Summary
A visually extravagant first chapter that captures the charm and spectacle of the stage, though its split structure may test the patience of even the most devoted fans.
For musical theatre fans, the original Broadway production of Wicked holds a special place in many hearts. Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel and riffing on L. Frank Baum’s Oz stories, the musical is one of the few to break the billion-dollar mark in Broadway revenue and has been performed worldwide in multiple languages.
This brings us to the biggest challenge for film adaptations of stage musicals: while countless live performances and cast variations ensure no two shows are ever exactly alike, a film locks us into a single interpretation. In adapting Wicked for the screen, director Jon M. Chu and screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox have added an extra hurdle for audiences by dividing the story into two separate films, disrupting the natural flow of a two-act musical.
This first chapter of WICKED (or Wicked: Chapter 1, as it’s ornately titled on screen) quickly distinguishes itself from Stephen Schwartz and Holzman’s stage version, opening with a lavish display of CGI monkeys and sweeping digital landscapes. We see the Ozians celebrating the recent death of the Wicked Witch of the West, slain by a young girl from Kansas.
However, Galinda (Ariana Grande), who will later become Glinda the Good Witch of the North, tells a tale that might change the celebrants’ minds. She and the green-skinned Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) first crossed paths while studying at Shiz University. Elphaba’s skin colour and uncontrolled powers initially set the two at odds, but they become friends against a backdrop of growing prejudice. As talking animals in Oz are mysteriously driven out of cities, the only person who might help is the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).
By expanding the characters and backstories—drawing partly from Maguire’s novel—it’s clear why the decision was made to split the story into two parts. There’s so much exposition that, while it works in the shorthand of the stage, doesn’t always translate to the more visually oriented medium of film. Even so, at 160 minutes, WICKED takes as long to tell one act of the story as the entire original stage production.
Director Chu and the creative team use that time to paint the screen with extravagant production numbers and ornate costumes. “The Wizard and I,” for example, starts with Elphaba running around Shiz grounds and ends atop a digital clifftop. Another number takes place amid a vast set of rotating cogs filled with books. Conversely, a scene set in a nightclub, featuring animal bands and surreal objects, teeters on the edge of Cats territory.
What anchors it all are the lead performances. Erivo’s Broadway background brings gravitas to Elphaba, with vocals powerful enough to reach the back of the theatre next door. Grande’s comic timing—recently showcased on SNL—and impressive high notes make her an ideal Galinda/Glinda. Supporting players Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum are a welcome addition, though the latter’s Rex Harrison-esque talk-singing is curtailed by shortened songs.
The climactic “Defying Gravity” ends WICKED on a literal high note, blending action sequences with one of musical theatre’s most iconic modern duets. Still, as we brace ourselves for a lengthy interval before Act 2, maintaining this momentum may prove challenging. At least this extended intermission offers ample time for a snack and a loo break.
2024 | USA | DIRECTOR: John M. Chu | WRITERS: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox (Based on the musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman and the novel by Gregory Maguire) | CAST: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum | DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures | RUNNING TIME: 160 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 21 November 2024 (Australia), 22 November 2024 (USA)
