After eight years of development, Wicked: Part One, an adaptation of the Broadway hit’s first act, released across the United States on Nov. 22. The first installment of the two-part movie musical stars theatre veterans, pop icons, and television stars alike, paying homage to the powerful call-to-action of the original stage production while adding depth and complexity using the new medium.
A prequel to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the film follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) as she arrives at Shiz University and clashes with her peppy roommate Galinda (Ariana Grande-Butera). While being outcast for her green skin and discovering her strange magical powers, Elphaba uncovers Oz’s oppression towards animals, including her goat professor, Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage). She then teams up with Galinda and Winkie prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) to give the downtrodden their freedom.
The transition from stage to screen takes the audience closer to the story. Although the musical employs the same elements, the film showcases the intricacies of the actors’ performances on a much larger scale, as the use of cameras allows viewers to observe the characters’ emotions and development more clearly than “nosebleed seats” near the roof of a Broadway theater would.
Erivo conquers arguably one of the hardest roles in musical theatre with her award-winning vocal agility and understanding of her character’s journey. She aces several songs notorious for the intensity and skill they demand, such as “The Wizard and I,” “I’m Not That Girl,” and the Act 1 finale, “Defying Gravity.”
Grande-Butera’s Galinda (later Glinda) is both comic relief and a strong foil for Erivo’s Elphaba, and she capably shows the development of a privileged character who learns the impact of her actions. Her pop career’s influence on her performance shows through soaring high notes mixed with Broadway-esque belts.
The movie adds several plot points and Easter eggs that the musical lacks time for. Elphaba’s additional backstory, which includes a bear nurse, gives her a deeper connection to the animals’ struggles, as one was the only being who cared about her. Original Broadway leads Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth cameo to explain how the Wizard of Oz found his powers, and he introduces the famous yellow brick road.
New symbolism also plays an important part; for example, Galinda wears a poppy in her hair (and later offers it to Elphaba), and poppies nearly doom the protagonists of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The flower passes from Fiyero to Galinda to Elphaba, who then uses poppies to put her class to sleep and free a lion cub with Fiyero’s help. This bonds the duo and leads Fiyero to grow towards her and away from Galinda, setting the characters’ futures into motion.
Most of the changes in Wicked: Part One are for the better. The additional time and proximity to the audience accentuate the musical’s crucial themes. Hopefully, Part 2, releasing in 2025, will keep soaring to new heights and cementing Elphaba’s century-long legacy.
