Scott Gurvey's Public Offerings

Its been a long time since I raved about a movie (2016, La-La-Land). But I’ll take a much-needed vacation from politics to rave about this one. Wicked is simply great. And if you are looking for something the whole family can enjoy, it is a perfect outing for Thanksgiving weekend. On the “Rotten Tomatoes” web site, which aggregates reviews, it has a positive rating above 90%. Wicked also sold $114 million in tickets in the United States in its opening weekend and $166 million worldwide. So, it is not just me.

Broadway musicals are an art form I love, and many have been made into films. Some have worked. Some have not. I saw Wicked on the Broadway stage in November of 2003. That was just a few weeks after opening night. Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the original Elphaba and Glinda, were on stage. The pun cannot be avoided. It was a magical night. I’ve been lucky to have several of those nights at Broadway musicals, one of the advantages of living in New York.

This movie is the film of that musical. Or to be exact, of the first of two acts. The second part is scheduled to be released at this time next year.

The film has been supported by a massive publicity campaign. That’s not only paid advertising. It is also a multitude of stories in print and online and public appearances by all involved. You can Google to your heart’s content. I’ll sum the whole thing up by borrowing from a tag line I remember from the musical production, “This is the story of what was going on in Oz before Dorothy dropped in”.

It tells the origin stories of Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, who becomes Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. The two meet as young women assigned to be roommates at Shiz University. Elphaba has always been bullied and ostracized because of the color of her skin. Galinda is an attractive, pampered mean girl who’s always gotten her way. Two opposites in every way, they eventually become the best of friends who circumstances will drive apart.

When it’s all about the spectacle of big, splashy production numbers, this prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” is thrilling. Director Jon Chu has realized an amazing production, using big physical sets that filled seventeen soundstages and four major backlots. From Munchkinland to the Emerald City to the campus of Shiz University, Chu proves adept at presenting an enormous song-and-dance extravaganza without getting lost in it.

It helps greatly that he has talented stars in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, multi-hyphenates who meet every physical and emotional challenge of these iconic characters. Following in the footsteps of Menzel and Chenoweth would seem like a daunting task, but Erivo and Grande bring their own vocal power and dramatic interpretation to the roles of Elphaba and Glinda.

Yes, it is two hours and forty-one minutes long and it only covers the first act of the Broadway show. But it moves. Chu and writer Winnie Holzman, who also wrote the musical have expanded the text by adding additional story elements from the source material which extends beyong the musical and includes two books and another Broadway/film production, “The Wiz”. This is of course a fairy tale we’ve been retelling for 125 years, ever since the release of L. Frank Baum’s classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Chu includes all the songs from Stephen Schwartz’s first act musical score. It has been announced that Schwartz wrote some new songs which will be added to the score in Part Two.

You will recognize “Popular” and “Defying Gravity”, which have become standards. You will also appreciate the supporting actors like the playfully evil Wizzard of Jeff Goldblum. “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey gets a chance to show off his musical theater background as the charming Prince Fiyero, the object of both Elphaba and Galinda’s romantic interests. Michelle Yeoh brings elegance and a hint of danger to her role as Madame Morrible, the university’s sorcery professor. And Peter Dinklage lends gravitas as the resonant voice of Dr. Dillamond, a goat instructor who, like other talking animals in Oz, finds himself increasingly in peril. 

Enough. Go. Enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving.

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