★★★★
Just over a week ago my Instagram feed was filled with entirely Wicked-themed posts as everybody in the theatre community flocked to see the film adaptation of the “untold story of the witches of Oz’. Titled ‘Wicked’, the film has been a long time coming, initially planned for a 2016 release, then getting pushed back many times and going through multiple changes in creatives. What some people haven’t realised though is this release which is being called “the film of the year” is actually only part of the story. Director Jon M. Chu couldn’t find a way to bring ‘Wicked’ to life in one film, without losing significant elements of the plot. Instead the creative team have chosen to give the material breathing room and introduce additional elements, hopefully providing greater context and answering some of the questions which there is limited time to resolve on stage. In what is clearly one of the most conscientious and thoughtful stage to screen adaptations of recent years, ‘Wicked: Part 1’ can only be described as a love letter to the fans, bringing the first half of the story to life in the most imaginative and jaw dropping way.
About Wicked
Wicked needs no introduction, with the narrative taking place in the years prior and concurrent to Dorothy arriving in Oz. The stage musical was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, providing audiences with an insight into how Elphaba becomes the witch and also sharing details about her friendship with Glinda the Good. It’s an origin story that makes you question good versus evil, and see the characters from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in a different light. The film adaptation focuses on the first half of the musical, ending with the climax of ‘Defying Gravity’, holding back the second part for a year’s time (November 2025).
Is it true to the stage show?
It is admirable how much the plot follows the narrative of the stage version. Fans will be pleased to see that Jon M. Chu has absolutely done the musical justice, being careful to not deviate too much from the source material or the original script. Every Elphaba and Glinda that has joined the sisterhood in the West End or Broadway brings their own spin to the roles. For me, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera breathe new life into the characters, highlighting how it is not always as simple as good versus evil and the personal torment that comes with this. It is a truly remarkable adaptation filled with some subtle, but much welcomed changes, helping audiences understand the characters on a deeper level.
Musical elements and soundtrack
The live singing is exquisite and the orchestrations are incredibly emotive, making Stephen Schwartz’ songs feel like anthems on screen. The amended riffs in ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘The Wizard and I’ showcase Cynthia Erivo’s powerhouse vocals, taking the score to new heights. ‘Dancing Through Life’ is a highlight, with Jonathan Bailey’s charming but cheeky Fiyero encouraging his fellow students to let loose and enjoy themselves. Christopher Scott’s choreography in this musical number is extremely creative, with the production designers utilising a hamster wheel to make the movements ‘defy gravity’. The musical sequence spans multiple scenes, easily filling nearly 10 minutes of screen time. ‘One Short Day’ also has some new elements, notably a couple of very exciting cameos, and the writers have expanded on the ‘Wizomania’ theatre segment, instead choosing to dive into the history of Oz.
Should it have been split into two parts?
I am in two minds about this, especially as the creative team have really expanded on Elphaba’s backstory, which provides insight into where her passions and views have come from. However, ‘Wicked: Part 1’ is essentially only the first act of the stage show. Whilst it definitely works in theatre, as the audience will return in approximately 15 minutes and it helps build anticipation, film is a completely different arena and it feels as if the story has been quite literally sliced in half, making part one not feel like a standalone movie. I fully appreciate that the source material would’ve needed to have been severely cut down to make it work as one motion picture, but perhaps the creative team could have taken a different approach and circled back to the present day to better conclude the first film. Despite the number of The Wizard of Oz references and perfectly timed easter eggs, in my opinion in its current form it lacks context to the wider Oz universe, ending the film in the middle of the flashback.
Will I be back for part 2?
Overall, I am really looking forward to seeing part 2, I just think more could have been done to better split the material and make ‘Wicked’ appeal to a wider audience. A year is a long time to wait and it might be difficult to convince non-fans to return for the second half. Although as somebody who enjoys the stage show, I have to commend how true to the original this film is. It is a universally adored piece of theatre and Jon M. Chu has made the film adaptation worth the long wait, bringing this beautiful story to life in a truly imaginative way. It goes to show what utilising real sets can do and not totally relying on CGI!
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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