REVIEW: “Let All Oz Be Agreed” ‘Wicked: Part 1’ is A Must See This Holiday Season
21 years ago, the prequel to The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, took to the Broadway stage. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”, audience members were welcomed back to Oz, but years before Dorothy every stepped foot onto the yellow brick road. Instead, we were introduced to a young girl, Elphaba, who is shunned because of her green skin. Sent to Shiz University to take care of her wheelchair bound sister, Nessarose; Elphaba quite literally comes face to face with self-absorbed Galinda. Beautiful and popular, Galinda wants nothing to do with Elphaba, but when the two are forced to room together, they come to find they may have more in common then they think. As the story progresses, the audience learns how Elphaba became the “Wicked Witch of the West” and Galinda became “Glinda the Good With of the North”.
Critics at the time didn’t believe this Broadway musical had the staying power to go down in musical theatre history, but after 8,160 shows, Wicked remains one of the hottest tickets in New York City. Now, Jon M. Chu, is bringing the show to the big screen in not one, but two parts. With Broadway veteran Cynthia Erivo stepping in to play the misunderstood, Elphaba while popstar, Ariana Grande-Butera plays the very peppy, very pink, Galinda. As someone who was very skeptical about this musical coming to the big screen, Chu managed to get this musical movie right…well at least Part 1. Wicked is more than just a story about the friendship between the two Witches of Oz, but it is a story about self-identity and finding one’s true path. It is also a story on propaganda and how, as The Wizard would say, “The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy”. Chu manages to capture all of this, and more, in Part 1.
His stunning sets immediately welcome you to the world of Oz, while the performances will keep you captivated from start to finish. Each musical number packs a punch, and a number of skin tingling moments. The numbers do lose a little momentum as the movie progresses, but the story never flounders. This is especially noticeable with the final number in the movie. “Defying Gravity” didn’t have quite the impact it should have. For those who have never seen the musical, you will love every moment of this song. For those who have seen the musical, ¾ of the song is wonderful. Erivo and Grande-Butera harmonies are breathtaking. The chosen ending, though, doesn’t do the song or Elphaba the justice she deserves. Why they chose to drag out the ending rather than letting Elphaba have her power moment didn’t exactly make sense nor did it create the same feeling as it does when you see it on the stage.
Erivo and Grande-Butera were born to play these roles. Both ladies easily encompass their characters, never losing sight of what makes their character so great. With show stopping vocal performances from both, you can tell how hard these ladies worked to bring justice to their characters. Each lady brought their own nuances to their characters, specifically Grande-Butera’s comedic moments seen throughout the film, while also paying respect to the actresses who portrayed these characters before them.
Jonathan Bailey plays bad boy, Fiyero and is great alongside Erivo and Grande-Butera, but he doesn’t exactly look of school age. Compared to the other cast members, he was the only one that looked like he had aged out of school by ten years or so, which won’t be a problem in Part 2, but it was a little off putting in Part 1. Michelle Yeoh deliciously pulls off the Headmistress of Shiz, Madame Morrible, but her singing wasn’t up to par. The composers clearly reworked her singing parts, so they were more spoken word, which will disappoint musical fans. Peter Dinklage is wonderful as Doctor Dillamond, Shiz’s one of two animal professors, while Ethan Slater’s awkwardness as Boq will leave you feeling a little sorry for him. Jeff Goldblum rounds out the cast as the Wizard of Oz and does well, but his character doesn’t really get fleshed out until the second half of the story. It will be interesting to see what he brings to the character when Part 2 is released in 2025.
Wicked: Part 1 is a movie for the whole family. Those who shy away from musicals, won’t want to shy away from this. This movie will change the way you look at the Wicked Witch. The only downside to this movie is you have to wait an entire year to see the next one. The movie didn’t exactly need to be separated into 2 parts, but like Act 1 of the stage production, you will want to be seated for Part 2 when the long intermission is over.
Grade: A+