Wicked

Something has changed within me…something is not the same. As a huge fan of the musical, I came into Wicked with some trepidation. I saw the show twice in 2008 in New York (June & then I flew back in October to see it again). I’ve seen it multiple times since. I listened to Defying Gravity every year on my first day of college to psyche myself up. So when the movie was announced I was hesitant but excited. I didn’t want something that meant so much to me to be a flop or a bomb or…something baaaaad. Overjoyed to find that is not the case. From the opening notes of No One Mourns the Wicked right down to the finale of Defying Gravity, I had chills. This was everything I could have ever hoped for. All that emotion, all that joy, that magic, captured on the big screen. I was skeptical about the cast but everyone crushed it. Ariana makes for a perfect Galinda & Cynthia’s exceptional as Elphaba. The rest of the cast are equally excellent but the two leads are obvious standouts. Shiz, Oz & everything in between is sparkly, shimmery beautiful (I’ve seen complaints that it looks washed out, but I think that’s a HDR issue as it looks much better viewing at home in 4K). I never dreamed we’d have such a wonderful adaptation of one of my favorite musicals, but here we are with this beautiful piece of cinema. Roll on Act 2.