Two members of the editorial staff at The Atlanta Voice reviewed “Wicked” for the latest “Try This”. One, a female in her 20’s, the other, a male in his 40’s. The latter grew up on “The Wizard of Oz” while the former had only seen the classic movie once in her life. The elder read the book “Wicked” several times, while the younger was looking forward to seeing the movie in order to learn the story of the world-famous Broadway smash turned Hollywood blockbuster.
Here are our reviews.
‘I cried. I laughed. I sat in awe. – By Laura Nwogu
Walking out of seeing “Wicked” was like several different puzzle pieces finally clicking together. I’d only seen “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Wiz” maybe once in my life, and even then, my young mind only captured bits and pieces. So, I walked into my local theater essentially blind, save for the bits and pieces of the popular tale that followed me throughout my life, whether it was through renditions of songs such as “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” or references in the media. As soon as the last notes of Cynthia Erivo’s powerful version of “Defying Gravity” slid into the end credits, I finally understood the magic of living in Oz because I also felt that same magic. Watching Erivo as Elphaba was like discovering my own yellow brick road.
Each role in “Wicked” felt like actors donning a custom-made suit. While many may have been skeptical of Ariana Grande as Glinda, I knew — as someone who grew up watching her on TV — that the role was one that she would do justice. And that’s exactly what she did.
I cried. I laughed. I sat in awed silence. The storyline was more than I’d imagined, with themes of identity, discrimination, the fight for equality, and sisterhood that resonated with me as a young Black woman. If you’d told me a film adaptation of “Wicked” would be my favorite movie of 2024, I probably would’ve laughed. But if you’d told me that Erivo would leave a lasting impression like her tear-inducing rendition of “I’m Here” from the 2015 Broadway revival of the musical “The Color Purple,” I would pause in understanding.
From beginning to end, watching Erivo and Grande felt like a masterclass in portraying the magic of musicals. They can be funny and silly, but also touching and tragic. They can make you feel good and cause you to look within yourself to discover how you, too, can defy gravity.
Defying Gravity and much more – Donnell Suggs
“Nobody in all of Oz, no wizard that there is or was, is ever gonna bring me down” said Elphaba Thropp, the future Wicked Witch of the West played by actress Cynthia Erivo. “Wicked,” starring Erivo, singer/actress Ariana Grande as Glinda, and many others including Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, is a story about good and evil, and what happens when the two mix company. It can also be seen as a unique alternative universe to the most recent United States presidential election we took part in. Trust me on this one.
“Wicked” tells the story of the “Wizard of Oz” but through the lens of Elphaba and Glinda, students at Shizz University when they first meet, but later becoming roommates at Shizz, rivals, good friends, and later important pieces to the puzzle that is Oz.
Already a huge fan of Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel that the movie and Broadway hit’s named after, I am now a big fan of the movie “Wicked”. It was both entertaining and important. First, the reason why I believe the film is important is because Erivo plays the most important role in part one of the three-part series. Elphaba believes in herself and her “unlimited future” (see: the “Wicked’ soundtrack) despite being in spaces where she will not see anyone else that look like her. Many of us Black Americans deal with this every day, particularly if you are a journalist. Covering the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns from across the country this year, for example, I was almost always the only Black man in the presidential press pool van. I believed that I belonged there representing Atlanta’s last print Black-owned newspaper. “I’m through playing by the rules of someone else’s game,” said Elphaba when she made up her mind about not being a pawn for the Wizard. “I’m through with accepting limits become someone says they’re so.”
As I sat in the AMC Southlake theater watching the movie on Friday, Dec. 28, I thought about the times I defied gravity (see: the “Wicked” soundtrack, again) this year as the Editor-in-Chief of a Black newspaper. The times I looked around and felt like my skin was green like Elphaba’s is in the movie, on stage, and in the books. “Wicked” spoke to me like few films have this year.
Towards the end of the movie, Elphaba sings, “Everyone deserves a chance to fly,” and I agree. Though I recommend everyone read the “Wicked” series of books, I also highly recommend seeing the movie. If you have ever been through something, anything, you will immediately understand the Elphaba character.
