers and dancing sequences. For those who are not entertained by dance sequences and long performances, a movie packed with them might not be worth it. However, those who enjoy musical theater should have nothing but love for this film, as it is everything its musical production is and more. The director of “Wicked,” John Chu, brought the staged musical to film beautifully. Chu is widely acknowledged for directing movies like “Crazy Rich Asians,” known for its colorful scenery and sweeping camera shots. He also directed the musical “In the Heights,” a movie that features extravagant dance scenes and lively music. Chu infused the strengths of both of his past works into “Wicked.” Sophomore Abigail Mayhack found the backgrounds to be one of her favorite parts of the movie and made the film just as magical as the musical she watched many years ago.

“Everything was just so beautiful and stood out to me, like the songs, acting and costumes,” Mayhack said. “But it was mainly the vivid sets and colors used in the film. Obviously, it’s hard to use many different sets on a stage, so the movie being able to [capture many environments] made it special.”

Usually a movie's ability to do more with sets is due to space or computer-generated imagery (CGI), however in this movie, little CGI was used. Instead, set designers made the choice of building and using practical sets, like the nine million tulips that were planted for the opening scenes of the film (Playbill). The magnificently designed backgrounds, while requiring a lot of tedious and manual labor, really set the scene for the performances to come. “Wicked” as a movie has connected with audiences greatly, standing out from other recent films with its long history of love from its viewers. Sophomore Annika Abellido finds great joy that her favorite musical has been reimagined.

“[The movie] brought back to life an iconic musical in a new way,” Abellido said. “I loved everything about the musical on stage and it was great to see others enjoy it too.”

“Wicked” has the power of uniting with its comedic, musical and emotional appeal that reaches many audiences. Each scene either brings viewers to a laugh, tears or a heartfelt smile. In most films and stage productions, actors may have a chance to make small changes in the way their character delivers their lines or how they act, differentiating themselves from other actors who have taken on the same role. Both Erivo and Grande made these modifications and we created some fan favorite moments such as Erivo’s signature riff at the end of the song “Defying Gravity” which has been praised and recreated throughout social media. Their comedic and musical choices differentiate this reinvention of “Wicked” from every other version of the production. The demanding work that it takes for actors to become their character could be tough for those who are not familiar with that task to understand. Junior Linus Ruchti, who participates in drama, appreciates the commitment of all crew members in the film. Ruchti found himself surprised during the film, as the engaging performances were not what he expected.

“The acting really impressed me,” Ruchti said. “The length of the movie allows for the [actors] to develop [their characters] and the audience to connect with them more. [Erivo] has performed on Broadway and created a fantastic Elphaba. [Grande], while being a very popular artist, was actually a total theater kid [which shines through in the film].”

Ruchti is not the only person who did not expect such an amazing performance from Grande, despite her playing roles in theater during her childhood and even debuting on Broadway in 2008 in the musical “13.” However, Grande has mainly been recognized as a pop star since releasing her first studio album in 2013. It was difficult for some audiences to understand how she could transition from making mainstream music to performing musical theater.

Anyone who watches “Wicked” can see the pure love put into each and every second of the movie, especially the song sequences. Christopher Scott’s choreography in the fun and playful “Dancing Through Life” and the tense and sharp “What Is this Feeling?” was perfectly fitting and has become popular throughout social media platforms. Grande’s wonderful acting and emotional range between songs “No One Mourns the Wicked” and “Popular” displayed her exceptional ability to disappear into her character as well as showcasing her incredibly chilling vocals. Erivo’s “The Wizard and I” is underappreciated, even though this one song is evidence enough that she is the perfect fit for Elphaba. Her performances are full of indescribable talent and tear-welling emotions. On the other hand, the epic ending ballad “Defying Gravity,” which ends the film, has earned Erivo much praise which she undoubtedly deserves.

“My expectations were definitely met. The last song, “Defying Gravity”, is such a powerful closing number for act one,” Ruchti said. “It left me sitting in my seat for a few seconds taking in what I had just seen.”

This final song perfectly ends the movie, with the beauty of Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship evident in both actress’ performance, the drama and thrill of monkeys flying all around and Erivo’s powerful voice. It leaves audiences on the edges of their seats, eagerly waiting for the second half of the story. “Defying Gravity” has been inspiring people since its premiere in the musical production, and was even more powerful in the film. Ending with remarkable impact, “Wicked” has lived up to its long and beloved legacy with a movie deserving of significant success.