Why Wicked is THE Movie Musical

There’s truly nothing like seeing a live show, especially when it comes to Broadway musicals. Watching the performers sing and dance their hearts out as you’re completely immersed in their performances is such a wonderful experience. However, for many it can be hard to see a Broadway show, due to location or their budget. When fans hear that their favorite musical is getting a film adaptation, many rejoice as it lets them gain easier access to see the show, albeit in a new format. Yet, there’s always the fear that the adaptation will simply be a complete let down—looking at you, Cats (2019)—and wreck every theater kid’s dreams. That’s why I’m happy to say that the new Wicked movie, based on one of the most iconic Broadway musicals of all time, is an utter masterpiece.

Now, I say this as someone who’s been a fan of Wicked for years. I had the privilege of seeing the show on Broadway on two separate occasions, once with my family in 2016, and once on a school trip in 2022. It’s one of the first musicals I’ve ever seen, and what I would say got me into musicals in the first place, so I hold it very close to my heart. When I heard about the adaptation, I was both excited and frightened as I knew this could be really good, but also could be very bad if not done properly. In general, I also prefer having proshots of the shows (which are professional live recordings like Hamilton on Disney+) rather than movie adaptations, which further fueled my skepticism. Nonetheless, I actively kept up with all the information being put out about the film, and once the trailers released I became less worried over the quality. Since I’ve now seen the movie twice (both during its opening weekend because I’m just insane like that), I can guarantee that this is THE best movie musical out there.

For those unfamiliar with Wicked, it’s a loose adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), which itself is based on Frank L. Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) novel and the subsequent 1939 film adaptation. It’s an origin story for how the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good came to be. The first act follows Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), who becomes the Wicked Witch, and Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande), who becomes Glinda the Good, as they meet at Shiz University and become best friends. We’re also introduced to characters such as Nessarose Thropp (Marissa Bode), Elphaba’s paraplegic younger sister and future Wicked Witch of the East, Boq Woodman (Ethan Slater), a munchkin in love with Galinda, and Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey), a prince from Winkie Country that both girls fall for. Act 2, which has been saved for Wicked Part 2, will occur briefly before and during the events of The Wizard of Oz, as Dorothy Gale arrives in Oz. 

Firstly, I have never seen such a perfect cast for anything in my entire life. Everyone fully embodies their characters and truly brings them to life. I admit that I was a bit unsure when I heard Ariana Grande was cast as Galinda, because while I knew she had previous Broadway experience, I just couldn’t see past her pop persona. I’ve never been so glad to have been proven wrong in my entire life. She plays Galinda as someone so fun and quirky, while also being a bit self-absorbed, but Grande makes sure we still see that goodness we know her for. She IS Galinda and I honestly can see her getting nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role. I don’t know who decided to cast Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, but whoever did, I owe you my entire life. He fits perfectly as he portrays Fiyero as someone who simply chooses to be a shallow slacker, even though it’s clear he could be so much more if he allowed himself to be (also he’s really handsome, a need for every Fiyero).

Of course, I couldn’t discuss the cast without discussing the Wicked Witch herself, Cynthia Erivo. Erivo just IS Elphaba. I felt every emotion she was trying to convey, and I just couldn’t look away from her. We’ll get more into the singing later, but her voice is just outstanding. This could possibly be a hot take, but her “Defying Gravity” riff might just top Idina Menzel’s (the original Broadway actress for Elphaba). Her acting and singing remain powerful while still not being over the top. I’m calling it right now, if Erivo does not win Best Actress for her role at the Oscars, it’s rigged.

The original Wicked musical is notorious for its bad pacing. It’s understandable as they have a lot to pack into a two and a half hour musical, but trying to fit the entirety of The Wizard of Oz in about an hour isn’t the best choice. In case it wasn’t clear, the movie only follows the first act, even though it’s as long as the original musical. The director, John M. Chu (who I now owe my life to), realized during production that they were cutting a lot of songs and popular scenes to fit everything into a single movie, much like how they tried to fit everything into a single musical. Thank god Chu grasped that this would not work and decided to cut the movie into two parts instead. I was a bit concerned over it being divided, but honestly it fixed the pacing (at least within the first act).

While there is more space in-between each song, the changes really work and help with the flow of the movie. The added scenes, such as Elphaba’s childhood and her magic lessons with Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), allow us to gain a better understanding of the characters and just make all the relationships feel more realistic. Also, how do you just move on from “Defying Gravity”? You can’t just move on to the next song after that, which the composer Stephen Schwartz said was also a reason they decided to end it after Act 1. Splitting it up was the right choice, and when the movie ended, I honestly thought, “yeah, this wouldn’t have worked as a singular movie.”

One of my favorite parts of the movie was its cameos. I admit that I didn’t catch them all during my first watch, but after learning about all of them, you bet I was an eagle-eyed watcher the second time. Most of these cameos occur during the song “One Short Day,” which included Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth themselves, the original Elphaba and Galinda. They appeared as the leading members of the Emerald City Players, and my jaw dropped when I first saw them. My friend Abby and I clutched our hands together in shock and support as we watched them perform, completely blown away and overwhelmed by their presence. Menzel did her iconic riff at one point, and there was also a sweet moment where Menzel and Chenoweth stood next to Erivo and Grande, giving them soft smiles as they passed on the roles to them. If the cameos in Part 1 were this good, I can’t wait to see the cameos for Part 2.

Finally, I saved the best for last: the songs. Honestly, I have no idea how this soundtrack didn’t make it into my Spotify Wrapped, because it’s been on non-stop ever since it came out. The vocals, which were sung LIVE by the way, are just out of this world from every performer, completely knocking it out of the park with every song. This is only elevated by the amazing instrumentals, which really tied everything together. The movie version of the songs are just as good as the Broadway versions, and in some ways even better. The added “la-la’s” to Grande’s “Popular” are something I didn’t know I needed, and Schwartz himself has said they may make it into the Broadway version. The Wiz-O-Mania section of “One Short Day” adds good exposition that the musical was lacking before, while still being upbeat and entertaining (although I attribute part of that to Menzel and Chenoweth). I would say this version of “Dancing Through Life” is an improvement, partially due to the instrumentals making it a lot more upbeat and fun, which fits with the party-vibes a lot more. The dancing in this scene and others, such as “What is This Feeling,” is amazing as well, and I applaud the choreographer, Christopher Scott.

I will say that I wasn’t a fan of some of the changes in “Defying Gravity,” as while Erivo sounded amazing, the different pauses and the “unlimiteds” near the end broke the pacing a bit and took me out of it. “A Sentimental Man,” while nice sounding, doesn’t feel as strong as the others, so I am looking forward to the Wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) music redemption with his other song in Act 2. Overall, though, the songs are top-tier and genuinely bring the movie together.

With all of this, it’s no doubt that this is possibly one of the best movie musicals of all time. I’ve seen a couple movie musicals, and this is truly up there with the greats. Much like applauded adaptations such as Chicago (2002) and Tick Tick…Boom! (2021), it embodies the musical so well, and all the changes simply add to it rather than take anything away. Unlike flops such as Cats (2019) and Dear Evan Hansen (2021), it understands the original musical and uses the film medium to its advantage, allowing it to soar beyond expectations. The fact that they split it into two parts just shows how much dedication and love they had towards this musical and how they wanted to get it right. The only thing that could possibly top this for me is Wicked Part 2, and even then I’m unsure. If you’re a Broadway, Wicked, or musical fan, this is a must-see film. Everyone deserves a chance to fly after all, and it seems that Wicked (2024) has finally taken off.