I finally watched Wicked and, well, it was absolutely wicked! From the amazing cast to the reimagined songs, this is a definite must-watch if you’re a musical fan. The thing is, I also think that it’s a total must-watch for non-musical fans, too. Some of the best parts didn’t center around the musical numbers, but rather the humour in the acting and the fun Wizard of Oz references in the storyline. My boyfriend is definitely not a musical fan, but he’s an example of someone who I thought would still really like it, if he gave it a chance. The question was, how could I convince him to do that? These are all the points I ran through to convince him to give Wicked a chance:
- but you liked glee
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I recently got him watching Glee for the off-handed and, if we’re being honest, absurd comments in the show. It’s the kind of humour that he likes, but that they can’t really include in television anymore. However, musicals remain an exception to this. Their whole purpose is to push boundaries in a non-obvious way, so shows like Glee and musicals like Wicked, always maintain this “I can’t believe you actually said that” kind of writing and humour.
- There’s Spicy Politics
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I saw the musical in the West End in London a few years ago and I didn’t remember such a strong political undertone as in the movie. This seemed to be a new emphasis placed in the film adaptation, but I really liked it. It gave the characters a stronger motivation for what they were doing and it showed the results on the ground of what was happening to the animals. Not to mention that anything about animal rights pulls on anyone’s heartstrings — including those of boyfriends.
- And Guess Who’s In it!
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Not to mention, the politics of the story (perhaps unsurprisingly) is centered around the men. I told my boyfriend that Tyrion Lannister sings in it (not well, but it happens, kind of like Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia), Jeff Goldblum has massive stone statues of his face (yes, as he deserves, don’t you want to see it?), and that Jonathan Bailey (yep, that’s Anthony from Bridgerton, yep he’s the oldest brother, mmhmm, good memory) plays a prince. Between those three actors, I think you’ve got quite a lot of convincing material to work with.
- It’s based on a book
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For some reason, there seems to be a common misconception that musicals are “movies where they sing about everything.” It’s funny then to explain that Wicked was actually based on a book, originally with no singing and dancing — meaning that the plot is not musically reliant and independently good. This is true for Les Mis, too. The plot just happens to be told through song and dance in this adaptation and this choice was made because it adds to the story in some way. It wasn’t done for no reason at all, it truly does add a different understanding and layer to the story that was already there! Kind of like 3D, but for your ears and heart.
- It’s only part one
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I don’t know why, but men seem to love a movie franchise. So, pitch Wicked that way since only the first half of the story has been released so far! I think that it makes it seem less daunting and shows that the creators thought it was worth stretching into two parts. Especially since they only added onto the plot; they didn’t add any new songs from the original Broadway musical, at least for part one. They’re only going to hear half of the songs that they normally would if they went to see the whole show live and in one sitting.
I hope that these points help you in presenting Wicked as a must-watch movie to your boyfriend (or anyone you know who is apprehensive about musicals.) And if you haven’t seen it yourself, I encourage you to give it a chance as well! Cineplex in Kingston is where I went and there was no one else in the theatre, so it felt like my own private movie screening where I was free to sing along. Plus, it could make for a perfect date night where instead of singing along, you’re free to answer questions of “who is that again?” without being shushed.
Wicked is a very fun, must-watch film and I encourage you to give it a chance. Which just so happens to be one of the main themes of the story. So, embrace your inner Galinda or Elphaba and go enjoy a viewing of Wicked in theatres or at home.
Wicked is now available for rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.