Pink dresses sparkled in the dark theater as little girls waved their Glinda wands overhead. Their moms sat beside them in an assortment of green jackets, shirts and pants, making the theater a sea of green and pink.
Fans of the hit Broadway musical “Wicked” flocked to movie theaters around the country as “Wicked: For Good,” the highly anticipated sequel to “Wicked: Part I” (2024), hit theaters Nov. 21.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, this film beautifully concludes the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) while emphasizing the importance of friendship, selflessness and empathy.
From elaborate sets of the city of Oz to detailed ball gowns, this film’s high-quality production allowed the successful execution of such an anticipated movie with beloved characters and a well-known cast.
The film begins where part one left off, with Elphaba defying the Wizard after learning about his lies to the citizens of Oz.
Elphaba is demonized as the “Wicked Witch of the West,” while Glinda plays along with the Wizard’s lies as she is stuck between wanting her dreams of being loved by all to come true and staying true to her friendship with Elphaba.
Through Grande’s masterful portrayal of Glinda, the complexity of the character shines through as the audience watches a seemingly shallow girl grapple with feeling like she is not enough.
After Glinda’s love interest, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), runs off with Elphaba, Grande sings a reprise of “I’m Not That Girl,” originally sung by Erivo in the first film after she thinks she lost Fiyero to Glinda.
This reprise, filled with tears from Grande that had people sniffling throughout the audience, shows how far Glinda has come in recognizing her own faults and realizing that she might not be good enough as beauty goes deeper than the surface.
Grande’s versatility as a performer is clear as she perfects singing in a very light soprano tone for the character, which is very different from the strong chest voice with which she often sings her pop music.
Erivo’s powerful vocal abilities were evident through her performance of “No Good Deed,” where Elphaba emphasizes her feeling of helplessness, as every “good deed” she attempts is misconstrued and creates more chaos.
This intense, fast-paced song ending with one of Erivo’s iconic belts felt like a darker version of “Defying Gravity,” allowing the audience to feel her pain after putting Fiyero in danger and the rising tension as citizens gather to begin hunting her down.
The film also explains the origins of iconic characters such as the tin man, the cowardly lion and the scarecrow from “The Wizard of Oz.”
Understanding the backstory of these characters allows the audience to have compassion for the once hated character, “The Wicked Witch of the West,” and see her as a complex, misunderstood character fighting for justice for the animals in their realm.
As Glinda sheds her role as a puppet for the Wizard and Madame Morrible, she travels to save Elphaba from the angry mob.
When the best friends meet, Erivo and Grande shed many tears as they perform the most unforgettable song of the entire film: a devastating duet to “For Good.”
As Elphaba is ready to sacrifice herself and entrust Glinda with the responsibility of bettering their society, Erivo and Grande’s voices blend seamlessly as they emphasize the importance of friendship and reflect on how friends can change you “for the better.”
Erivo and Grande’s connection allowed them to not only convincingly play best friends, but to portray a soul tie, which endures over any period of time and across any distance. The film’s direction and dedicated cast allowed this deeply moving film to do the beloved musical justice.