Fans of movies and Broadway alike are selling out theaters across the country to watch the highly anticipated Wicked movie. After two tedious years of filming (interrupted briefly for the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike), Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo did not disappoint.
The movie starts off with an ironically lighthearted take on the aftermath of The Wizard of Oz, after the Wicked Witch of the West’s death. This is when the spectacular first musical number is introduced, “No One Mourns the Wicked,” featuring the citizens of Munchkinland and eventually Ariana Grande herself as Glinda. The movie then shifts to the past as Glinda retells the story of Wicked.
The choreography itself is breathtaking, done by the talented Christopher Scott; known for other fan-favorites like Teen Beach Movie, Lemonade Mouth, and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Scott has a unique style of dance that makes the most iconic numbers in the musical even more memorable, including “Dancing Through Life” and “Popular.” His most notable work for Wicked is the ending of “What is this Feeling?” which has become a recent social media sensation. Dallas Myers, OHS theatre teacher praises Scott’s unique style, explaining “[Scott’s] style is very lyrical hip-hop… [Scott is] very focused on beats and words.”
Wicked does not just stand out for it’s dancing, but the music paired with it as well. Also popular throughout social media is Cynthia Erivo’s vocal performance on “Defying Gravity,” OHS sophomore Meave Spath explains her “favorite scene was all of Defying Gravity.” Spath was fond of the movie but said it was too long for her taste.
Wicked’s biggest fans exclaim they want to “hold space for the lyrics.” This newly profound internet slang means that fans are giving their undivided attention towards the song because it moves them deeply, making peace with it in a way. Cynthia’s battle cry itself is beyond breathtaking, leaving the whole theatre stunned after her spectacular twist of the iconic Wicked riff.
The Wicked press tour has become quite the spectacle on social media. Jokes and references flow throughout posts, one of those being the relationship between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Fans and other viewers have noticed how close the two have gotten, which is very evident in all their press tour interviews. Spath thinks the interviews with Grande and Erivo “are really fun, but [she] doesn’t completely understand them.” In most interviews the actresses end up crying and holding hands.
It’s a little much for some fans, but Myers puts it this way: “When it comes to the senior last play, those students who are in those curtain calls are always emotional.” The same applies to Cynthia and Ariana.
Another piece of drama stirred up in this mix is the relationship of Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater, the actor who played Boq. Before filming both of them were married and by the end both were divorced. And as one can predict, Grande and Slater are now dating. There has been backlash from the media about this, and the public is extremely split on the newfound relationship.
Although easy to pick on, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande successfully embodied the two iconic characters from an even more iconic musical. Despite its controversies, fans around the globe agree that the Wicked movie far exceeded expectations and is overall a spectacular must-see.
