By Mia Ciechalski

(Above photo: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in “Wicked.” Photo by Universal Pictures – © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.)

Whether you are a long-time theater lover or a first time viewer, “Wicked,” Part 1, will defy your expectations. 

“Wicked” is based on the book by Gregory Maguire. It was adapted into a musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman and it is currently the fourth longest musical Broadway show. It’s the tale of how the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good ended up on their current paths, which we all know from the classic “The Wizard of Oz.” The film was directed by Jon M. Chu, who is best known as the director of 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians.” 

The cast is a talented array: Elphaba, who is also known as the Wicked Witch, is played by Broadway and movie star Cynthia Erivo; Glinda, who was formerly known as Galinda, but decided to change her name half way through through the film, is pop sensation Ariana Grande; The handsome Fiyero Tigelaar is portrayed by beloved Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey; Boq Woodsman is Ethan Slater, known from “Spongebob the Musical”; Madame Morrible is played by the very accomplished actress, Michelle Yeoh (an Oscar winner in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”); The Wizard of Oz is Jeff Goldblum (“Jurassic Park” and many other roles); Mr. Dillamond is played by Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”). 

The film transports you to the wonderful world of Oz, with many conflicts, new friendships created and challenges brought to the characters in the film. Elphaba faces judgment as nobody takes time to know her until a turning point in her relationship with Glinda. 

The characters develop as multiple characters stop trying to make themselves smaller to please others and and choose the paths that are best for them. 

The movie and the musical are both based off of the book. The author originally wanted to make it into a movie, but was advised to make it into a musical instead. According to the composer and lyricist of the musical, Schwartz, he discovered Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” and he saw all of its potential for a dramatic adaptation. 

This film is also a two-part film adaptation. They were both filmed right after one another, but because of how long they are altogether they decided to split it into two parts. The first part of the film is two hours and forty minutes, which is actually longer than the whole musical itself. The musical is 2 hours and 30 minutes, not including intermission. “Wicked Part 2” will be released in theaters exactly one year from now. 

Almost as intriguing as the plot is the production. Almost the whole set was constructed, and there were very few green screens used. In an interview with RadioTimes.com, production designer Nathan Crowley said he and his crew used 13 sound stages taking up almost 30 acres at the original studio. However, that still wasn’t enough so he ended up getting six more sound stages from another studio.  

Crowley said in the interview that he and his crew built three giant back lots for exterior sets. They took about 20 weeks to build, and the sets themselves were 35-50 feet high. 

In addition, the singing was done live during filming. The film studio had acoustics close to an actual sounding recording studio. 

In an interview that the main cast did on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Nov. 19, Grande said that decision was a big factor in why they all wanted to sing live during the process of filming. 

Grande said, “We’re all singers here, and it’s something we love to do. It was really important to us. A) because we love it, and B) because the emotional integrity of the content itself kind of demands it.

 “You’re able to be spontaneous and follow your feelings and be honest. Also, when the comedy is in the room, you know, improv and play and surprise … you can’t really do that if there’s a track.” 

Not only did the cast sing live during filming, the cast members did all of their dance scenes as well, including one of the film’s biggest dance scenes: the Ozdust Ballroom dance. 

Grande told NBC’s Today Show that scene lasted 10 minutes, and each time they filmed it, the scene was performed fully; it was a 12-hour filming day for everyone involved. 

The stunts? The actors did their own stunts, too.   In one scene where you can see Erivo doing her own stunt when she first gets her flying broomstick, while she is also singing one of the musical’s most popular songs, “Defying Gravity,” live. 

Regardless of whether you read the book or saw the musical beforehand, there is still something for everyone in this film. All of the impressive production techniques will help make you enjoy the film so much more because you can see all of the hard work, time and dedication that was put into this production. 

Reviewer Mia Ciechalski is a journalism and dance major at SUNY Fredonia.