Out of all of the new movies coming out in theaters this year, Wicked was one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2024. With all of the history between Wicked and The Wizard of Oz franchises, I’m left with the question of which production of Wicked is better? The Broadway show or the new movie?
I’ve been very lucky to have seen both amazing versions just this year. I saw the Broadway show in New York in June, and the movie in November when it was released. Wicked is a prequel to the classic movie “The Wizard of Oz” and tells the story of Elphaba or “The Wicked Witch of the West” and her new friend Galinda “The Good Witch” and how they attend Shiz University to become wizards. Elphaba and Galinda experience quite the journey together, and become very close as the story unfolds.
The new movie Wicked expands on the amazing narrative of the Broadway musical by showing a little more depth about the characters’ backstories. Cynthia Erivo does an incredible job in the role of Elphaba, showing her difficult backstory that starts when she was a child. The movie describes how Elphaba has always been treated differently because she’s green and not like everyone else. While performing in her many emotional scenes, you can see how much work she put into this role. Cynthia also did an amazing job with her stunts in the movie as she did all of them while singing at the same time.
The sensational superstar Arianna Grande has said that her dreams came true when she got cast as Galinda in the new movie. She does a great job embracing all of Galinda’s quirks. Her vocals were phenomenal throughout the whole movie, but my personal favorite was when she sang the song “No One Mourns the Wicked”.
The entire movie was really good and I loved the casting for each character. The only complaint I have of the film is that we don’t get to see the whole performance of Wicked like we get to see in the Broadway production. It is cut short, and we have to wait until next year when they release Wicked: Part 2.
Any chance to see a musical on Broadway is such a magical experience because you get to see the show live, right in front of you. When I got the opportunity to see Wicked on Broadway, it was everything I thought it would be and more. You get to see the actors living out their dream of acting on Broadway and it’s so awesome.
The most iconic version of Wicked on Broadway was when original cast members Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Galinda graced the stage. That was 21 years ago, so I obviously did not get to see them perform, but it was still amazing. Back when it first opened on Broadway, Wicked earned 3 Tony awards, among many other awards. When you see this production on Broadway, it’s just so magical how it all comes together. With all the talented actors working so hard, the gorgeous set designs, and of course the beautiful music that transforms the entire production. It’s an absolute joy to attend any musical on Broadway, but especially one as thrilling as Wicked.
My overall review of both of these productions of Wicked, is that they are both amazing. You get to see the story of these two wonderful characters and how they become friends, as well as the challenges they meet along the way.
But if I had to choose my favorite production, I would choose the Broadway show as the better one, in my opinion. You get to see the whole production without waiting a year to see the second half. Granted you will have a 15 minute intermission for the second half of the Broadway show, but that just gives you a break to walk around, stretch your legs and go to the bathroom before it starts again. At least you don’t have to wait a year! I would recommend that if you are interested in seeing the extraordinary prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” that you definitely go see any version of Wicked as fast as you can.