On November 22nd, 2024, Wicked Part One came out in theaters, with Ariana Grande playing Glinda and Cynthia Erivo playing Elphaba. They both did really well, and the musical numbers as well as the scenes were amazingly made. In this article, you will learn about Wicked Part One, casting, and its production process.
Casting
Many other celebrities and actors auditioned for the main roles but didn’t get it. For example, Dove Cameron, Renee Rapp, Amanda Seyfried, and Taylor Louderman all auditioned for the role of Glinda, but didn’t get it. Ariana DeBose, Lady Gaga, Samantha Barks, Anna Kendrick, Cristin Milioti and Jessie J were also interested in playing Elphaba, the protagonist of the movie, but instead the role went to Cynthia Erivo. Shawn Mendes tried out for Fiyero, but in the final cast, Jonathan Bailey played the role instead.
Plot
The setting of Wicked was after Dorothy’s house crushed the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. The story line of Wicked Part One basically went like this: In the Land of Oz, a wicked witch had just died. Another witch named Glinda explained what had happened to the people (No One Mourns The Wicked), and a flashback began. Two young witches by the names of Elphaba and Glinda went to a school called Shiz together (Dear Old Shiz). Elphaba had green skin and uncontrollable powers (that eventually became her gift) and was bullied for it, while Glinda always wore pink and was popular. Elphaba’s great powers caught the eye of Madame Morrible, a professor at Shiz, and she took lessons from her to be able to control her own powers so they wouldn’t hurt anyone. Elphaba dreamt of being able to meet the Wizard of Oz one day (The Wizard And I). Elphaba and Glinda were forced to room together, and Glinda originally disliked Elphaba (What Is This Feeling). In history class, which was taught by a goat, Elphaba learned that the rights of animals were being taken away (Something Bad). A prince called Fiyero visited the school (Dancing Through Life), and he and Glinda began to date. Unbeknownst to them, Elphaba was also in love with Fiyero (I’m Not That Girl) After Elphaba got Glinda sorcery lessons, Glinda was grateful and became best friends with Elphaba, trying to make her popular (Popular). The Wizard of Oz heard about Elphaba’s great talent, and invited her to the Emerald City to visit him. At the last minute, Elphaba invited Glinda to come with her, which she willingly agreed (One Short Day). However, they soon find out that the only reason the Wizard called for Elphaba was to get her to use her powers to take away the rights of animals (A Sentimental Man), which Elphaba refused. Madame Morrible, Elphaba’s sorcery teacher, calls Elphaba “wicked” after she and Glinda attempted to flee. Elphaba leaves for the West, eventually becoming the Wicked Witch of the West, and she and Glinda say goodbye (Defying Gravity).
Filming and More
The movie Wicked comes in two parts, Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 is already out, while Part 2 is scheduled to be released in late 2025. Both parts are already filmed, so all the actors will be the same. Although Ariana was going to wear a wig as Glinda, she still dyed her hair blonde. She also had to bleach her eyebrows to complete the look. Before filming, she always had to use makeup to cover up her tattoos. Cynthia Erivo also had to do extreme things for her role as Elphaba, one of them being having to shave her head. She did this so that the makeup crew could paint her scalp, as well as the rest of her body, green. It was said that she spent four hours getting her makeup done for Wicked.
Fun Facts
- Wicked is the prequel to The Wizard of Oz
- Ariana Grande is currently dating her co-actor Ethan Slater (munchkin boy)
- Elphaba and Fiyero rescued a lion cub in the forest, which hints to the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz movie
- Wicked is a musical, which means it has songs in it, and it has 11 musical numbers in the first part
Conclusion
Overall, Wicked is a great movie and you should definitely go see it while it’s still in theaters. It highlights the importance of friendship, and many more important morals similar to that!
