Welcome back to the land of Oz, the highly anticipated second act of the renowned Broadway production Wicked.
Beware the spoilers!
For you to understand how excited I was for this film, I booked my tickets a week in advance, adorned my Wicked hoodie every day in the lead up to the release, and blasted the Wicked soundtrack in my car for the last month at least. There also may have been a few tears to ‘Defying Gravity’ on the way to the cinema on Friday 21st, as well.
The lead-up to the release was more eventful than most premieres. Ariana was jumped by a crazed ‘fan’, now identified as Johnson Wen, at the Singapore premiere, but co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh were quick to step in to pry Wen away, shielding Ariana. Some comments say that the actor’s reactions were quicker than their own security. Wen was arrested but later released on charges of public nuisance. In Singapore, this can carry a sentence of up to three months in prison and a fine of $1500. And to much of the public’s outrage, Wen was only sentenced to nine days in prison after pleading guilty to the charges. This is not the first time Wen has rushed a celebrity, pulling the same stunt at a Katy Perry concert and invading the pitch at the 2023 World Cup final. His Instagram, @pyjamamann, has a 13.5k following, and he describes himself as ‘Troll most hated’; many are calling for his account to be removed, and Wen banned from the site. The Australian has now been banned from Singapore.
The social media support for Ariana was swift; many fans were concerned, especially considering her past with the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. This also follows Ariana missing the Brazil premier due to technical issues with her plane and having to issue a statement, “Please don’t wish danger on us”, due to the negative reaction from some ‘fans’.
Despite the unwelcome actions of a few, Ariana and Cynthia received some elating news at the Paris premiere. Their rendition of ‘Defying Gravity’ has been nominated for best pop duo/group performance. The announcement was made to the duo by the film’s director, Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt, leaving them speechless and having to take a moment to process the news. I am ecstatic for this Grammy nomination for the actresses; it is so well deserved. I’m glad they got to share this wholesome moment with their fellow cast members as well.
Despite the turbulent lead-up, it was finally time to return to Oz. We left our characters in turmoil; Elphaba on the run, Glinda left in the Emerald City, Fiyero stuck in the unknown, and Nessa dealing with the death of her father, the Governor. The tone for the whole film has lost the innocent childish comedy and takes on the weight of personal turmoil, minority prejudice and political propaganda. This shift is a lot more present in the second act of the film compared to the Broadway production. This may be due to the film’s ability to visually show more and having longer to establish the change in the political climate of Oz. There is a longer discussion of the animals’ treatment and how they are escaping Oz, and Elphaba even manages to free all the animals at Glinda’s wedding. However, in the original production, the animals are not discussed any further in the second act.
We also get to see scenes such as Madam Morrible writing and planning to spread fear propaganda throughout the Emerald City, as shown by the Wicked Witch merchandise. One piece that particularly stood out for me was the children’s book. Instilling fear in children of an apparent ‘evil enemy’ attacking their home is a lot darker than the PG rating this film was supposed to have. This film also continues to test the limitations of the PG rating… More on that later, though.
With a production cost of $165 million, it is no surprise that the quality of the costumes was impeccable. Madam Morrible’s wardrobe just kept getting better and better. From the looks of the film, the second act only occurred over a week at most; however, Morrible seemed to change outfits every time she appeared, and I would steal every single dress of hers if I could. It was really interesting to see the interpretation of high officials’ attire in the Emerald City compared to regular inhabitants, as their clothes seemed rather unconventional. Morrible’s had a regal quality like Glinda’s and Fiyero’s.
They matured everyone’s characters through their clothing, notably Nessarose becoming the new Governor of Munchkin Land, dressing in all black and seeming more official like her father. Her hair also looks like her mother’s from the first film, as well, more controlled and pinned to show her new forced maturity. Fiyero and Boq both wear uniforms throughout the second film. Boq, wearing a grey uniform, for me, felt like a physical representation of the repression of the people of Munchkinland, which has typically been seen as a very colourful land and people. Fiyero’s Emerald City guard uniform acted as another representation of repression, but internally. Fiyero’s song, ‘Dancing Through Life’, is all about being free, and now he is trapped in a role of leadership and responsibility that he never wanted.
Stand-out scenes
The opening sequence should be a standout moment. How else does it set up the rest of the film? This one did not disappoint; it was emotionally charged, and the action sequence really showed the change in personality of Elphaba as she became more confident and dependable with her powers. Getting to see more of how Elphaba uses her powers to defend the animals and defy the Wizard is something we don’t get to see in the Broadway production either, so it was nice to get a further understanding of how Elphaba’s powers work. The slick use of her broom was phenomenal; it was almost like an extension of herself, an extra limb she was in tune with. We also get to see her working on the Grimmerie, working on spells in her treehouse hideout.
The animals having to pave the yellow brick road, traditionally seen as cheery in The Wizard of Oz, whilst chained and being abused by guards, is really powerful. It reflects a lot how animals are treated or have been treated in the service of human expansion. Thankfully, we also get to see more of Elphaba’s efforts to free the animals, in her opening scene, talking to them as they try to escape Oz through tunnels under the yellow brick road and at Glinda’s wedding. In the Broadway production, the animals are not mentioned in the second act, apart from the lion; they are not freed, so delving deeper into this political conflict in the film was a really good choice on the writer’s part.
Jonathan Bailey’s face… that’s it. That’s the standout point. Ok, more specifically, his facial expressions in high-stakes situations. Whereas the other characters have emotional dialogues, Fiyero has very few lines in this second act; however, he doesn’t need them. Bailey’s facial expressions portray more than words could. Scenes where this works really well are when Fiyero is holding Elphaba at gunpoint and switches it to the Wizard, and then later holding Glinda at gunpoint to give Elphaba a chance to escape. The two moments take place in the same sequence but hold very different emotions; Fiyero finally freeing himself from the Emerald City and the caging responsibility it the women he loves, and being resigned to facing his potential death. Bailey’s portrayal of Fiyero was perfect in my opinion, the charisma being a shield and then letting Elphaba see the ‘real’ him, his emotional expressions and his interactions with other characters… Thank you, Jonathan Bailey.
Sometimes, do you just wish that a production would just go feral? I think we all know what scene I’m talking about. ‘As Long as You’re Mine’ has always held suggestive undertones and innuendoes. I really wish they had leaned a little bit more into it: maybe rewatching Bridgerton before this film was a bad idea. We do get to see the aftermath of what appears to be a passionate night for the reunited lovers, which we definitely do not get to see in the theatre production. Unfortunately, that joy doesn’t last long, as much as I wish it did.
The big moment: Elphaba’s ‘death’. The entire end sequence was breathtaking. I honestly cried throughout the last 30 minutes of the film and could not stop after the credits rolled. I’ll get into ‘For Good’ later, but from the end of that song with Glinda in the closet, having to watch her friend’s ‘death’ through the crack, voluntarily staying there and not rushing out to save her. Ariana portrayed Glinda’s devastation, gripping the Grimmerie like a lifeline. Having to muffle her grief, not just in this scene but throughout the end sequence, adds to that devastation. Even coming into this film knowing the inevitable ending, it still hurt to watch them part, knowing Glinda will never learn that Elphaba and Fiyero lived, being left alone to rule Oz alone.
The final flashback, the Shiz group wandering through the poppy field, added to the loss of childhood innocence. Over the course of the story, all the characters made choices, and now they have to live with the consequences of those choices, never to be that group of school friends again. A very clever artistic move was Glinda wearing all white here; some of you may not have noticed and been rather confused for the typical pink witch to be adorning white. When Glinda is whispering in Elphie’s ear, it mimics the Broadway production poster, a very sentimental moment for those who have loved this production, like me. Glinda’s story with magic, even if we will not get to see it, doesn’t end with Elphaba’s departure. The Grimmerie reveals itself to Glinda in the final shots, lending her a hope that all of this sorrow will not be in vain, that she can build a better Oz.
Music Production
My top three songs from this rendition have to be ‘Every Day More Wicked’, ‘No Good Deed’ & ‘For Good’. ‘Every Day More Wicked’ was a pleasant new opening for the second act, following the opening of the theatre production, a more sinister tone with reprises from ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’, ‘The Wizard and I’, ‘What is This Feeling’ and ‘Popular’. With so many notes from four different songs, you would think the key change would become overwhelming or chaotic, but it all flows well and gives us a quick glimpse into how each of our main characters’ lives has changed.
I held very high expectations for Cynthia’s rendition of ‘No Good Deed’ as it is my favourite song of the second act. I cried from this point on till the end of the film. Her vocals delivered such desperation and devastating heartbreak. You could really feel and believe Elphaba’s loss of hope in Oz’s redemption. The imagery during the song, as well, her walking through past scenes, looking back at her younger self and thinking about how much she tried to be accepted, only for her to lose everything. Her delivery of the magical words gave me chills and sent me back to the first time I sat in the theatre watching the production, having loved this character for so long, to see her broken again. I am still at war with myself on whether I prefer ‘No Good Deed’ or ‘Defying Gravity’.
The final goodbye, the loss of a friend. ‘For Good’ was psychologically damaging. How I will ever bring myself to see this film again is beyond me. The vocal combination of Ariana and Cynthia melded so well together; you can feel the emotions through their music, and neither dominates the song. The line, “just look at me… not through your eyes but theirs”, is not in the original production but fits so well with the tone of the second act, with Elphaba trying to get across to Glinda that what is about to happen is the only ending the people of Oz will ever accept and move on from.
I am not just full of praise for this film. Some of the musical choices were confusing. ‘March of the Witch Hunters’ is a very violently charged song, and for me, the delivery just did not meet my expectations. The song is only two and a half minutes long, and a lot of that is split with massive bouts of silence. At one point, I forgot the song wasn’t even finished. The pacing is just wrong. In the production, the song is even shorter, but there isn’t a large amount of background music. It starts, they sing, and it ends, which fits the fast-paced, violent nature of the song. It gives the hunt drive.
I don’t know if I’m just too invested in the Broadway production, so I’m being too defensive in really not liking this song, but ‘The Girl in the Bubble’ was so unnecessary. I hated it. I found it boring and slow-paced for where it was placed in the story. Glinda’s inner conflicts did not need to be sung; you can see it throughout the second act with her interactions in volatile situations, always trying to keep the peace and being the negotiator. I think her addition to ‘Wonderful’ had more impact than ‘The Girl in the Bubble’. ‘The Wicked Witch of the East’ was also unnecessary; those moments did not need to be sung. It was a clever reprise of their section in the Oz Dust Ballroom with a more sinister tone, but still random and not needed.
From initial reviews, viewers are conflicted with how successful they believe this second act was. Traditionally, the second act has always been seen as the weaker part; it’s shorter than the first act, and for them to stretch it into a two-hour film naturally leads to them falling short in some areas. I have no criticism for Ariana’s, Cynthia’s or Jonathan’s portrayal of their characters, and I thank them for taking such good care of Glinda, Elphaba and Fiyero. I could have written so much more on this film. It defied my expectations from initially learning of an adaptation way back in 2023. I’m sad to not be able to walk back into Oz for the first time again. I’m devastated that the beloved characters are separated again, walking their own paths alone. Hopefully, one day, all paths will lead back to Oz.
Editor: Neva Lynch