It remains one of the greatest upsets in Tony Award history.  Wicked was at near unbackable odds in 2004 but the lesser-known Avenue Q pipped it at the post to win best book, best score, and best musical.  One could argue that Wicked got the last laugh though.  It can still be seen two decades later on Broadway in New York City (the 4^th longest running show of all time) and now earns a chance at two movies with big budgets and bigger awards season hopes.

The two-part approach is an interesting one.  Yes, it’s a cash grab but it allows the creatives to expand on the source material.  Winnie Holzman wrote the original musical and she’s been brought back, working alongside Dana Fox (Cruella), to add more backstory and context.  The overall length has been doubled given this first instalment comes in at a sizeable 2 hours and 40 minutes.  It feels a little padded in places but not to a detrimental extent as we saw in the finales of Twilight and Harry Potter.

I’ve never seen the live stage show (gasp!) and so look at this through fresh eyes.  The Governor of Munchkinland has two daughters about to commence studies at the prestigious Shiz University.  Nessarose (Bode) is a wheelchair-bound paraplegic described as “tragically beautiful” while Elphaba (Erivo) is derided for her unusual green skin and labelled “beautifully tragic.”  It’s on their first day that Elphaba is paired as roommates with Galinda (Grande), a socialising, pink-loving, semi-illiterate “princess” accustomed to getting everything she wants.

The film’s opening half is centred on the humorous conflicts and verbal stoushes between Elphaba and Galinda, two personalities who couldn’t be more different.  The fact these scenes are so good is a testament to the lead performances of Cynthia Erivo and Araina Grande.  Neither has an extensive cinema resume but their learnings from theatre, in the case of the Tony-winning Erivo, and singing, in the case of the Grammy-winning Grande, have allowed them to create wonderful characters.  I particularly love what Grande brings to the role – from the confused facial expressions to the obvious hand gestures.

Events become more dramatic in the second half but let’s keep hush to avoid giving things away (for the handful of people in the world who haven’t seen the stage musical).  American director Jon M. Chu is no stranger is directing film musicals, and I enjoyed what he did for In the Heights, released in 2021.  Wicked is a “flasher” piece with colourful sets and a gazillion overemoting extras but he’s still able to tap into its emotions.  They’re characters you’ll take a liking to.  The themes are heavy-handed (e.g. misinformation, embracing difference) but they fit the exaggerated nature of the storyline.

We won’t have to wait as long as Gladiator for Part II (it’ll be in cinemas this time next year) but for now, Wicked: Part I should whet audiences’ appetites.