The Weekly Yap: Was Wicked Worth it?
Not just for the the theater kids
Today we are yapping about Wicked, because frankly I can’t get it out of my head and if I don’t talk (write) about it I might combust. I’ll also be sharing my go-to brussel sprout recipe I make every Thanksgiving that always gets rave reviews.
Grab your favorite bevvy and let’s dive fly in.
Let me start out by stating: I LOVED (loved, loved, loved) the movie! Ten out of ten stars. Eleven out of ten stars! It was everything I wanted it to be and dare I say… more! Alright, I’ll ease up on the exclamation points but you get it.
It should also be mentioned that I’ve been in love with Wicked since the moment I saw it in Chicago at the tender age of twelve (although I might’ve been thirteen, I struggle to remember). From the music to the set to the underlying message I was hooked. I even had the chance to see it in London this past summer so the production was fresh in my mind. You would think with all that build up I would’ve been more nervous going into the movie. But, from the opening scene I knew it would be perfection.
So why did the movie hit so hard?
It stuck to the source material.
The movie built on the play and made it sparkle. That’s not to say the stage production doesn’t do that already, but it’s at a different scale. You’ve got CGI, multiple camera angles, close up to the actors reactions, all of the easter eggs which is not possible during the live performance. My hubby mentioned in the car afterwards how he had a new appreciation for the play, because what we saw in London still achieved what the movie did but it’s grander and far more accessible than seeing it live.
And it followed the play *almost* to a tee. Wicked part one is nearly the same length as the full stage performance and you’d think that would mean deviating from the script. But, instead it expanded and gave more room for backstory, a few additional choruses in beloved songs, and the opportunity to expand the visual effects for heightened emotion.
It left room for the friendship between Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) to grow. You get more of the conflict of the animals disappearing. More Dancing through life (truly Jonathan Bailey and his thighs are the gift that keep on giving). And it made the core messaging punchier.
True beauty comes from within.
And don’t we know it! I adore how they handle this message in the storyline. You have the contrast between Glinda (her conventional beauty and popularity) and Elphaba (her green skin and constantly being left out). But as we see from the first few scenes, it’s Elphaba’s kindness to her sister, her professor’s that sets her apart. We see early on that Glinda isn’t as ‘beautiful’ as she seems. She’s a little too callow, too shallow? Are we sick of the references yet??
Then in an utter gut punch of a moment, that sends me right back to middle school, Glinda hands Elphaba that black hat. I shiver internally. It is not until the whole school is at the OzDust that Glinda’s true beauty shines through. It’s a reckoning of sorts, and relatable as hell.
The power of female friendship
If I were to boil down Wicked to one major theme it would be friendship. And more impactful: female friendship. This is actually how I described the play to the friend who came with me and my hubby to the movie.
Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship is iconic for a reason. I love how the play (and book) takes what we know about The Wizard of Oz and flips it on it’s head. From childhood we’re led to believe The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good are mortal enemies. We even see this in the opening scene.
Then their relationship unfurls in front of us—the characters go from one dimensional to two. Together these women learn from one another, they make each other better, they lift one another open, and love each other. Glinda risks her popularity to do right by Elphaba and in turn Elphaba sees something in Glinda no one else does when she invites her to The Emerald City.
It truly depicts how important female friendship is! That when girls support girls we’re unstoppable.
Questioning authority and sticking up for your morals
This overarching theme might be the reminder we all need right now. In this day in age, with the constant information being thrown at us from all angles, it’s more important than ever to question those in authority roles. If what they are saying is true. Or is it rhetoric that is meant to spout fear? To keep you from digging deeper? To hide something… (lol, it’s a little too real).
Wicked shows us the power of following our morals. The bravery it takes to do the right thing. And just how hard that can be, when maybe we’d rather stay on the sidelines in the safety of what we’ve always known. This is drilled home in the pivotal Defying Gravity and sets our two leads on differing paths.
The casting *chef’s kiss*
I’ll end this yap with high praise for the cast. They really said this was for the theater lovers. And casting seasoned theater actors/actresses showed.
Ariana Grande was born to play Glinda. Her mannerisms, her vocal range, her overall being screamed Glinda. Then we have Cynthia Erivo a Tony Winning star in her own right. I think the second many of us heard the Defying Gravity riff in the trailer we knew how good she would be as Elphaba.
And despite Jeff Goldblum’s questionable singing chops, he really is the most wonderful wizard.
And there you have it, my take on Wicked Part One. I want to end with saying this isn’t just for the theater kids. It’s for everyone. I saw this with my hubby and a close guy friend of his (who didn’t know what he was getting himself into) and they both gushed about it the second the credits rolled.
You best believe I will be watching this again soon. I *cannot'* wait for Part Two. And a girl could dream that they might re-release part one so we could watch both back to back in theaters.
Oh and as promised here is my go to brussel sprout au gratin recipe I make every Thanksgiving. I have had many family members say how they’ve never liked brussel sprouts until tasting this (not like I’m bragging).
See you soon,
MacKenzie
WE LOVE STICKING TO SOURCE MATERIAL!!!!
Oh man, you are making want to go see this movie so bad! It sounds amazing!