I used to be one of the annoying Theatre Kids that are often made fun of as being a bit melodramatic and a bit full of themselves. Maybe I was a bit subdued but the signs of that were there.
I think what made me stand out compared to some is that I had more of a true pretentious vibe...which anybody who has known me for years or has read this blog knows I tend to be someone who flaunts films and other entertainment projects that are indie or foreign or simply a bit niche.
I had just turned 15 when Wicked opened on Broadway in 2003...and eventually, I would see it a couple of years later with Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty in the leading roles. My response to the musical at the time surprised me because I had actually LIKED it...although it was a tempered admiration.
I would listen to the cast recording but for every song I really loved, there were other songs that left me feeling underwhelmed. Honestly, it is pretty on brand for a Stephen Schwartz score in that regard.
As a whole show, I ended up not remembering specific plot details in the nearly 20 years since I had seen it done live, but what I did know is that as a piece of entertainment, it offered juicy roles for two women in that one gets to frequently belt her ass off while the other arguably gets an amazing character arc that is rather effective.
When I heard that Wicked was going to be split into two parts as a film, I was very skeptical of this. The actual Broadway production runs roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes including a 15-minute intermission.
Then it was announced that part one all by itself would be 2 hours and 40 minutes long.
Once the reviews started coming out, the response seemed practically bursting with joy at what was achieved onscreen...and even more surprisingly, the running time was deemed perfectly justified and the effort made by Chu and his team was seen as a resounding success.
The film wasn't without its detractors, just like any piece of entertainment, but the vitriol thrown at those who didn't respond to the movie with anything less than swift praise became rather amusing to me. However, I did have to wonder...will the snob in me persist? Will I end up leaving the theatre wondering why this is being called by some of one of the greatest movie musicals ever made?
I ended up leaving the theatre with this statement in my head:
Wicked is one of the greatest movie musicals ever made.
I am not saying it is perfect or even necessarily a masterpiece, but what John M. Chu achieved here is nothing short of a stunning effort. This was a movie that was clearly created with a lot of love and passion for the material and for the entire lore that is held for Oz as an artistic property.
The long running time wasn't even that felt by me. In fact, it honestly helped strengthen a lot of the story beats and gave them time to breathe...particularly seeing the growth of Elphaba and Glinda's relationship.
However...this is a movie that truly gives us a sweeping definitive take on the Land of Oz. From the very first moments when the "good news" that Elphaba is dead is spread throughout Oz and we hear the epic opening notes of "No One Mourns the Wicked", you are truly thrust into this world with absolute force.
In fact, the whole opening, complete with a stark relation to British Folk Horror films (you will know it when you see it), is marvelously done...but frankly a lot of the film can be described as that. It is simply in many ways the greatest film of this material we could possibly get.
As our two leads, Cynthia Ervio and Ariana Grande do not disappoint. These two are on the top of their game and they manage to make an absolute meal out of these two roles which have been so indelibly linked to Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. The rest of the ensemble is up to task, but I did especially love Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Pfannee and Shenshen, the two catty friends of Glinda who would give the girls from The Plastics a run for their money.
But I think for me in the grand scheme, I kept focusing a lot on how the film was treating the material with its extended run time. I do think this practice, along with utilizing CGI in creating a realistic depiction of Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, helped give more weight to the Animal Rights aspect of the story which doesn't hit as strongly onstage seeing a man in prosthetics play the role and have it come across as awkward and mildly funny whereas it does pack more of a punch in the film.
This is going to be a very short review, if I am being honest...but I did just want to express SOMETHING about the film. Beyond everything I said above, I will leave you with this.
"Defying Gravity" has become known as one of the all-time legendary act-one closers in musical theatre...and while it is certainly effective onstage, there are only so many things you can achieve while staging blocking at the Gershwin Theater.
Film does allow for so much in terms of spectacle and while that may not always be what is needed to make a film work, I think a film like Wicked benefits from this...and the final moments with "Defying Gravity" were absolutely glorious.
I think I had chills for pretty much that entire sequence and even began to get misty eyed because I was so overwhelmed by how epically this song was being presented. Somehow, they managed to exceed my expectations and then some with a lot of the film...but then that ending came and I seriously thought it was one of the most thrilling things I had ever seen onscreen.
With film, the possibilities are...say it with me...unlimited.
Jon M. Chu and his creative team definitely got that memo.
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