Wicked, a huge hit in theaters and when rented online, is finally on a streamer (Peacock) where you can watch it as part of your subscription. I was eager to see it and watched it as soon as Peacock released it. I don’t know how many times I’ve proclaimed on this blog that I love a musical. This musical is a great example of the genre with a beautiful message about acceptance and friendship.
Wicked is built onto the original Wizard of Oz story by L. Frank Baum. Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox wrote the screenplay. Jon M. Chu directed. This was just Part One of the story. Part Two is coming. At this point, the title of part two is set to be Wicked: For Good.
The movie Wicked is based on a Broadway show. The Broadway musical Wicked has been running since it opened in October 2003. It is currently the fourth-longest-running Broadway show in history. Many people are familiar with the story of the witches of Oz, and know the music already.
It was all new to me. I was seeing it with new eyes, in a film medium that allows for a lot more special effects than a live stage show can achieve. The core story and the music are the enduring part of the success of this musical, no matter the medium.
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a powerful witch, is green. She is an outcast to everyone including her parents. Her wheelchair bound sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is accepted at Shiz University. At the last moment Elphaba herself is enrolled, too. Elphaba accidentally performed some magic as Nessarose was wheeled away to her dorm. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Dean of Sorcery, saw the magic happen and realized she wanted to work with Elphaba to develop her skills.
Watching this exchange was the popular girl Galinda (Ariana Grande). She became Glinda later, that wasn’t a spelling error. Anyway, Glinda considered herself a good person. When Elphaba became her roommate, they slowly became friends. Glinda did kind things for her.
The two main storylines are how Glinda’s popularity made Elphaba accepted by the others and how the friendship between them became all important.
There were subplots, of course. There was a handsome young fellow named Flyero (Jonathan Bailey) who made hearts flutter. There was Boq (Ethan Slater) from Munchkinland who had a fluttering heart problem of his own. There was Madame Morrible’s secret plans. And there was a journey on the coolest train you ever saw to visit The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) in the Emerald City. Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who were the original Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway showed up for a song.
In the Emerald City, Elphaba rebelled against the plans of both Madame Morrible and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She learned to defy gravity with a flying broomstick. She left Glinda behind and flew off to the west where she became known as The Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda then became Glinda the Good Witch.
All this info about the witches of Oz was told as a flashback. The first scene was Glinda the Good informing everyone that the Wicked Witch was dead. Killed by a girl from Kansas. When someone asked Glinda why wickedness happens, she recounted Elphaba’s whole backstory.
I love a musical. I loved this musical for several reasons. The acting was outstanding. There was an actor in a wheelchair. There were gay characters. There was a powerful female friendship. And there was a message about accepting and loving those who are different. Not just Elphaba but also the animal characters in the story.
There’s a singalong version of the movie, which Peacock also has available. You can get the soundtrack on Spotify and from other sources.
What’s not to love?
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