"Wicked" has bewitched even its most reluctant fans, enticing them to overstay their welcome in the magical world of Oz.
Months after its release, I can still hear the faint echo of Cynthia Erivo's earth-shattering "Defying Gravity" riff ringing in my ears. I'm still holding space for the lovely friendship between stars Erivo and Ariana Grande during their global press tour. And Jonathan Bailey's endless charm both on and off screen still very much has me under a spell. "The Wizard of Oz" prequel has made an indelible mark on culture in the last year, telling the mystical tale of a green-skinned social outcast, Elphaba (Erivo), and popular mean girl Glinda's (Grande) unlikely friendship at Shiz University.
The Jon M. Chu adaptation of the Tony-winning 2003 Broadway musical has made $700 million worldwide and its cultural influence will only grow when the sequel, "Wicked: For Good," is released later this year. "Wicked"'s success has garnered ten Academy Awards nominations, including nods for best picture and its lead and supporting actresses, Erivo and Grande. "Wicked"'s music, the backbone of the musical, has also been recognized by the Academy but only in the score category, due to its lack of original music, which deems it ineligible for consideration.
While "Wicked" cannot compete in this category against songs from "Emilia Pérez," "Sing Sing," or "The Six Triple Eight," its songs are among the most captivating audiences have experienced this awards season.
The beloved music is the result of a collaboration between the original composer and lyricist, Stephen Schwartz, and composer Jon Powell. According to Schwartz, of all the Elphabas and Glindas he has worked with over the past 20 years, Grande and Erivo "both bring enormous recording skills with them. They can kind of do anything vocally in a recording studio, and they're both extremely game to try things," he said in a Grammys interview.
"We would experiment, and Cynthia would try various riffs that came out of the performance," he explained.
While Grande was "tentative about her soprano," Schwartz recalled, "those sessions were really fun because, as they went on and she could hear how well she was doing, it became exciting and fun for her."
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Schwartz noted that Erivo and Grande's extensive Broadway experience is a "great advantage," especially since "they could do live performances when filming as well."
This raw talent and expertise shine through in Grande and Erivo’s grand musical numbers, "What Is This Feeling?" and "Popular." We already know they can belt high notes and deliver powerhouse performances—Grande from her mega pop music career and Erivo from her celebrated Broadway and West End roles—but "Wicked" unlocked something new in these accomplished performers.
Their electric dynamic is especially evident in their playful yet combative duet, "What Is This Feeling?" Watching them spar vocally as Elphaba and Glinda is a joy, as they navigate their loathing-filled relationship and its impact on the social hierarchy at Shiz University.
This performance, specifically, sets "Wicked"'s music apart from any other nominee this year. Even as their characters stand on opposing sides, Grande and Erivo’s vocal and acting performances remain perfectly in sync, blending seamlessly.
It’s impossible to ignore the immense star power behind these performances, yet Grande and Erivo fully disappear into their roles. Their musical chemistry drives the film forward, creating a distinctive tone that hinges on their vocal mastery. As Schwartz noted, the actresses sang live on set—something cinematographer Alice Brooks said "affected the entire mood of the set."
Sound mixer Simon Hayes said the live singing shifts further past just the aural experience attached to their performances.
“I want to see the emotion in the way they’re singing,” Hayes told Playbill. “There is emotion in that delivery, in seeing the muscles of their throat—it’s part of the performance. When we take that away, we’re stealing from the audience if we can’t give them every single bit of real performance that exists.”
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This palpable emotion reverberates in Erivo's nearly eight-minute rendition of the musical's most popular song, "Defying Gravity," originally sung by Idina Menzel in the Broadway production. In the movie's grand finale, Erivo's take on the classic transforms the meek Elphaba into a deviant young woman railing against Glinda and the system created by the duplicitous Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madam Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).
The lengthy sequence slightly differs from the original, allowing Erivo's voice and acting ability to breathe and build to a resolution even when Elphaba is being physically and emotionally pulled in various directions. Grande really steps up as Glinda attempts to convince Elphaba to fall in line with her, but Elphaba refuses. The pair shed beautiful tears while singing their final goodbyes.
"I was lucky because the composer and our music supervisor gave me the space to do with the notes — not as I pleased — but to make them mine, make them me so that they fit my voice. I'm really proud of it," Erivo said about her "Defying Gravity" performance.
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda in "Wicked" (Universal)Flying on her magical broomstick, wearing her black witch hat and matching cape synonymous with the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba emerges as her most empowered self and so does Erivo. Her soprano voice shows such control and dynamic range as she transitions from soft, vulnerable moments to rebellious growls in anger against the Wizard. Finally, Elphaba lets loose, belting a formidable and unforgettable riff that sets her free from control — it is the most in command that Erivo has sounded throughout the two-hour film.
"Wicked" doesn't need to prove that its musical performances are worth gold because audiences already know their profound musical impact. Even the suave Bailey, who plays Prince Fiyero, put in the work, filming "Bridgerton" season two, the limited series "My Fellow Travelers" and "Wicked" at the same time. His sheer dedication and work ethic paid off as he enchanted audiences and critics alike with his solo number, "Dancing Through Life."
Although a technicality kept "Wicked"'s music from receiving recognition in the way it deserved on Oscar night, it doesn't strip Erivo, Grande and even Bailey's originality in their star-making performances. Of course, the Academy may already know this, which is why it announced that Grande and Erivo will be on stage Sunday evening, performing songs from "Wicked" during the prestigious night in film. At least, we will once more witness the defying vocal abilities of two powerhouses born to play Elphaba and Glinda.
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