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‘Wicked’ Review: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Give Iconic Turns in the Year’s Must-See Musical
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande wow in 'Wicked,' a fabulous two-part film adaptation of Broadway’s what-makes-a-villain spin on 'The Wizard of Oz.'
When “Wicked” debuted on Broadway in 2003, Variety’s skeptical theater critic described composer Stephen Schwartz’s revisionist take on the iconic villain as “strenuous,” “lumbering” and “overstuffed.” Such withering put-downs may have felt justified in contrast with the more intimate musicals that had come before, but failed to recognize the level of ambition that could fuel such a pop-culture phenomenon, and later support a visionary big-screen upgrade every bit as rich — and Technicolor extravagant — as Dorothy’s 1939 pilgrimage over the rainbow. As expanded by the show’s original author, Winnie Holzman (with “Cruella” co-writer Dana Fox also credited), the film is still garishly overstuffed, but gloriously so, as Chu embraces the maximalist style that thrills the younger generation in “live-action” Disney remakes like “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid.” It’s a great big wedding cake of a movie, garnished with sparklers and tinsel. “Part I” also includes Glinda’s signature song, “Popular.” That amusing makeover immediately follows the scene most enhanced by Chu’s cinematic strategy, where well-chosen close-ups deliver emotional notes undetectable onstage: Tricked into wearing a pointed black hat to her first party, Elphaba starts to dance alone, earning derision from her classmates.
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