Trust me, at this point I’ve scanned through every valid point of criticism of Jon M. Chau’s $150 million Broadway play adaptation. It’s overlong. It’s so poorly lit it looks like a sitcom. It’s barely half a movie at best — or, at worst, a cynical, 160-minute commercial for the next installment. And let’s not even get started on the overeager built-in fan base whipping out their phones and taking pictures of the screen at public screenings as if they were at an Ariana Grande concert.
I get it. But the fact of the matter is that you don’t need to be a theater kid, know your Wizard of Oz lore back to front, or even like musicals at all to understand why “Wicked” — a prequel-slash-villain origin story starring Cynthia Erivo as the titular witch of the west — became a massive cultural juggernaut long before it stormed into theaters and rampaged through the box office with a $700 million global haul to show for it.
Sure, it’s an acquired taste and certainly not above criticism, but instead of harping on the flat visuals and getting unnecessarily worked up over fan antics, why not appreciate the dazzling choreography, catchy songs, and inspired use of practical sets instead? Why not give Ariana Grande her flowers for a change? Believe it or not, it would be a minor travesty if she doesn’t wind up getting her dues this awards season.
