Holding Space for the Lyrics of Defying Gravity
Yes, Professor, I should have been studying for your final. But you see, I was holding space for the Wicked movie.
Something has changed within me… something is not the same. Gregariously green, emphatically emerald, there was one thing consuming our collective minds last exam season (and no, it wasn’t Chem 0330—sorry, Rubenstein). Jon M. Chu’s recent screen adaptation of Wicked brought arguably the greatest musical of all time to theaters everywhere, and Wicked fever has been sweeping social media and Spotify playlists since. As a diehard fan since the womb when fetal-Avery personally requested Idina Menzel’s rendition of No Good Deed while my mom was in labor, and now as the owner of not one, not two, but THREE sets of Wicked socks, I feel it my civic duty to roll up my sleeves, pause Jonathan Bailey’s Dancing Through Life playing in the background, and start unpacking the magic of Wicked.
There was a lot of uncertainty about this project from the moment it was announced. Movie-musical adaptations, if executed poorly or merely unfaithfully, can provoke entire fanbases (I’m looking at you, Cats’ 2019 remake). As a theatre kid (publicly outing myself, but I’m writing to y’all about Wicked so I’m owning it) and cinephile, I was no exception. How can you cast a role like Elphaba and fill the shoes of Idina Menzel? How can you find a new G(a?)linda and match the perky poise of Kristin Chenoweth? Five words: Cynthia. Erivo. Ariana. F**king. Grande.
While most non-Broadway fans thought Cynthia to be relatively unknown, it was no time before the world understood Chu’s choice; her voice has a power that only a grimmerie-reading witch could possess, a battle cry that instantly sends goosebumps down the arms of moviegoers. And not to be ignored, Erivo’s casting marks the second time a Black woman has ever played Elphaba in Wicked’s 21 year run. Erivo shared that her performance was infused by her own experiences as a Black woman and her innate understanding of being othered. Between her push to include micro braids for the character and her emotion-driven vocal choices, she embodied our leading witch. And Ariana Grande? Well, there was no public shortage of, the role was just given to her because of her fame! But those haters have no tears left to cry (nailed it). Elphaba is such an inherently powerful character with vocals as rich as the Wizard himself, and Glinda’s voice is operatic and pristine. There’s only one way to ensure Glinda’s power is still represented, for she certainly is not short in the power department: find someone who can hit those angelic notes with pure prowess. Standout vocal performances like No One Mourns the Wicked, jokes that were sharp in wit (and heavily improvised), and her mid-singing microexpressions really made you question if you were watching a global popstar or The Good Witch herself on the screen; it’s no wonder both actresses are receiving immense praise—which is also being granted for their choice to sing live.
YUP, YOU HEARD ME RIGHT (well… not heard, because this is an article, and as Glinda so aptly noted, you can’t hear a written message). Even strapped into mechanisms that allowed her to defy gravity and fly across the set, Cynthia Erivo’s world-bending and inimitable run was recorded live during filming, as were each of Grande’s glass-breaking notes. This is the kind of talent that makes a movie-musical feel like a love letter to fans, for it brings the best of both worlds; the live vocals transformed set to stage, but as a film girlie, I’d be remiss not to commend the benefits of the cinematized structure. You’re telling me I have to wait a year for part two? That’s so stupid. They cover the entire thing in an under-three-hour musical. Actually, no, random article objector (rude, how do you even keep chiming in?). In retrospect, it was a fairly brilliant choice, as impatient as we may feel. By awarding fans ample time with these characters, we unearth the complexity of their perspectives, connect more deeply to their stories, and expand on the beating heart of Wicked: their ever-changing friendship amidst it all.
Wicked is not a black and white tale (and not just because it’s green). Rather, it’s one of politics—of facism and a leader who lies, tricks, and cons his way into power. It’s a telling of someone who prays on the hatred, on the underlying fear, of people who are different. A message where goats directly depict scapegoats and goodness seems easy to distinguish based on guilded facades. But Wicked’s society is mostly a depiction of power and how complex people behave in an equally complex system when their paths seem predetermined. Are people born wicked? Or is wickedness thrust upon them?
Some may undermine musicals in regards to their character contents, considering them to be more two-dimensional; I’d urge those people to watch Wicked. Neither Glinda nor Elphaba is truly good or evil. Instead, they embody more fully-developed individuals, told either that they are less than and othered or made to sacrifice for perfection and power. They are in the grey—in the green—and for that, they are compelling. We may root for Elphaba in the comfort of our movie theater seats, but many of us reflect Glinda in our actions, seeking praise as a prize through a guise of goodness.
As we belt out The Wizard and I from our cars, as we wait desperately for the release of Part II (do we think Chu is taking any bribes??), and as we continue to hold space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity, we must also hold space for self-reflection and a commitment to compassion. Wow, that’s so powerful. I didn’t know that was happening. *Finger hold.*