WICKED – PART ONE: A Wickedly Good Musical

By Harrison J. Bahe

Misunderstood because of her green skin, a young woman named Elphaba forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda, a student with an unflinching desire for popularity. Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroad as their lives begin to take very different paths.

Having not read the book it is based upon nor seen any iteration of the Broadway show, I walked into Wicked – Part One having general knowledge of the land of Oz through the movies The Wizard of Oz and Oz the Great and Powerful. The strength of Wicked- Part One is through its catchy tunes, powerful performances, and visual storytelling. First and foremost, the music is what really captured me. Now, if you know me, I have this uncanny ability to not hear lyrics within music which is why I mostly lean more toward orchestral and instrumental music. However, with Wicked – Part One, not only was I able to hear the lyrics but I was carried away by its motifs and grandiose flourishes. The performances by Emmy, Grammy, and Tony award winning actress Cynthia Erivo and Grammy award winning Ariana Grande are something to behold. Erivo brings a certain tragic innocence and humanity to Elphaba, an otherwise inhuman, villainous role. Her natural talent of singing and acting is on display here in a role she was clearly meant to play. Grande’s interpretation of an airy Glinda is ditzy, cutesy, and all around lovey; you kind of love to hate her but then eventually grow to love her. The dance scene was the most effective and emotional scene of the entire film. If musicals ain’t your thing, you can definitely count on the visuals to carry you through to the finale. Wicked – Part One does what Steven Spielberg did for his remake of West Side Story by injecting a permeating fun, energetic visual style into the film. For instance, the library segment was the most visually fun sequence of the film filled with gravity defying antics and a quirky musical set piece. The finale of the film as Elphaba dons her iconic Wicked Witch of the West wardrobe sent chills up and down my spine. Some truly inspiring visuals!

Wicked – Part One is a fun musical with a unique perspective to one of cinema’s most infamous, most iconic villains of all time. Coming in 20 minutes shy of three hours, the film doesn’t feel its length. The film pulls a Dune – Part Two in that the closing title reveals that this is actually half of the story on display. Its sequel, Wicked – Part Two, will be coming out almost exactly a year from now. It is a truly fascinating film for the entire family filled with powerful performances, catchy tunes, and a rambunctious visual style which is why I give Wicked – Part One—

4.5 Hats out of 5

Wicked – Part One is Rated PG for some scary action, thematic material and brief suggestive material. It is currently playing in theaters nationwide.