Who would have thought that one of the biggest musical theatre productions to hit the New York stage would be a prequel story about the witches of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?” Now, fans and critics could go on and on about the history and chronology that has contributed to the cultural phenomenon that is “Wicked” and its two-part film adaptation, but that would make this review way too long. The point here is to tell readers why they should absolutely treat themselves to the beautiful experience that is 2024’s “Wicked.”
Cynthia Erivo stars in this film as the titular “Wicked Witch of the West.” In this story, she is given the name of Elphaba. Elphaba is the daughter of Governor Thropp of Munchkinland. However, due to some salacious activity involving the Governor’s wife and a bottle of green elixir provided by a mysterious man, Elphaba is born with green skin. Her father disowns her immediately, leaving her to be raised by her nurse, who, along with many other characters, is a talking animal. Elphaba grows up with her sister, Nessarose, played by wheelchair-using actress Marissa Bode, and eventually arrives with Nessarose at Shiz University. Here, she meets queen bee Galinda, portrayed expertly by a virtually unrecognizable Ariana Grande.
The first exchange between these two young women is rather negative, and the two form a lingering resentment toward one another. However, through a series of hijinks and a shared frustration with the corrupt nature of some governmental policies put in place to harm a marginalized community, the two form a deeply personal friendship. Together, the two are given an opportunity to visit the Emerald City and speak with the Wizard of Oz himself. From here, things go terribly awry, and the witches are each left with the impossible responsibility to choose between sitting complacently and enabling the problematic actions of a corrupt system or defying gravity and fighting for justice, stopping at nothing to achieve it.
To many, the depth and complexity of the plot of this film may come as a surprise, especially given the whimsy and cartoonish charm of the most popular version of this story that we all know and love, 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz.” Regardless, themes of racism, injustice and civilians suffering at the hands of a corrupt government are at the core of what makes “Wicked” what it is. Mix in some laugh-out-loud comedic moments, epic ballads, sweeping ensemble numbers and an electric performance from every member of the cast, and there is a recipe for success.
One thing that makes this film adaptation rather ambitious is the fact that it is only the first half of the story from the Broadway musical on which it is based. Director Jon M. Chu, along with screenwriters Dana Fox and Winnie Holzman, manage to fill out this originally 90-minute first act to a 2-hour-40-minute fantasy epic. The original musical, despite being highly regarded and beloved, does suffer somewhat from a major pacing issue. Many major events occur so quickly and do not give the audience much time to breathe. Luckily, the film manages to give those plot points adequate time to sink in and feel like fully justified developments in each character’s arc.
Initially, many were quite skeptical of how splitting this story into two movies was going to work in a fully entertaining way. Luckily, the truth is that the musical “Wicked” has two complex and complete narratives told in each separate act. Therefore, this division of the story for the film adaptation has actually improved on each story while giving fans more nuance and world building to chew on and interact with.
Overall, “Wicked” is a thoroughly entertaining work of musical fantasy that serves its fans both old and new with its epic tale and colorful visual storytelling.
