We’re not in Kansas anymore
On Friday, November 22, 2024, members of the Suffield High School Choir, Band, and Drama Club ventured to view the heavily anticipated movie, Wicked starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, directed by Jon M. Chu.
The dazzling film left students and teachers on the brink of tears, wanting for more as the end credits rolled down the screen. Students had expressed excitement about the field trip throughout the week in advance and on the way to the cinema, the movie did not let us down! Even days after, students were still raving about their time at the cinema, and singing “Defying Gravity” between classes.
But, even top-tier movie-musical adaptations have their lessons to teach. Students from band, drama, and choir were able to take home extraordinary knowledge on studio acting, movie production, film singing, and music theory. The field trip, overall, was a major success for not only the students, but the teachers. I hope more events and teaching moments like this continue to be offered throughout the year.
From Stage to Screen
As a big musical theater fan, I have my fair share of opinions about the movie musical, Wicked. The stage musical Wicked is a story about life in the Land of Oz before the arrival of Dorothy Gale, especially the lives of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North as they attend school at Shiz University. This musical includes themes of change, oppression, love, and especially, perseverance.
This April, I was fortunate enough to see the musical live on stage. It has been, since then, one of my favorite Broadway musicals of all time. When I had the opportunity to see the movie musical, I had to act on the opportunity. With this comparison, I had high hopes and the film lived up to its expectations. It was just as magical and complex, if not more, than its stage counterpart.
The well known director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, Jon M. Chu, lives up to his renowned reputation throughout this movie with amazing special effects and choreography. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (Elphaba and Glinda, respectively) excelled in their main roles with exceptional singing performances and acting prowess. As someone familiar with Grande’s work, I was astounded by her operatic singing and excellent portrayal of one of the most famous figures in Broadway history.
Among the supporting actors, Michelle Yeoh as the sorcery teacher at Shiz, Madame Morrible, excelled in her role, as usual, with the amazing grace and gravity that is expected of such an experienced actress. The costumes, the colors, and the choreography contribute to making an amazing film which rivals that of the Broadway production. The film industry looks forward to Jon M. Chu’s upcoming projects such as a movie musical adaptation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and a film adaptation of Britney Spears’ autobiography, The Woman in Me. I adored seeing Wicked and seeing it with all my friends put this experience over the top.