With the release of Wicked just weeks away, self-confessed super fan Sarah Cook shares explains why it's an unmissable experience this autumn, from the music to the casting.
Wicked is flying onto the big screen at Cineworld this November. Finally, the iconic musical is getting a cinematic adaptation, directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Jonathan Bailey. We’re clicking our heels with excitement.
What Wicked means to me as a fan
Since it landed on Broadway in June 2003, Wicked has become one of the most popular stage musicals of all time.
Spurring a long-running West End production, and countless shows across the planet, Wicked turned the whole world green. The musical is so iconic that it has been featured in mainstream TV shows such as New Girl, and Glee. Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth were already Broadway staples but by originating the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, they were propelled into superstardom.
Admittedly, I have been an avid fan of Wicked since it appeared in an Ugly Betty episode. The budding flame was fanned by my older sister, Louise, who gifted me Maguire’s book. Caught by the characterisation of Elphaba and her tragic story, I was intrigued by how they would perform this on the main stage, and it did not disappoint.
I first watched it with a friend but truly, the show belongs to me and my sister – we’ve seen it twice together, belted the songs out at one another, and I am venturing up to the midlands to watch the movie adaptation with her. The story’s over-arching journey is about the brilliance of female camaraderie and my sister was my very first friend – and perhaps my most cherished.
Between you and I, as an eighteen-year-old full of hormones and angst, listening to ‘I’m Not That Girl’ whilst having my heart broken by my umpteenth crush will forever remain a core memory.
What is Wicked?
Based on Gregory Maguire’s revisionist novel, Wicked tells the story of the magical women of Oz from L. Frank Baum’s original story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. More specifically, Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch the West, named here as Elphaba.
While the original text and the iconic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz have Elphaba as a green-skinned menace, this story shows her as a sympathetic character who is treated poorly because of her Verdigris and the powers she wishes to harness for the greater good. However, her talents and kind-hearted nature are twisted by the dastardly Wizard, and Elphaba has to fight back not just to save her reputation but also her loved ones and the citizens of Oz.
Instigating the trend of pop-culture villains undergoing an image change, Wicked was adapted for the stage by composer Stephen Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman. Stripping back a lot of politics and darker themes from Maguire’s book to make a family-friendly musical, Wicked focuses more on female friendships, transformative love, and the fight for what is right.
Before Wicked, Schwartz was best known for his work on hit animations The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt, and Pippin. However, his work on Wicked cemented him as a pop-culture legend. The raucous soundtrack moves through up-tempo catchy tracks such as Dancing Through Life and Popular and more emotive themes like As Long as You’re Mine or For Good.
On top of this, Schwartz imbues the score with motifs from The Wizard of Oz film, including the seminal 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. No song on the Wicked soundtrack compares with the soaring 'Defying Gravity' – a tune so powerful that it has been covered by pop divas, reality show contestants, and perhaps even an overzealous colleague at karaoke.
What Wicked means to global communities
Similar to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, Wicked has been a story cherished by the LGBTQ+ community. The original film starring Judy Garland mirrored the desperation felt by gay men and women to escape their small-minded towns to find a more colourful and welcoming home. The film was so resonant with queer people that the term ‘Friends of Dorothy’ was coined, after the plucky heroine.
Not just because it is a stage spectacle, Wicked’s appeal to the LGBTQ+ community tells the tale of a person “othered” by their community, ousted because of who they are. Elphaba is deplored because of her green skin which many can relate to – having faced bigotry and hatred because of how they were born. Ultimately, Elphaba wins by accepting herself and, much like Dorothy, finding a place to belong.
Plus, the chemistry between Elphaba and Glinda is palpable, from their initial loathing to their complete love of one another.
Wicked focuses on female friendships, transformative love, and the fight for what is right.
The stage show of Wicked has one big flaw: despite featuring cameos from Dorothy and her cohorts, the second half is rushed, meaning the story skims on the politics of Oz – including people’s hatred of Animals (human-animal hybrids). The cinematic adaptation is split into two parts, which means it is well-positioned to tell more of this rich history of the famed magical land and its oppressors.
Why the Wicked cast hits the high notes
Unlike many musical adaptations, Wicked is led by seasoned singers.
Erivo is a Tony-award-winning talent with an insane vocal range: her chilling rendition of 'I’m Still Here' from The Color Purple produces tears on every level. Pop superstar Ariana Granda has a history of comedic performances and can perfectly embody the pink-clad perky Glinda. Bridgerton’s dashing and Olivier-award-winning Jonathan Bailey is almost too perfect to take on the mantle of cocksure Fiyero.
Plus, there’s Jeff Goldblum as the then nefarious Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as tyrannical teacher Madame Morrible, and Peter Dinklage as the voice of the Animal professor Doctor Dillamond. Director Jon M. Chu has a fine cinematic pedigree with musicals including the hit Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation In The Heights, so we’re excited to see how his opulent filmmaking will imbue this story with even more wonder and grandiosity.
The wonderful world of Wicked can only be enhanced by the magic of cinema and the wait is nearly over. We follow that yellow brick road once more, embark on one short day in the Emerald City, and meet old friends again.
So book your tickets now for Wicked – out 22nd November!
Don't forget we’ve got two brand new, free Wicked-themed ICEE flavours (Glinda's Perfect Pink/Strawberry, and Elphaba's Emerald Green/Sour Apple) to enjoy when you see Wicked in 4DX or ScreenX between November 22nd and 28th.
Sarah Cook is a novelist of the best-selling Diary of Murders series. She has also written for HeyUGuys, FilmStories, and MoviesOnWeekends.
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