As a self-proclaimed theater expert and Broadway nerd, this reporter is overjoyed to say that “Wicked” is a wondrous film filled with beautiful scenery and costume design as well as gravity-defying singing, dancing and acting. The film has stunned audiences worldwide and is sure to go down in history as one of the most breathtaking stage-to-screen adaptations ever.
“Wicked” begins with the trademark song “No One Mourns the Wicked” as the audience sees the Munchkins celebrating the death of Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West. This leads to Glinda the Good Witch, played by Ariana Grande, telling a story filled with curiosity and magic, a tale of how she and Elphaba met at school and went from worst enemies to best friends.
The two meet at school, where it is revealed that Elphaba is magical. She begins to learn how to harness it for good, and wishes to meet the Wizard of Oz someday, as heard in the fan-favorite show tune “The Wizard and I.”
After the whimsical number “Dancing Through Life,” sung by Jonathan Bailey, Glinda and Elphaba become wonderful friends. They embark on a trip to the Emerald City, where they soon meet the Wizard of Oz, who faces Elphaba with a decision that could change the entire future of Oz. In the show-stopping finale of the movie, “Defying Gravity,” Elphaba decides to embrace her magic and take a stand, even if that means parting from her best friend.
The numerous musical numbers in the film are splendorous, with Erivo and Grande taking their own spin on the well-known songs and giving them a new kind of life. The ending riff during “Defying Gravity” is particularly amazing because Erivo made it her own, adding gorgeous notes that weren’t in the original musical.
Erivo herself put on a magnificent performance, leaving the theater with a sense of hope and joy. She portrays the themes of Elphaba’s character with her expert acting, showing her journey of shame, defiance and eventually self-acceptance. Her co-star, Grande, gave an equally phenomenal performance.
With Glinda being such an iconic character in the world of theater, the task of taking on the part had some fans apprehensive about putting a pop star in the role, but Grande gave it her best and it is more than enough. She is many fans’ favorite part of the show, bringing a more comedic take on Glinda than others have in the past. Grande made the audience fall in love with her in a different way, showing that she’s not only a talented singer but also a fantastic actress. Her performance of “Popular” is particularly brilliant, and there isn’t anyone who could have played the lovable blonde as she did.
The only piece of the movie that was lacking is the pacing of the story. The movie is a whopping two hours and 40 minutes long, which was a bit difficult to sit through. Compared to the length of the first act of the Broadway show when performed on stage, running around an hour and a half, it makes one wonder where all of the extra time in the movie came from, considering the movie stuck to the same plot points and had many exact lines from the Broadway show.
However, it completely blew many other Broadway adaptations, like “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” or “Dear Evan Hansen,” out of the water with the amount of sheer talent, impressive directing decisions and show tunes. “Wicked” is so exceptional that it will be hard to top with its sequel, “Wicked: Part Two,” arriving in theaters Nov. 21, 2025.
