This week, we’ve had the delight of welcoming four students from a local secondary school to South Mill Arts for their week-long work experience.
Two of these students, focusing more on theatre operations and marketing, attended our Parent & Baby Screening of Wicked – and were asked to write a review of the film.
Here’s what they had to say…
‘The world of Oz was first introduced as a book- ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by L Frank Baum, and then a successful film. What came next was Wicked, the novel by Greg Maguire, that became the 10th longest-running show in the West End.
The story of Wicked follows the life of Elphaba Thropp, (Named after L.F.B) the Wicked Witch of the West, through school as she unearths her own power and the secrets of Oz.
In Wicked, Cynthia Erivo stars as the protagonist Elphaba alongside Ariana Grande (Glinda Upland, Elphaba’s best friend). Both women are amazingly talented performers and clearly brought such passion to the roles.
They delivered some truly sensational vocals both together and apart, in numbers like ‘The Wizard and I’ and fan favourite, ‘Popular’. The whole cast, including names like Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Marrisa Bode as Nessarose and Ethan Slater as Boq, deliver an incredible performance all round, bringing comedy and heartfelt moments to the film.
Possibly my favourite moment was Elphaba and Glinda’s dance together during the number ‘Dancing Through Life’. Its such a beautiful and poignant moment and I cried the first time I saw it. To me, it really showcased the characters’ complexity and felt like a pivotal moment in their friendship.
As a long-term fan of the show, I wasn’t sure if the film would be everything I loved about the musical, but it absolutely succeeded. It has innovative and astonishingly creative costume and technical design, a hugely talented cast and crew and huge amounts of spirit. Wicked is a gorgeous, sometimes thrilling, always engaging, emotionally impactful film, and director Jon M. Chu has delivered a smash hit in two parts that everybody should go and see.’
-Katie F
‘With a budget of $145 million and director Jon M. Chu, who’s directed great hits (In The Heights, Crazy Rich Asians and Now You See Me 2), there was no doubt that this film adaptation would be a huge success. It is based on the musical from the book written by Gregory Maguire in 1995. Even just a small glance at the cast could tell you how great it would be and it’s clear that it’s delivered.
The film follows the first part of Wicked where we learn about Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who has a rough childhood due to her green skin, and how she ends up at Shiz due to an accident where she reveals her powers. She ends up rooming with Galinda (Ariana Grande), who later in the film changes her to Glinda. The two don’t get along but after Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) invites students to go on a night out, despite it being against the rules, Glinda pushes Boq (Ethan Slater) to ask out Elphaba’s sister Nessa (Marissa Bode). This leads to Nessa saying that maybe Elphaba should give Glinda a chance.
The two become best friends and when Elphaba is invited to the Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), Glinda also tags along. The film comes to its climax as it is revealed the Wizard can’t read the Grimmerie, the ancient text in Emerald City that contains spells. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the magic professor who was working with the Wizard, knew Elphaba’s potential and recognised she may have been able to read it. Elphaba escapes the Emerald City on a magic broom after she is said to be a wicked witch, leaving behind the life she knew and ending the film.
Although many people were upset at this only being part one, part two isn’t too far away so avid fans don’t have to wait long to see how Chu wraps up this musical in the sequel. Overall, I enjoyed this film and felt that despite it being split into two parts, it has been successful, and it delivered to the hype it received. I have no doubt that part two will equally impress people.’
-Kathryn
Well done to Katie and Kathryn for these informative reviews and to all of the students for their work throughout the week.
