Wicked - Part One

Synopsis: Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.

Review:

My history with Wicked is long and affectionate, I was lucky enough to see most of the original cast (Joey MacKentire as Fiaro). I was a pretty avid theater nerd at this point of my life, and was completely blown away by the show and the amazing Kristen Chenoweth and Idena Menzel. I have followed both of their careers and will always love the original pink and green duo. As for the Wizard of Oz, I am an almost 50 year old man who grew up in America and was a fan from childhood of the amazing technicolor masterpiece. I felt lucky enough to have grown up in a time where certain films were annual watches and for me the Wizard of Oz was a film I was always happy to consume. Of course as I headed towards my teen years I was a bit over the aspects of the film that felt hooky and overly sentimental but as a budding cinefile in my mid to late 20s I was back in and a staunch defender of the seminal work.

The film opens in the Land of Oz with the the citizens of Munchkinland celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. What I love about the intro to the show and the film is the use of the multiple character and themes from future songs, when the soaring instrumental version the oft repeated Unstoppable was the first tear I shed in the theater. We see Glinda the Good Witch arrive on her bubble platform, and we get our first look at the perfectly cast Ariana Grande. I love the song that underscore this entire scene, “No One Mourns the Wicked” and is the perfect backdrop to the elated villagers burned in effigy of the Wicked Witch. As Glinda the Good ramps up to head off, a villager asks if she knew and was friends with the Wicked Witch. Glinda pops her newly created bubble to tell them yes we were friends, backpedals into we knew each other long ago in college. This leads to the villager asking why are people wicked, and Glida asks a followup set of questions; are they born with it or is wickedness thrust upon them.

Next we are thrust back into the past where we see Elphaba being born from an affair between her mother Melena, played by Courtney Mae-Briggs, the wife of then-Governor Frexspar Thropp, and a traveling salesman. During her birth everyone reacts to her skin color and she was rejected immediately and leads to her having a troubled childhood. We see Elphaba being raised by her nanny, a bear named Dulcibear voiced by veteran actress of both stage and screen Sharon D. Clarke. We are introduced to both the younger versions of both Elphaba portrayed by Karis Musongole and her sister Nessarose, played by Cesily Collette Taylor when local children begin teasing Elphaba and she uses her magic to throw rocks at them.

A transition forward in time to when the Thropp girls arrive at Shiz University to drop of a grown up Nessarose, portrayed by Marissa Bode. We also meet the adult Elphaba of course played by Cynthia Erivo and she is immediately stared at and mocked by the arriving students. We see the arrival of Galinda the only student that is wearing a pink outfit inspired by the school uniform, played by Ariana Grande and she is immediately the center of attention from all the students. Elphaba is pressured by her father Governor Thropp, portrayed by Andy Nyman to make sure that her sister gets to her room safely, even though all she wants to do is leave.When a school administrator starts pushing Nessarose’s wheelchair trying to use her as a way to impress the Governor, Elphaba gets angry and her magic levitates Nessarose and cracks the seal of the univerity revealing the old seal with animal professors. Madame Morrible, Dean of Sorcery who is played by Michelle Yeoh, takes credit and covers for Elphaba and invites her to be a student under her tutelage. Morrible asks for a volunteer to allow Elphaba to share their room and in her bidding for the attention Galinda unintentionally volunteers. Things are hard for Elphaba at school, she is still an outcast having a hard time connecting to her magic, during the amazing song “The Wizard and I” she is able to jump long distances through her emotion and her magically abilities. Elphaba and Galinda are super frustrated living together that comes out in the song “What Is This Feeling?” all shot in the confines of their shared dorm.

One of Elphaba’s professors, Dr. Dillamond, a talking Goat voiced by Peter Dinklage, told her that other talkative, animal around the land are losing their civil rights and abilities to speak. Dr. Dillamond elludes to his fear that he may be next in the song “Something Bad”. Elphaba assures her professor that the Wizard of Oz, whom she belives in and hopes may change her skin color, will handle the matter. On her way back from Elphaba encounters the charming and rebellious Winkie Prince Fiyero Tigelaar, portrayed by the amazing Jonathan Bailey. The prince tries to charm her but is immediately rebuked by a bristling Elphaba who gives her standard speech on her greenness and heads back to her dorm.

Fiyero soon arrives at Shiz and his introduction is fabulous and well staged “Dancing Through Life” and crescendos with him champions a night of clubbing at the Ozdust Ballroom. A nice Munchkin Boq Woodsman, who is played by Ethan Slater tries to connect with Galinda and promptly she convinces Boq to ask Nessarose to the evening of clubbing, hoping to impress Galinda. At the Ozdust Madame Morrible informs Galinda that she will be allowed in Morrible’s sorcery seminar at Elphaba’s request. We see Elphaba arrive at the club and she is mocked when she wears a hat Galinda gave to her as a slight, she holds the center of the dancefloor doing what can only be described as an interpretive dance of how she is feeling. Galinda feeling guilty for everything that she has done to slight Elphaba she dances with her to the “Ozdust Duet”. Later that evening our odd couple return to their dorm and Galinda decides that she will give Elphy a makeover, which is done to the fun and effervescent track “Popular”, where we see the true friendship blossom. Elphaba runs away from the compliant from Galinda about her beauty overwhelmed.

The next morning Dr. Dillamond announces he is retiring because the Animals now being blocked from teaching at Shiz and his replacement, the unscrupulous Professor Nikidik, played by Colin Michael Carmichael. Nikidik rolls in a frightened lion cub in a cage to perform a live experiment showing how animals should be treated. Elphaba puts everyone in the room to sleep with her magic accept Fiyero and they escape campus with the lion cub releasing the cub back into the forest. Fiyero and Elphaba share a moment and a look, leading to her lamenting that Fiyero prefers Galinda captured beautifully in “I’m Not That Girl”.

Elphaba next receives a personalized summons from the Wizard, who has heard about her magical prowess, we previously saw that Madame Morrible had sent a letter to Oz. Before the train leaves the station Galinda sees a connection between Elphaba and Fiyero and shortens her name to “Glinda” in honor of Dr. Dillamond’s mispronunciation of it. As the train is pulling away Elphaba tells Glinda to join her on the journey to Oz’s capital, the Emerald City, to meet the Wizard. Once the ladies arrive in the Emerald City their actions are described in the fun and upbeat song “One Short Day”, giving us our long awaited cameos from the Broadway original actresses. Eventually Elphaba and Glinda arrive at the Wizard’s castle, meet the large prop head and then once he realizes who it is we finally meeting the Wizard, played here by Jeff Goldblum. After a quick introduction and greetings the Wizard explains who he is and his approach to Oz in the song of “A Sentimental Man”. The next question takes Elphaba back “If her heart’s desire is to change her skin color?”, but her heart’s desire is that the Wizard will help the Animals of Oz. Next Morrible enters the scene and reveals she has traveled to witness Elphaba and the Wizard’s first meeting, both the Wizard and Morrible encourage Elphaba to read from the sacred Grimmerie spellbook. Elphaba not only can read the Grimmerie but casts an incantation makes the monkey guards to sprout wings and writhe in pain. The Wizard and Morrible are both excited at the prospect of using the monkey guards since they can fly as spies. This is the point of revelation for Elphaba she realizes that they are the ones behind the Animals losing their humanity and worse that the Wizard does not have any real magic. Morrible then used Elphaba’s magic to unlock the Grimmerie’s power and further subjugate the Animals reenforcing the Wizard’s rule. A horrified Elphaba flees as Morrible broadcasts to all of Oz that Elphaba is a “wicked witch.” and her green skin reenforces her internal nature.

Elphaba leaves running and Glinda follows her to the palace attic and tries to convince Elphaba to reconcile with Morrible and the Wizard to no avail, and resolves to stop their plans. All of the rest of the final story is explained in the powerful “Defying Gravity”. Elphaba and Glinda have an emotional farewell each supporting the other’s decision and confirm their deep friendship. Glinda stays behind and is captured by the guards who interrogate her about Elphaba’s whereabouts so they can stop her. Elphaba uses the Grimmerie’s flight spell to gain her ability to fly imbuing a broom with flight and uses it to escape from the city, evading the Wizard’s guards and winged monkeys, creating a storm so powerful that is creates a power outage throughout Oz.

I hope it came through in my review, I really liked this film and the play it is directly adapted from. You should see it in a theater with the best sound that you can, the visuals are stunning but the sound and songs is what we will be talking forever so be a part of the conversation.