By: Avalynne Russell  

     Although the Broadway musical was presented to the world in June of 2010, the new movie adaptation of the beloved Wicked premiered in November of this year. The franchise has always been very popular, but this movie is topping the charts, having the biggest world-wide opening of a Broadway-based film in history and making $457.5 million as of December 12, 2024. To get a better look at this film, The Squire has conducted some research and contacted an Indiana University of Pennsylvania Music Theatre major, Macy Winicki.  

     As seen all over social media, many people doubted some of the casting choices for the film, especially the choice to have Ariana Grande play Glinda. But after seeing the film, many have rescinded their statement saying that she did an amazing job and that she was “made for the role.” Winicki shared that, “The casting was so well done. The problem with a lot of Broadway-to-film movies is the lack of casting with actual experienced Broadway performers (Mean Girls for example), but since both Cynthia and Ariana have experience on Broadway it really was perfect casting, and the other characters had great casting, too! Johnathan Bailey as Fiyero was a truly inspired choice.”  

     Even with these changes, the original Broadway Glinda and Elphaba made their own appearance on the big screen. In the Emerald City scene, a short play about the Grimmerie, the book of enchantments written in the lost language of Oz, is preformed and viewers are surprised with the faces of Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel as the Wise Women, dressed in elegant pink and purple gowns. They even interact with Grande and Cynthia Erivo for a few seconds. Many Broadway-lovers absolutely adored this little moment with Winicki saying, “… I was losing my mind over seeing Idina (Menzel) and Kristen (Chenoweth), and you can just see the happiness and passion in them the whole time they’re on screen. I thought it was a lovely tribute to the original cast.”  

     Other controversies are seen in the film through the well-known songs, “Defying Gravity” and “Popular.” Erivo’s changes to the iconic “Defying Gravity” riff. It was a rather dramatic change, but Winicki stated, “I think that every Elphaba has their own changes to the music in one way or another (usually the big numbers like “The Wizard and I” or “Defying Gravity”), and I think that Cynthia’s choice was well done.” But even with this change, the original riff is still in the movie, and it is even sung by Menzel herself in the previously mentioned Emerald City scene. As for “Popular,” the entire ending of the song was changed, including the lyrics. But this change came from none other than Stephen Schwartz, the original composer and lyricist of Wicked. When we asked for Winicki’s opinion, she told us, “I really enjoyed it knowing it come directly from Stephen Schwartz, who said ’If I had thought of this originally, this is what it would have been’ for the ending of popular. This is why it’s important to keep the original composers on board for adaptations! Like in “No One Mourns the Wicked,” the changes were necessary for the pacing of the film since it differs from the original Broadway show, but it doesn’t feel out of place.”  

   Another notable impact of the film are the several trends it has created on social platforms. Some of the bigger trends it has caused include the “um, Nessa” and the “me and BOQ” videos. Many media users also use the “Defying Gravity” song in their videos, or, even better, they try to sing Erivo’s riff, at which most fail miserably. The movie even made impressions on appearances in advertising. For example, the viral “that’s my line” Target ad is continuously referenced in current pop culture. For some time after the movie’s release, Target even played the film’s soundtrack over the loudspeakers in their stores. Many big-name brands have also made partnerships with Wicked, selling all kinds of themed merchandise from hair dryers, to clothing, to green and pink mac and cheese.  

     Now that you have a better idea of what to expect from the film, The Squire greatly recommends that you go see this movie or, if you already have, go see it again. We would also like to thank Winicki for taking time out of her busy college life to answer our questions, and we would also like to leave you with one question, “Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?”