I had the amazing opportunity to see Wicked: Part One in an early release on Monday, November 18. I had high expectations going into this. Let me tell you why:
- Wicked, the musical, has a huge fanbase since 2003. Actors from the show and fans alike have been manifesting a movie version, and now here it is. Fans of the show have high expectations and will be very particular. Also, the actresses need to reach the bar that Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel set 21 years ago.
- Jon M. Chu is nothing short of an amazing director. Ariana Grande-Butera’s and Cynthia Erivo’s voices are incredible as well – but one can wonder if their voices will blend well together, especially in the magnitude of a moment during “Defying Gravity.”
- There’s a reason why Wicked is one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. The songs are irreplaceable. The characters are personable and relatable (let’s face it, we’ve all been in Glinda’s or Elphaba’s shoes at least once). Would Erivo and Grande-Butera be able to encapsulate the characters perfectly?
I’m here to tell you that Wicked: Part One exceeded every single one of my expectations. We’re going to jump right into it, so if you need a refresher, read about how The “Wicked Trailer [Was] Released!
When the chords of the intro reverberated throughout the theater, I started shaking (don’t judge) and got the same feeling I get when I see Wicked in the theater. Immediately, viewers are transported into the Land of Oz. Vibrant tulips and poppies cover fields for miles as the Emerald City rises over the horizon. Viewers circle back to Munchkindland, where we meet Glinda the Good Witch of the North in a gorgeous pink gown with her signature bubble. Different from Glinda’s blue dress in the musical, but likely playing homage to Billie Burke’s pink Glinda gown in The Wizard of Oz (1939). From there, you were transported into Glinda’s and Elphaba’s past.
I knew this film would be unlike any other movie or musical adaptation I’d ever seen. The experience was one hundred times better knowing Erivo and Grande-Butera sang liveand that Erivo opted to be painted green every day rather than having her green skin CGI-ed. Jon M. Chu, the director (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) wanted his sets to be and feel immersive. Instead of using CGI, he and his production team built the sets!
And we cannot forget about the incredible cast! Michelle Yeoh impeccably plays Madame Morrible, Dean of Shiz University and Press Secretary to the Wizard of Oz, with the right amount of grace and cunningness necessary to play Elphaba’s mentor. Jeff Goldblum plays the “Sentimental Man,” the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. His voice joyful, Goldblum plays the optimistic idol of Oz perfectly. Jonathan Bailey plays Fiyero Tigelaar, the Winkie Prince. The Bridgerton star trades a protective, older-brother persona for a swoon-worthy and attractive new student at Shiz, who has every student (and everyone in the theater) falling for him. Lastly, our witches, Ariana Grande-Butera and Cynthia Erivo. I cannot imagine anyone else playing these iconic characters. Grande-Butera embodied Glinda with a touch of Kristen Chenoweth’s style; a light, airy, and ditsy voice, making you fall in love with the bubbly girl. The “7 Rings” singer does not shy away from high notes in “No One Mourns the Wicked,” “Dear Old Shiz,” and “What is This Feeling?”, where she even adds a riff done in the original recording by Chenoweth. Erivo plays everyone’s favorite green girl, Elphaba. Erivo defies gravity in more ways than one, doing her own stunts while belting “Defying Gravity” and putting her own spin on the renowned battle cry, originated by Idina Menzel, at the end of “Defying Gravity”, “flying solo” into the horizon before the credits roll (I may or may not have cried shortly after…).
Wicked: Part One currently has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 90% – one of the highest scores Rotten Tomatoes has given to a movie-musical. A Top Critic for RT, Rafer Guzman, says that the film is “Percolating and popping with energy, it’s just about everything a movie musical should be.” Wicked: Part Two is set to be released on November 21, 2025. As the first installment follows the musical’s first half, the second will follow the last half. In an interview, Stephen Schwartz said that there will be two new songs to help progress the plot. I greatly respect Schwartz, but I’m not sure how I feel about two new Wicked songs. There is a song that I’m thinking of that is not in the original recording due to the fact that it gives away a major plot point. Until then, I hope Wicked: Part One receives multiple Academy Award nominations and I am very much looking forward to November 21, 2025.
Chu does an amazing job of capturing the characters, allowing viewers to see them as a person and connecting with them on a personal level that couldn’t be found in the theater. The stage musical will always be better than any recreation or adaptation (change my mind, I dare you), but the film adds another level of fantasy. It’s transformative, compelling, and, most importantly, it stays true to the original musical! Earlier in the year, when production wrapped, there was a rumor circling the media. Wicked fans were wondering if the original witches themselves would be making an appearance in the film – how much can you talk about Wicked without mentioning Chenoweth’s and Idina Menzel’s names? So, do the OG witches make an appearance? Go (fly, rather) to a theater nearest to you and watch Wicked: Part One. See for yourself! Wicked has been a staple in pop culture for over 20 years and there’s a reason.
