Let me set the scene for you. It’s Super Bowl Sunday or, as I like to call it, Wicked First Look Day. I am driving back to Los Angeles from San Diego; this is about a two hour drive. This may feel long to some, but for me, I see it as the perfect opportunity to listen to the Wicked soundtrack front to back. I already pre-gamed this event the night before by listening to the soundtrack at 3:00AM and crying. A lot. Needless to say, I was not ready for what I was about to see. I was already overwhelmed and on the verge of a Fiyero-induced breakdown — there was no telling how I would react when a yearning Jonathan Bailey would appear on my small iPhone screen when I finally watched the first look.
Then, it happened. THE First Look of all First Looks was released. My phone was blowing up with texts asking my thoughts, my feelings, and whether or not I was even alive after hearing Cynthia Erivo hit the iconic “Defying Gravity” ending note. As you have probably guessed, I had a lot of emotions. And, now, here they are.
The Chiefs this, The 49ers that. I couldn’t care less about whether or not Travis Kelce kicked a ball or yelled at a referee. The only man that I cared about on Super Bowl day doesn’t yell. He only sings, dances, yearns like his life depends on it, and wears the hell out of Broadway’s most famous pair of tight white pants. My beautiful prince, Fiyero Tigelaar. First and foremost, let me just say that Fiyero Tigelaar is the love of my life. Out of all the Broadway crushes I have ever had in my life, none of them have ever managed to come close to the fierce adoration I have for my sweet Fiyero (Marty McFly in Broadway’s Back to the Future has come very close though). The highest compliment I could ever give to a man is if I say that I could see him playing the role of Fiyero Tigelaar. With that being said, I was not mad when the news broke that Bridgerton’s very own charming Jonathan Bailey was playing the role. That man can yearn like no other. He was in the first look for about 0.5 seconds and yet the romantic tension between him and Cynthia was radiating through the screen. His brooding facial expression already tells me that he has got the character of Fiyero down to a science; he knows Fiyero’s internal struggle with wanting to be with Elphaba but not wanting to hurt Glinda. There is no doubt in my mind that I, along with millions of other movie goers, will be swooning in the theaters this upcoming November.
With that being said, let’s talk about the girl that is making musical theater mainstream. Before she was the princess of pop, she was the princess of Broadway. Yes, I’m talking about none other than Miss Ariana Grande. Now, I am a long time Ariana Grande fan. I have been there through all of her eras. Yes, even the “Put Your Hearts Up” era that she tries to bury (though, my personal favorite one was the Sweetener era). With that being said, I am also all too familiar with her astounding cover of “The Wizard and I” that she debuted at “A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway” (which, yes, I did watch live). Now, don’t get me wrong, I am completely aware that she was a Broadway actress before her breakout role as Cat Valentine on the hit Nickelodeon show, Victorious. We all know she can sing and we all know that she can rock the color pink like no other. But, I cannot lie when I say that I had my doubts about her as Glinda. Let me explain myself.
When I envisioned my Glinda, I envisioned her to be like the typical Glindas I have seen through history. I wanted a nasally, hyperactive, girly girl with impeccable comedic timing who isn’t afraid to be goofy with her out-of-the-box choices. Aside from Glinda’s quirkiness, I also needed to see that she was a layered character who struggles with her position as Oz’s most beloved public figure and her position as Elphaba’s best friend. I haven’t really seen Grande in a role that pushes her boundaries like that, so, I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous. With that being said, I also wasn’t that big of a fan of her portrayal as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray: Live. I was scared that she had lost her original Broadway sound in exchange for a more pop music sound. However, I know that she has been taking vocal lessons to prepare for her return to that Broadway sound which can be seen through her most recent collaboration with The Weeknd. In the “Die For You- Remix”, Grande’s verse incorporates her hitting various operatic notes which is perfect in preparation for “No One Mourns The Wicked”. Despite my initial doubts about Ariana not being able to fit the mold of Glinda, I have to say that I am quite excited to see her portrayal. I think that Ariana is navigating her own version of Glinda and is giving her a more softer and lighter aura. Although Ariana isn’t exactly hitting the nail on the head in terms of silliness for Glinda, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. She’s giving her more of an ethereal vibe and depicts her as a very gentle human being. I love the creative agency she’s taking in making Glinda her own. After all, Miss Grande herself is a long-time Wicked fan like myself. I trust her.
Now, let’s talk about THE girl. The green girl, if you will. Not the wickedly talented one and only, Adele Dazeem, but the wickedly talented one and only, Cynthia Erivo. There is no doubt in my mind that she is going to put on an emotionally rich performance as Elphaba Thropp that leaves us all in awe. Her voice alone moves me to tears, I can’t imagine how I am going to react when she hits the goosebumps-inducing “Fiyero” in “No Good Deed”. That woman has the voice of an angel. Like Grande, I also really appreciate how Erivo is putting her own twist on Elphaba and making her her own. First and foremost, her raspy riff during “Defying Gravity” is one that will go down in history as one of the most iconic riffs ever heard. She also brings a sense of confidence in Elphaba that I haven’t seen in any production before. While Elphaba is unapologetic about who she is, she still possesses a sense of insecurity that shows how much she longs to be accepted by her peers. However, from what I’ve seen from Cynthia’s Elphaba, she wins the IDGAF war. Cynthia’s Elphaba is unapologetic, unashamed, and proud to be the green girl that she is. She wears who she is on her sleeve and she doesn’t care about what anyone else thinks about her, I found this to be incredibly refreshing and it made me even more excited to see what else she brings to the character. After Grande’s Glinda screams and says “you’re green”, Cynthia’s Elphaba replies with a simple “I am”. That’s badass. I am beyond pumped to see more of Erivo’s choices on the big screen.
My heart permanently resides in Oz and I am so excited to come back home this Thanksgiving. On November 27th of 2024, you’ll know where to find me.