Wicked
The long-awaited film version of the hit stage musical does not disappoint.
A different woman: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.
We really are a long way from Kansas. Long before Elton John’s Yellow Brick Road or even Dorothy’s ruby red slippers, there was the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West. Before Maleficent, Joker and Cruella had a go at the origins story, the accomplished showtuner Stephen Schwartz reached deep into the legacy of L. Frank Baum to explore how Elphaba became so damned Wicked. His stage prequel to The Wizard of Oz opened in New York in 2003 and is now the second highest-grossing musical in Broadway history (after The Lion King). Furthermore, it overturned the stereotypes of the fairy tale for once and for all.
The madly anticipated film version arrives with a fanfare of awards buzz and it really is rather good. A number of smart choices have coalesced to produce a snazzy, polished and exuberant thing, with wit to spare. It was a canny move to invite Jon M. Chu into the director’s chair, following his success with Crazy Rich Asians and his familiarity with the musical genre. Chu has certainly solicited superb performances from his two leads, with Tony winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, exuding both intelligence and a sensational singing voice. And then there’s Ariana Grande, the actress-turned-pop diva, who plays Elphaba’s friend and rival Glinda and displays equal amounts of vocal nirvana and consummate comedy. As an animal rights activist, Grande’s presence seems even more germane considering the film’s subplot. And just as vain and funny is rising star Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton) as Fiyero, who recalls a dashing cross between younger versions of Rupert Everett and Cary Elwes with a healthy dose, vocally, of Tim Curry. They’re a trio to die for.
Following a somewhat cluttered, Disneyesque opening, the film kicks off with the number ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ (“The Witch of the West is dead!/The wickedest witch there ever was/The enemy of all of us in Oz”), then cutting back in time to tell us who Elphaba really was, acting like a musical obituary. Elphaba was actually born green and for most of her life has been ostracised and ridiculed for being different, a ‘shortcoming’ she made up for with her compassion and intellect. Escorting her wheelchair-bound sister Nessa (Marissa Bode) to Shiz University (think Hogwarts with songs), she is invited to stay as a student herself by Madame Morrible, Dean of Sorcery (Michelle Yeoh), who mischievously rooms her with Glinda. Both are horrified (Glinda: “Something is very wrong. I didn’t get my way”). But then, you know what opposites do…
Like all good musicals, the numbers actually propel the plot, while Christopher Scott’s choreography is just as witty as the songs and the dialogue (a frustrated Madame Morrible: “I’m a sorceress, not a mind reader!”). In spite of the film’s length (160 minutes), Chu fills the screen with enough spectacle and plot diversions to prevent too much drag, and there’s always another musical showstopper around the corner. Although the film seems to be pitched at the pre-school Frozen crowd, it’s actually quite an adult take on the fairy tale, turning the traditional blonde princess role into a hopelessly narcissistic and conniving brat, like a meanie from North Shore High. Here, inclusivity is everything. The later scenes also prove quite scary, generating tears from the younger viewers at the screening I attended. It’s not Into the Woods, but it has its moments. It’s also only half a film, as the second act is not due until November next year, by which time the tearful children might be more hardened for what is to come.
Original title: Wicked: Part I.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage (voice only), Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Andy Nyman, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Courtney-Mae Briggs, and the voice of Sharon D. Clarke.
Dir Jon M. Chu, Pro Marc Platt and David Stone, Screenplay Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, from the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, Ph Alice Brooks, Pro Des Nathan Crowley, Ed Myron Kerstein, Music John
Powell, songs by Stephen Schwartz, Costumes Paul Tazewell, Sound Malte Bieler, John Marquis and Tim Walston, Choreography Christopher Scott, Arborist James Morgan.
Universal Pictures/Marc Platt Productions-Universal Pictures.
160 mins. USA. 2024. UK and US Rel: 22 November 2024. Cert. PG.
