My fiancée has waited nearly two decades for a production to even come close to this caliber. She was first enamored with the play back in junior high and got to witness it on Broadway eventually, getting a poster signed by the entire cast. Perhaps she might be slightly embarrassed by the sharing of this next fact, but I must, as it lifted my experience and enjoyment to the sky. 

Witnessing the climatic ending where notes, characters, and feelings crescendoed to the highest boundless peaks, so did she. I glance over at my fiancée, who has waited roughly 17 years to see a movie be made of this play, and the biggest smile through streaming tears captured everything she had to say. I can only count maybe one or two other times in our relationship that I’ve seen her be moved quite this much, and we’re nearing three years together. Those emotions pouring out of her made the journey I know almost nothing about worth every single second. 

I won’t prattle on too long with my own thoughts, because most who will have watched this will be feeling close, if not more, to what she felt. I’m not very musically inclined, I don’t play any instruments, I only sing in the car on occasion, I haven’t watched many musicals, but I am trying to open myself more to them. This is the first version of Wicked I’ve ever seen. I adore The Wizard of Oz (and that review MUST come soon, especially now) so this is one that has always raised my interest a bit more than some others. 

Someone I didn’t anticipate being impressed with acting-wise that I was proved wrong on was Ariana Grande. Of course she’s going to have the voice to back up what is being asked of her, but a great deal of research appears to have gone into Glinda’s mannerisms. Those head tilts, the gentle hand motions, the seemingly-permanent smile, all threw me back to the original actress who played Glinda. They seemed so close. The inevitable comparisons are going to happen, and seeing care being brought to emulate the original cast made me joyful. 

I’ll go ahead and share my favorite scene and I’m curious if it’s other fans’ favorite as well. The “interpretive dance” scene, and the rest don’t even come close. As an outsider in so many regards (starting a new job, being a 31 year old who still loves cartoons, anime, video games, etc., and even here, where musicals are definitely not my bread and butter), this scene took me some strength to keep myself together. You must know I’m a sucker for scenes with no spoken dialogue, and to get that in a musical is something even more rare. Elphaba rising to the occasion despite heckling to get someone, anyone, to join her. Then Glinda, breaking free of her self-absorbed, advantageous thinking to join this lone soul when no one else would. Their souls align and Elphaba expresses her deepest sorrows, yet is so swept in the moment that no powers flare out of her. Glinda does not judge, does not move on, she simply keeps momentum with her new friend’s wishes. It is such a powerful scene. 

I’ll leave all other thoughts to those who, like my fiancée, have been waiting years to see this express their own heartfelt entries. You all will be able to illustrate just what went into the production here. You’ll make the contrasts and comparisons, you’ll know every member of the team and why they’re significant. Although I must state that certain cameos were not lost on me whatsoever, and if you don’t know, you may have the biggest surprised face on, like she did when I looked over at her. 

I hope all who waited get as much out of this as she did. When I saw how it affected her, I got a glimpse into this world and just how much it really means to people. The closest I can probably equate to my own interests is when they created another Dragon Ball Z movie after, funnily enough, 17 years. 

You all are going to love this. I can tell by the ratings alone that you’re so happy with how this came out, and I’m so excited for you all. I know you’re going to see this multiple times and we’ve already got our eyes on the steelbook. This was a joy to be a part of, and I’m way more excited for Part II than I was originally expecting.