On Screen: “Wicked”
Wicked
Director John M. Chu’s screen adaptation of the Broadway show is already a movie megahit, joining two inspiring Grammy-winning divas as they delve into the backstory behind Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic.
Never underestimate the phenomenal power of L. Frank Baum’s “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” as “Wicked” is one of the few films that more than lives up to the hype and hoopla.
Director John M. Chu’s screen adaptation of the Broadway show is already a movie megahit, joining two inspiring Grammy-winning divas as they delve into the backstory behind Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic.
This musical prequel, loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, begins just after Dorothy dissolves Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. As the gleeful Munchkins celebrate, Good Witch Glinda (Ariana Grande) floats in. “Weren’t you and Elphaba once friends?” inquires a youngster. Indeed they were.
As Glinda glides down memory lane — her lavish pink wardrobe and playful demeanor suggesting “Legally Blonde” Elle Woods — recalling how she first met young, bespectacled, green-skinned Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and they became reluctant roommates at Shiz University, which evokes Hogwarts set in Rivendell.
While trying to harness her inherent magical powers, Elphaba watches out for her plucky, wheelchair-bound younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), whose plight subtly ignites an odd-couple friendship between the bullied outcast and confidently manipulative Miss Popularity.
Plus there’s Hunky Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), Sorceress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), Comedic Munchkin Boq (Ethan Slater), History Professor Dillamond (a goat, voiced by Peter Dinklage) — introducing a subplot about silencing animals — and Emerald City’s eccentric Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).
Following “In the Heights,” John M. Chu is at the top of his captivating, world-building game, making the most of Stephen Schwartz’s music and John Powell’s additional score with Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox’s adapted screenplay, Alice Brooks’s cinematography, Nathan Crowley’s dazzling production design and Paul Tazewell’s fanciful costumes.
Yes, 2 hours, 45 minutes is a very long musical, but you won’t want to miss a moment since “Wicked” will be a Best Picture Oscar contender.
And for those who dig beneath the surface, L. Frank Baum’s fantasy is, basically, a timely political allegory about fear, division, oppression, radicalization and fascism, led by a con man.
So what about Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, whose glorious Broadway performances became legendary? They’re here! Just wait!
Speaking of waiting, although the second half was shot back-to-back with this installment, it’s not scheduled for release until November, 2025.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Wicked” is a spectacularly enchanted 10 — currently playing in theaters.
Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures. Her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M.
As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O’Brien, and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism.
During her adult life, Susan has been on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie and drama critic, syndicating her reviews and articles around the world, including Video Librarian. She has appeared on American Movie Classics and Turner Classic Movies. In 2017, her book 150 Timeless Movies was published by Hannacroix Creek Books. Her website is www.susangranger.com.