In its opening weekend, Wicked grossed $164 million. What made it so “Popular”? First of all, much of it is due to its gorgeous and immersive sets with minimal CGI. These enormous sets designed by Nathan Crowley which spanned over 21 acres include the 9 million tulips planted for Munchkinland and the rotating bookshelves of Shiz University that truly defied gravity. Additionally, Crowley and his team designed The Emerald City with 45-foot-high structures and a 20-foot-high hydraulic automation for the mechanical head. These sets captivated audiences, making the viewing experience engaging and enjoyable.
The themes represented in Wicked are also enlightening and express the ideals of John Chu, Schwartz, and Gregory Maguire. One of Wicked’s overarching themes is the nuances of good and evil. In the movie, Glinda proposes the question, “Are people born Wicked? Or do they have Wickedness thrust upon them?” Wicked explores the idea that those who are scapegoated and are seen as evil can be good and pure at heart as Elphaba is blamed for the troubles in Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West when she is really a virtuous person and the protagonist of the story. Another of example of the reversal of good and bad is Glinda, a character who goes on to become the Good Witch but is actually superficial and a bystander who goes along with the evil regime of the Wizard, another character who is supposed to be good but is surprisingly evil, for her own personal benefit. This goes on even further as Glinda becomes an honest person who befriends Elphaba, demonstrating how superficial people can become righteous. Wicked also shows how good people can be transformed into evil people because of the discrimination of society as Elphaba loses her innocence because of the prejudice of the people. All in all, Wicked exemplifies how society transforms the character of individuals, twisting the traditional roles of good and evil.
Furthermore, the music in Wicked, written by Stephen Schwartz, was simultaneously lighthearted and powerful, “Popular” was youthful and upbeat, providing comedic relief, and it was beautifully sung by Ariana Grande as Glinda. “Dancing Through Life,” sung by Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero, conveys themes of being present and going with the flow, serving as a pleasant reminder to slow down from the stresses of everyday life once in a while and simply enjoy the “unexamined life.” The composition of the song is also harmonically and rhythmically complex, almost as a graceful fusion of jazz and opera. Finally, “Defying Gravity,” arguably the magnum opus of Schwartz, was a show-stopping finale to the movie, moving hearts with its impactful lyrics and magnificent music. Along with the stunning visuals and live singing of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, this number left the audience in awe as they walked out the theater.
If the music swelled and moved the audience, the pacing of the movie did not. The movie was slow to say the least, and they somehow managed to stretch the first act of the musical, which clocks in at well-timed 1 hour and 30 minutes, to 2 hours and 40 minutes long. This means that the movie, which only covers the first act, is longer than the entire musical. This may be due to the fact that Director John Chu added more plot points from the book and extended character development; however, this still doesn’t justify that the movie nearly doubles the first act from its original Broadway run. The unnecessary addition of plot and details made the movie feel interminable and unnecessarily prolonged.
Additionally, some of the casting choices were incredible as Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were chosen based on their beautiful and powerful singing. However, other casting decisions were based on stardom rather than vocal talent such as Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible. Although Michelle Yeoh’s acting was impeccable, her singing was not up to par with the musical nor the voice required to play a part as big as Madame Morrible.
In conclusion, in spite of its pacing issues and somewhat poor casting choices, Wicked portrays empowering themes through its elaborate sets and elegant music. Because of this, Wicked will inspire and be enjoyed by a whole new generation of people as it teaches us that we all deserve a chance to fly.
