Wicked (2024)

[BetterButter]

 

[Spartan Girl]

Okay, I need Cynthia’s “Defying Gravity” NOW.

[Bookworm 1979]

I didn't want to go see this, but now I think I have to.

[mariah23]

The Goldblum is the wizard??!!!  IN!!

[Morrigan2575]

I assume it's a musical but, I have no idea if some of, these actors can sing.

[SeanC]

1 hour ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I assume it's a musical but, I have no idea if some of, these actors can sing.

Most of the roles are played by people with musical theatre background. The exceptions are Yeoh and Goldblum, but Madam Morrible barely sings and both she and the Wizard are really just sing-talking.

[Morrigan2575]

38 minutes ago, SeanC said:

Most of the roles are played by people with musical theatre background. The exceptions are Yeoh and Goldblum, but Madam Morrible barely sings and both she and the Wizard are really just sing-talking.

Those were the 2, I was thinking of when I posted. Especially since Joel Grey originated The Wizard on Broadway and Yeoh's character has at least one number that I recall. 

[galaxygirl76]

2 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I assume it's a musical but, I have no idea if some of, these actors can sing.

Cynthia Erivo won a Tony for best actress in a musical.

[SeanC]

41 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Those were the 2, I was thinking of when I posted. Especially since Joel Grey originated The Wizard on Broadway and Yeoh's character has at least one number that I recall. 

Morrible's parts in "The Wizard and I" and "Thank Goodness", for the record. A couple of lines in each case, in neither case very challenging.

[Morrigan2575]

11 hours ago, SeanC said:

Morrible's parts in "The Wizard and I" and "Thank Goodness", for the record. A couple of lines in each case, in neither case very challenging.

Yeah but Goldblum has to sing "Wonderful" which granted I don't even remember how it sounded when I saw it live (several years into it's run) but, I listen to the Joel Gray version all the time.

I just don't recall him singing ever before, he might be good I just don't know.

[Chyromaniac]

Goldblum will be fine.  He’s been in a jazz band for at least a decade, and they’ve put out a few albums.  Here’s a duet he did with Sarah Silverman, and if he can pull off harmonies with someone doing comedic vocals (no offense to Sarah- I think she is fun here), nothing in Wicked will be a problem:

Me and My Shadow

[scarynikki12]

In the last couple of months I realized I'd never actually heard Ariana Grande sing despite knowing who she is for years. So I've listened to several of her songs and she doesn't enunciate at all. I really hope her getting the part was contingent on enunciating her songs. I'm already going to have a hard time not comparing her to Kristin (who makes every word in every song perfectly clear by the way).

I'm not even a little concerned about Cynthia. She's going to be amazing.

They're going to release a trailer making it clear it's a musical right? I don't want them to do like Mean Girls and pretend it's not.

[rmontro]

The only thing that bugs me about this is that they're doing it in two parts.  Splitting it in two like that seems like that will make it hit much differently than seeing it onstage, where you get the whole thing.  Even though Defying Gravity will make a nice finisher.

[Spartan Girl]

3 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

In the last couple of months I realized I'd never actually heard Ariana Grande sing despite knowing who she is for years. So I've listened to several of her songs and she doesn't enunciate at all. I really hope her getting the part was contingent on enunciating her songs. I'm already going to have a hard time not comparing her to Kristin (who makes every word in every song perfectly clear by the way).

I'm not even a little concerned about Cynthia. She's going to be amazing.

They're going to release a trailer making it clear it's a musical right? I don't want them to do like Mean Girls and pretend it's not.

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Wicked is a musical. And DG is in the rrailer.

[Bill1978]

7 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Wicked is a musical. And DG is in the rrailer.

While all of this is true, it is edited in a way that gives the impression they've decided to film a non-musical version of it. Especially with the version of DG used, which is reminiscent of all those slowed down 'creepy' covers that Disney use to use for their early days remakes. The version of DG used in that trialer sounds more end credits than what you would expect from a movie adaptation of the musical.

You can definitely see the shots that are from musical numbers but, similar to Wonka's trailers where similar shots occurred, they seem scared to reveal it is actually a musical. 

Remember there were people upset that the Sweeney Todd movie was a musical and felt duped by the trailer.

[Chyromaniac]

Agreed- there’s a difference between hearing a couple of notes sung from a song, and actually showing someone singing.  The bit from Defying Gravity isn’t even a word, it’s just a vocal run.  What’s the difference between that, and the kind of vocalizing found in any number of movie scores?  And while Wicked absolutely was a phenomenon, that was also twenty years ago.  If this movie is going to be successful, it’s going to have to draw in kids who weren’t even alive back then, and adults who have probably forgotten/never knew that there even was a musical.  The fans know, and they’ll show up (unless they’ve heard that it’s only half the show, and decide to just wait until they can watch both parts at home).  Either way, it would be nice for them to make it clear that this is a musical - I think Hollywood would be in much better shape if they would just tell us what their movies are actually like, rather than trying to fudge them into looking like what they assume random moviegoers would want to see.

Edited February 17 by Chyromaniac

[JustHereForFood]

I don't get people who don't look up info about movies they are going to see and then wonder if it is/isn't something.

[MadyGirl1987]

13 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

I don't get people who don't look up info about movies they are going to see and then wonder if it is/isn't something.

Right? I feel the same about books. I'm not going to waste my time reading or watching something I don't know what it is. Life's too short and there are so many things I know that I want to read or watch. The only thing is maybe if family or friends wants to see something and I'm going along to go along. That's how I saw the first Avatar movie; we were at my grandma's celebrating Christmas with my mom's family and the family wanted to see it. I hadn't really know anything about it.

Back on topic; I hope they don't try to hide it's a musical. As a musical and Broadway fan I hate to think of something being a musical being seen as a dirty little secret to keep under wraps. This trailer seems to have it both ways. Knowing the show, I can pick out defying gravity, but if someone doesn't know the show, I could see them just thinking it's a song for the movie or part of the score. I hope the next trailer is out and proud about it being a musical. The show was insanely popular. Many people love musicals. Cater to your base rather then trying to get people who don't like musicals to see it, because they may see it, but they won't enjoy it. You get the butts in seats and ticket sales, but bad word of mouth which hurts ticket sales in it's own way.

I also would agree that someone would have to be living under a rock not to know Wicked was a musical, or to think that a movie set in the Wizard of Oz universe, which is primarily known for the iconic 1939 musical might have music, but people surprise me every day with not knowing something I consider common knowledge and I know there are a lot of blanks in my pop culture knowledge so who knows.

[rmontro]

7 hours ago, Bill1978 said:

While all of this is true, it is edited in a way that gives the impression they've decided to film a non-musical version of it.

Fair point, I mean it was a novel first, after all.  No reason they couldn't be adapting the novel as a story, is there?

[Sarah 103]

19 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Wicked is a musical. And DG is in the rrailer.

 

4 hours ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

I also would agree that someone would have to be living under a rock not to know Wicked was a musical, or to think that a movie set in the Wizard of Oz universe, which is primarily known for the iconic 1939 musical might have music, but people surprise me every day with not knowing something I consider common knowledge and I know there are a lot of blanks in my pop culture knowledge so who knows.

I read the comments section for the trailer on YouTube and you would be amazed at the number of people who have absolutely no idea the musical Wicked exists. I was really surprised because I thought even if people hadn't seen it, they would at least be vaguely aware of it as something that exists. 

[BetterButter]

Inside Wicked: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Talk Glinda and Elphaba

[tv echo]

‘Wicked’ Lights Up CinemaCon with Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Director Jon M. Chu
BY CHRIS GARDNER   APRIL 10, 2024
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-movie-footage-ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-1235871401/ 

Quote

One year after debuting the first look of Wicked at CinemaCon, Universal Pictures brought members of the magical crew to Las Vegas on Wednesday to light up the festivities once again, with the team including filmmaker Jon M. Chu and his leading ladies, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who had the honor of introducing exclusive footage for theater owners.
*  *  *
The electric presentation — which featured on stage remarks from cast members such as Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Chu and producer Marc Platt — was telegraphed from the start as Colosseum staffers handed out Wicked lanyards to attendees when they walked into the theater. Other staffers instructed guests to be careful with tulips placed in the cupholder of each seat until they were asked to.

Universal chief Donna Langley had the “privilege” of introducing Wicked team in a segment that showed how much faith the studio has in the film as they devoted 30 minutes of the two-hour presentation to the musical. “You all got a taste of this stunning film at last year’s CinemaCon,” said Langley. “And the world has loved this musical and celebrated it for more than 20 years. It’s proof that our future is unlimited — if that will give you a little bit of a tease. Thank you all for being here today. The wizard will see you now.”

The theater then went dark and those lanyards lit up as did the tulips in shades of pink and green, going from flashing to bright in a stunning display. The screen then featured an oversized Oz, who delivered a custom voiceover for CinemaCon. “Who are you and why do you seek me? Behold CinemaConians,” Oz said. “A spectacle awaits that will glorify your palaces of light and sound this holiday season. … Remember there’s no place like Oz. There’s no place like Oz.”

The wizard then appeared in actor form as Goldblum delivered an Oz-tastic opener for the team by being the first to come to the stage after Langley. He said that after a decades-long (or “longish”) career that has been him chased by dinosaurs and turned into a fly, he’s “never been a part of the magic that is this movie,” he said. He then corrected himself to say “movies” as the pics were filmed concurrently. He praised the creative team that constructed the set, created the props and delivering the magical world. “This whole experience has been, to me, in a word dreamy.”

Chu and Platt then came out on stage with the latter saying that his own journey with the material began 25 years ago when he first read Gregory Maguire’s book, which he first envisioned as a film. But at the urging of composer collaborator Stephen Schwartz, it was conceived first as a stage musical. The rest is history.

Chu then described himself as “a Silicon Valley” kid who “in a stroke of luck that now seems like destiny,” he happened to be in San Francisco at the time the musical was workshopped. “It imprinted itself on me permanently.” He said he related to the story of Elphaba, someone “who was judged for the way she looks.” It became a dream job when he was hired to direct it for the screen.
*  *  *
Erivo and Grande then came to the stage to rousing applause from the crowd, dressed in nods to their characters with Grande in an Oscar de la Renta flower dress with shades of pink while Erivo was decked out in Versace, wearing a green top, silver skirt and thigh high boots. Though they didn’t sing, Erivo noted that it was the first time that either of them have spoken publicly about Wicked. “This whole experience is absolutely impossible to put into words,” Grande added. She detailed her winding road to Wicked that started when she first saw the Broadway show at age 10. In that instant that she knew playing Glinda was her dream role.

Erivo came to it later in life, at age 25, when she took herself on a solo date to see the show. “We have performed these songs publicly and privately and now here we are playing Elphaba and Glinda, two roles that have been so pivotal in our lives.”
*  *  *
Erivo stars as Elphaba to Grande’s Glinda opposite Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Bridgerton star Bailey as love interest Fiyero, Goldblum as the Wizard, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen and Adam James as Glinda’s father. During today’s presentation, it was announced that Peter Dinklage has taken on the role of Dr. Dillamond.
*  *  *
Wicked hits theaters in time for Thanksgiving on Nov. 27. A sequel, Wicked Part Two, is set to be released on Nov. 26, 2025.

Edited April 12 by tv echo