By Mark Fields
Long-Awaited Movie Translation of Broadway Hit Delivers All the Hoped-For Thrills
Full disclosure: I have long been a Broadway baby, with an unapologetic soft spot for all of musical theater’s illogic (characters suddenly breaking out into song) and excess (giant choruses, flamboyant sets and costumes). So, I have been one of many eagerly awaiting the release of Wicked Part 1, the big-screen interpretation of the legendary Broadway Oz musical. I am pleased (and a little relieved) that the movie – turned up to 11 with Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo and popstar Ariana Grande-Butera in the lead roles – delivers on its promise, bringing a cinematic burnish to a story already brimming with big theatrical set pieces and soaring emotional moments.
Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire’s acclaimed novel and in turn on L. Frank Baum’s original tales of Oz, imagines an alternative back story for several iconic Oz characters. Elphaba (Erivo), AKA the Wicked Witch of West, and Glinda (Grande) were once uncomfortable school chums at Oz’s Shiz University.
Under the tutelage of Shiz’s headmistress, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), Elphaba learns to access her natural magical abilities and starts to overcome the shunning she has endured being inexplicably green-skinned. Meanwhile, she finds herself in competition with popular girl Glinda for dorm room space and classmate adoration, as well as for the attentions of dashing Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). Eventually, Elphaba’s talents take her to Emerald City and the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) with unexpected and world-shattering results.
This complicated yet compelling story – which seems quite baroque when captured in a movie review – is accompanied by the tuneful music of Broadway master composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin). The driving score includes all the acclaimed songs that made the show a Broadway hit: “Popular,” “Dancing Through Life,” and of course, “Defying Gravity.” In addition to droll rhymes and catchy melodies, Schwartz peppers his memorable showtunes with sly references to Baum, Oz, and the beloved 1939 MGM film. (The music is not the only source of Easter eggs in the new movie; there are inside jokes and references everywhere!)
Director Jon M. Chu’s resume makes him uniquely suited for this project. His previous film work includes the glamorous and excessive Crazy, Rich Asians and the dance-heavy movie version of Lin Manual Miranda’s In The Heights. Although the musical was broken into two parts (Part 1 roughly covers Act I of the show), the movie never feels bloated. The detailed plot and big production numbers keep the action of Wicked percolating along breathlessly. The film also benefits from the star power and charisma of its cast. Both Erivo and Grande have musical theater backgrounds, which translates into their ease with the conventions on screen. Yeoh and Goldblum, as well as Peter Dinkage in a voice-only part, throw themselves into their extravagant roles with relish.
Kudos as well to Chu and the studio on the casting of Wicked. Not only does Erivo have the musical and acting chops to convey the sympathetic character of Elphaba; casting a woman of color as a character who is scorned for looking different gives yet another layer of resonance to the story’s themes.
Wicked, despite its glittering Broadway pedigree, was not guaranteed to be a slamdunk movie success. Musicals, especially in recent years, have not automatically translated into Hollywood gold. But the parties involved here have clearly tapped into the magic of Baum’s world and Schwartz’s showman panache and delivered a movie musical that delights all the senses…and all the feels.
