Wicked, the immensely popular Broadway show based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, was recently adapted into a movie musical. The highly anticipated film has captured the hearts of both musical lovers and regular movie go-ers, captivating audiences everywhere.
The story exists as an unofficial prequel to The Wizard of Oz, and follows the lives of Glinda, the Good Witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, before they got their famous (or infamous) titles.
Starting out as enemies, the two girls become unlikely friends, and their complicated relationship grows throughout the story, ending with the two of them emotionally closer than ever.
The 2024 film, directed by John Chu, does a great job of transforming the musical into the bright and colorful land of Oz. Chu, along with stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, brought something new and exciting to the complexity their respective characters hold.
Grande, the world-renowned pop singer, brought a fresh energy to Glinda—or Galinda, depending on which part of the movie you refer to—that is hard to exist on a stage. In the opening song “No One Mourns the Wicked,” you can see her regret and sadness of not leaving with her best friend, Elphaba, and how hard it is for her to put on a brave face during the mourning of her best friend.
In addition to adding a new devastation to Glinda, Grande also added so much cheer and joy to her character. Throughout the movie, Grande makes it clear that Glinda is not just a typical dumb blonde, but that she has complex emotions and feelings that Elphaba tends to bring out.

Likewise, Cynthia Erivo’s performance as Elphaba blew audiences away. From her incredible voice to her ability to make the audience feel like we can relate to Elphaba, Erivo really blew this role out of the water.
Elphaba has always been an intricate character in all forms of Wicked, but Erivo made sure her character was clear. Elphaba had always dreamed of fitting in due to feeling cursed by her green skin and magical powers, and having the Wizard grant her heart’s desire was all she ever wanted.
However, if you’ve seen or read Wicked, or even the Wizard of Oz, you know the Wizard is not all he’s made out to be. Once Elphaba finds out his true identity, she knows what she really wants is to find a place to be herself.
Erivo’s performance of the beloved showstopper “Defying Gravity” will hold a space in musical lovers’ hearts forever. The way you can truly and clearly see that Elphaba just wants to be happy and free is both heartbreaking and captivating, and will forever be iconic.
In all, Wicked definitely lives up to all its hype, and the lives of theater kids and movie lovers have been changed permanently for good.