Wicked

MOVIE MUSICALS ARE SO BACK I love this movie because it wasn't afraid to be a musical. They kept all of the original harmonies (ensemble ATE) and arrangements but added some orchestration to make the numbers bigger and better (specifically Dancing Through Life -- I love the girly-popification of it). The leads also have a musical theatre background which I greatly appreciated, and their talent really showed. The cinematography is also stunning, and while I was nervous about the slightly muted camera filter in comparison to the saturated set design, it was less noticeable in the theater. Defying Gravity really blew me away in every way, and it was shot in such a dramatic and theatrical way. Also THE DANCING. The Ozdust Ballroom scene was also so emotionally impactful and the moments are silence were used so purposefully. So much foreshadowing for act 2 and so much energy! All in all, this brought back my faith in movie musicals and the 2 1/2 hours were worth it (though it's going to be hard to wait a year for part 2). I am now going to really hold space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity, especially as a person in queer media💚🩷