‘Wicked’ defies gravity with dazzling adaptation of one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals
Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
Few books attain the iconography of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Perhaps better known is the MGM classic, released in 1939. Starring Judy Garland as the tornado-transplanted Dorothy Gale, the image of her joined by the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion (and, of course, her dog, Toto) dwells in our collective conscience.
While not the first novel to explore the source for an alternate view, Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) became a phenomenon, selling over five million copies; three sequels followed.
In 2003, composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin) and Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life, Thirtysomething) adapted the novel for Broadway. While the reviews were mixed, the musical proved an audience hit. The Broadway Wicked has passed 8,000 performances, becoming the fourth longest-running musical in Broadway history. Tours, as well as worldwide productions, keep the show in the public’s eye.
Universal Pictures (who co-produced the Broadway production) present the film Wicked, the first of a two-part adaptation. Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox crafted a first-rate screenplay, returning to the book for details and creating additional backstories and an expansion of the narrative. Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) brilliantly directs with a deep and honest understanding. From start to finish, Wicked is a triumph. In the truest example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, the film is an alchemical fusion of material, cast, and design, unifying in a single vision.
Wicked opens on the stone floor of the Wicked Witch of the West’s castle after her liquidation. The film cuts to a longshot of the friends with her broom traveling the Yellow Brick toward the Emerald City. The next shot is Glinda’s Munchkinland arrival in the signature pink bubble and her affirmation, “It’s good to see me.” Over the next two and a half hours, the story of the unlikely friendship of Glinda and Elphaba unfolds with dazzling visuals, first-rate vocals, and heart-felt, connected performances. It is not just the tale but how it is told: The movie opens the story to its “unlimited” vistas.
The film shows Elphaba’s birth and family, emphasizing her cuckolded father’s intensive dislike for the green baby. Additionally, he blames the verdant girl for the death of her mother and the damage to the second daughter, Nessarose. A script change creates greater tension: Elphaba did not intend to enroll at Shiz University; she was there to see Nessarose settled. Elphaba’s magic—like many outcasts (think Carrie)—manifests in moments of anger. After a display of violent but impressive power, Madame Morrible, the Dean of Sorcery, recruits Elphaba for the college. Morrible makes Galinda (she has yet to drop the “a”) share her spacious living quarters. Thus begins a fractious relationship that blooms into a deep friendship that is Wicked’s core.
The film squarely addresses the fascist issues examined in the book. The expulsion of Professor Dillamond, the goat who teaches history, is frighteningly effective and affecting. Unlike the hybrid in the Broadway production, Dillamond is a full-fledged goat—played with a genuine and sensitive core. A harrowing scene in which a group of animals meet covertly to discuss their impending fate resonates as a 1940s Germany. The filmmakers make bold statements regarding oppression and the stripping of rights, further emphasized in the presentation of the Wizard.
Christopher Scott found the perfect vocabulary for the choreography, making each number and every movement count in the dozen numbers. The designs work towards flawless unity. Paul Tazewell’s jaw-droppingly elaborate costumes play perfectly against Nathan Crowley’s genius of a production design, perfectly filmed by cinematographer Alice Brooks. Glinda’s myriad shades of pink contrast with Elphaba’s textured blacks. The school uniforms play smartly against the Disney-esque Shiz University. The clockwork library allows for a “Marion the Librarian”—on-steroids “Dancing Through Life.”
At the film’s center are the exceptional performances. Cynthia Erivo embodies Elphaba in her struggles and frustrations but also her hope and humanity. She finds a wry humor that never fully masks her complicated outsider’s pain. Ariana Grande-Butera’s hair-flicking G(a)linda is the enchanting counterpart, an Elle Woods on steroids. But like Erivo, she allows the character’s inner life—and, most importantly, growth—to shine through. Both demonstrate a ferocious understanding of the throughline and deliver excellent vocals.
Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero raises the clichéd bad-boy and embodies his self-reflective declaration, “I don’t cause commotions. I am one.” Michelle Yeoh brings dangerous elegance to Madame Morrible, the ideal contrast to Jeff Goldblum’s bumbling but seemingly charming Wizard. In the latter, we see the true banality of evil, with his throwaway “to bring folks together, give them a real good enemy.”
The supporting cast is first-rate: Ethan Slater sweet as the gentle but eager Boq, Marissa Bode strong as Nessarose, Peter Dinklage giving a gentle gravitas to the voice of Dr. Dillamond, Bowen Yang and Bronwyn Jones hilarious as Galinda’s sidekicks Pfannee and ShenShen, and Keala Settle’s upright but corruptible headmistress, Miss Coddle. The film contains two special appearances and a cameo that will delight fans.
With Wicked, we finally have a musical adaptation to join the ranks of The Sound of Music and Chicago. With its high-octane energy, celebratory score, extraordinary imagery, and glorious cast, Wicked does not just fly—it soars. Rated PG, the film is now playing in local theaters.
