Released on Wednesday, December 4 in our theaters, “Wicked” is the adaptation of the musical comedy of the same name. Which has some similarities with Disney’s “Frozen”.
WARNING – The article below contains slight spoilers for “Wicked”, as it notably mentions one of its surprises. Please move on if you don’t want to know anything until you see it.
There was Wonka in 2023. And it is Wicked which ensures the category “great family, musical and colorful holiday show” This year. Another prequel (to The Wizard of Oz this time) but which was not created from scratch. Jon M. Chu’s film is indeed inspired by the show designed by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman in 2003, itself adapted from the book by Gregory Maguire in 1996.
Launched in New York in 2003 and in London in 2006, the musical is still performed there today and is one of the biggest successes of its genre. Which is reflected at the box office (to a lesser extent in France, where Wicked has never been performed and is therefore less established), since the feature film has already grossed 378 million dollars worldwide, including 281 million dollars alone. ‘in the United States, which makes it the fifth biggest hit of the year there.
Even before it arrived in theaters, Wicked was already a phenomenon. And he owes it as much to his themes (fear of others, demonization, animal abuse in mind) as to his songs. Of which the very light “Popular” and the very intense “Defying Gravity”a hit which closes the first part of the show (and the film released last December 4 in France) and whose influence goes beyond Broadway or the West End.
If the influence of Wicked on a film like Maleficent (rereading of Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of the villain) is obvious, it is less so with regard to Frozen. And yet. Already in its narrative, the Oscar-winning animated feature film in 2014 tells the story of Anna and her sister Elsa, whose magical powers plunged the kingdom of Arendelle into eternal winter. Which is reminiscent of the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba, future Wicked Witch of the West.
On a musical level, then, many experts have noted similarities between “Defying Gravity” et “Liberated, delivered”. First of all, in the themes, since the two songs talk about emancipation and assuming who we are, but also in their respective structures.
A closeness reinforced by the fact that Idina Menzel, who played Elsa in the original version of Frozen, also played Elphaba in Wicked, between October 2003 and January 2005 in New York, then from September to December 2006 in London , when the show arrived across the Channel. While Cynthia Erivo is in the process of carving out a place of choice in the collective unconscious, she remains one of the most emblematic faces of the show… and the feature film which is inspired by her manages to orchestrate their meeting.
After singing the praises of the film, Kristin Chenoweth (performer of Glinda on stage opposite Idina Menzel) kicked in when the question of a cameo was asked to her. So that the surprise is a little more beautiful for the fans, when they see the two actresses arrive for a pretty scene, in the Emerald City, where the two heroines attend a show recounting the arrival of the magician in Oz.
“It was like a passing of the broom”
A deeply symbolic sequence, which brings two generations of Glinda and Elphaba face to face, and in which Idina Menzel even makes a reference to “Defying Gravity”. “It was so surreal. Truly extraordinary”Ariana Grande told Variety about these appearances. “Having these two women by our side who helped write, create and give birth to our characters, to see them embrace our versions, it was unreal.”
“There’s a moment where Idina stares at my hat and sends me on my way.”says Cynthia Erivo, the Elphaba of the film. “Without falling into cliché, it was like a passing of the broom. Getting the blessing of the Queen in person was very, very beautiful.” An inevitably magical appearance which, in addition to delighting fans, further strengthens the links between Wicked and Frozen.
