At the start of the 20th century, the children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum was published. Nearly a century later, in 1995, Gregory Maguire was inspired by the Wicked Witch’s story and wrote Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. In 2003, Stephen Schwartz, a famous composer and lyricist known for productions like Godspell and Pocahontas, made a musical loosely based on Maguire’s book. Immediately, Wicked was a huge success, racking up a total of three Tony Awards, seven Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy Award for the original cast album.
About a week ago, Universal Pictures released the first half of a two-part movie adaptation of the 2003 musical. The original role of Glinda was played by Kristin Chenoweth and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, by Idina Menzel. Needless to say, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo had large shoes to fill. But, if initial reactions are any indication, it seems this movie exceeded expectations in many ways. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who disliked the movie, which currently has an 89 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So, as the movie rises in popularity, let’s discuss some of the key elements in the film that make it so magical!
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande insisted on singing live.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, director Jon M. Chu confirmed in an article back in March that, while they were filming, both Grande and Erivo decided they wanted to perform live. Both actresses assured him they were up to the task when he expressed skepticism.
The original Elphaba and Glinda from the Broadway musical made cameos.
The two stars, Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth, famously originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda in the Broadway musical. In the film, when the two characters enter the Emerald City, an ensemble accompanied by none other than Menzel and Chenoweth themselves greets them in a musical sequence, passing on the mantle to the next generation of Wicked lovers.
Cynthia Erivo did all of her own stunts.
On top of performing live, Cynthia Erivo also did all of her own stunts. This, while wearing a corset, apparently caused Erivo to have to alter the way she sang. Erivo explained at a post-screening discussion at the DGA Theatre in New York City that she had to put herself through “rigorous training” to prepare her body for the role. But no matter how difficult it was, Erivo was dedicated to both experiencing what it felt like to fly and performing the song live.
Defying Gravity got a lyric change.
A lot of fans were shocked when they first heard the film’s version of Defying Gravity due to the line change. In the original performance on Broadway, after Elphaba sings, “No wizard that there is or was is ever gonna bring me down,” the chorus of soldiers sings, “Look at her! She’s wicked, get her!” In the film, they changed the word “get” to “kill,” providing a far darker connotation to the song and this moment of choosing your own destiny.
If you’re looking for other interesting facts about the Wicked film, watch it for yourself in theaters now! And let us know what you think of the film and the facts we mentioned above on our socials!
Interested in hearing more about the second part of Wicked? Click here!
Looking for other book-to-film adaptations? We’ve got just the list for you!
