A highly unexpected performance by the Wicked cast makes for a great movie-watching experience. Going into the theater you can expect to laugh, listen to great music, and maybe even shed a tear.
“I am excited because I am going to see [Wicked] with my family over Thanksgiving,” said junior Jessica Bellah.
Universal Pictures released Wicked: Part One on November 22, 2024. The once-Broadway musical moved to the big screen, starring Tony, Grammy, Emmy-winning Cynthia Erivo, and Grammy-winning Ariana Grande. According to IMBD, the Astra Midseason Movie Awards nominated Wicked as one of the most anticipated movies of 2024. It was also very anticipated among OH students. Many students are excited to see this movie with friends or family.
The marketing for Wicked has been phenomenal. Many stores, including Target and Starbucks, have ads and products promoting the movie.
“I like the Starbucks cups… I think they’re cute,” said Bellah.
Along with all the marketing, the huge popularity of the original Broadway musical set high expectations for the movie adaptation of Wicked.
“For it to be really good because I heard good things about it,” said senior Sophia Lopez.
Expectations were met on the big screen. The performances and new song renditions were showstoppers for the audience. The movie showcased awesome performances from the two stars, Grande and Erivo, and background singers and dancers.
“The vocalists were really, really talented,” said Lopez.
The movie was described as, “sad and witty,” by Lopez. There were many favorite scenes and characters to see in Wicked.
One fan favorite was Elphaba, the shy but brave ‘wicked witch’ played by Erivo. Lopez said she, “connected with Elphaba because she was kind of left out.”
One scene that stuck with the audience was at the end of the movie when Erivo sings defying gravity. It was powerful and chilling to see her character, Elphaba, not be shy anymore and stand up for what was right.
Bellah said a scene that stuck with her was “defying gravity [because] it was super emotional and showed different sides of the characters.”
Wicked: Part One has been a huge hit and has broken many box office records, including the highest-grossing movie of all time based on a Broadway musical according to Deadline.
Wicked: Part Two was released on Nov. 21.
My name is Andrea and this is my first year as a 42Fifty staff reporter! I am a senior at OHS and am involved in many honor societys. I am so excited to write many stories this year.
