The famed musical Wicked will be hitting screens on November 22nd with the first half of a two-part theatrical adaptation featuring a whole new cast and a whole new set of expectations, led by pop star Ariana Grande who is making a pivot from topping the charts to topping the cast list of the upcoming musical. For fans of her music, they will be seeing a whole new version of Grande who had to completely strip away her pop identity to take on the role of Glinda the Good Witch.
Grande and the rest of the cast have lofty expectations but early reviews already have this looking like a knockout. Grande has already gotten the seal of approval from the original Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth. With all the positivity behind it, it is sure to be "Popular." Before the first part comes out, fans are dying to hear the iconic songs once again. Here are the songs we're most excited for in the upcoming two-part musical film.
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Cast
- Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd
- Runtime
- 160 Minutes
10 "Defying Gravity"
Arguably the most popular song from the original musical which debuted in 2003. The song was first belted out for all to hear by the powerhouse Idina Menzel. The uplifting musical number will this time be taken on by Tony-Winning actress Cynthia Erivo. The actor-singer won the award for Best Actress for her performance in The Color Purple.
A Fresh Take
To manage the impressive number, Erivo will have to flex every ounce of her musical muscle. And her past performances make it clear that she is up for it. Erivo is an actress who fans might have also seen on screen in Stephen King's The Outsider and for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in Harriet. Erivo will be donning the famous all-green look of her character, Elphaba, and fans may be shocked to see just how well the actress is able to handle the difficult number.
9 "The Wizard and I"
Another Elphaba-centric song to delight fans. The mostly solo performance will feature Madame Morrible (portrayed by Michelle Yeoh) where Morrible tells Elphaba of her powers and arranges a meeting with The Wizard. The song will show up in the first part of the film being released later this November.
Elphaba's Iconic Voice
This song represents a turn for Elphaba as she begins to gain confidence and discover her strength. It is another in the series of uplifting songs in the musical and it is sure to have fans singing along. The amount of impressive musical numbers like this song will showcase the full range of Erivo's voice and captivate audiences with the journey of the character of Elphaba.
8 "Popular"
This time it's Grande's turn to step into the shoes of Glinda and impress in the role she always dreamed of playing. The artist trained relentlessly just for the audition process. She had to convince the director, Jon M. Chu that she had the chops to go from the pop stage to Broadway. The quirky and fun number has long been an earworm for fans and will see Grande bringing a fresh take on the always "Popular" song.
Un-"Popular" Choice
The years of displaying her voice would make it an easy choice for most to choose Grande for the role. But with such a passionate fanbase and due to Grande's lack of musical experience, fans were initially critical of the choice. Grande took the criticism on the chin and is clearly ready to show that she was the right choice.
7 "Something Bad"
Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage takes on the role of Doctor Dillamond, a goat who is unfairly discriminated against in his role as a teacher at Shiz University. Dillamond sings alongside Elphaba as they worry about the future of animals of outsiders in Oz.
Doctor Dillamond
Dinklage is certain to bring to the role his well-known charm and acting gravitas to the role. For fans who might not know him for his theatrical credits, he has long performed on stage in shows such as Richard III, A Month In The Country, and the musical film Cyrano. Dinklage showed off his range in Cyrano and is ready to do it again this November in Wicked. For fans of Wicked, prepare to see a few differences between the musical and the movie.
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6 "What Is This Feeling?"
Elphaba and Glinda sing a duet in "What Is This Feeling?" at the peak of their contempt for one another. Used to always being the popular one, Glinda grows disdainful of Elphaba after her talents begin to overshadow Glinda. Grande and Erivo will be able to display the connection they have grown during the rehearsals and filming process, even if their characters may be clashing at this moment in the film.
Fraught Friendship
Elphaba and Glinda experience an up-and-down friendship throughout the musical but always offer catchy and danceable music numbers. And this one is no different. Despite the noted "loathing" between them, it is one of the most enjoyable songs of bitterness.
5 "I'm Not That Girl"
Elphaba continuously struggles with her confidence due to her appearance and unique abilities. She falls for Fiyero (portrayed by Jonathan Bailey) but believes that he could never love someone like her more than Glinda. Despite her lacking confidence, the two share multiple romantic moments together and ultimately end up together.
That Girl
Despite her early lack of belief in herself, Elphaba sees immense growth throughout the musical. Erivo is sure to bring the right spirit to this role and this musical number is more somber than the rest of the musical. The song will return as a reprise from Ginda's perspective and a whole new meaning. For Erivo, filming this scene caused her to break down in tears and will likely cause fans to do the same.
4 "A Sentimental Man"
The Wizard, played by the beloved Jeff Goldblum, displays the emotional side of the previously feared Wizard of Oz. For much of the first act, The Wizard is portrayed as scary, but after Elphaba is finally able to meet him, she sees that this may not actually be the case. But he later shows his true colors as he is behind the suppression of the animals and is actually a fraud.
The Wizard
After Elphaba scorns The Wizard, a lie is spread throughout the kingdom that Elphaba is wicked, causing others to turn on her. The Tony-Winning musical finds its lead at a crossroads after this encounter. Before Wicked, Goldblum performed in another Tony-winning musical, Two Gentlemen of Verona.
3 "Wonderful"
Oh, what a "wonderful" song it is. But for fans who find this song to be their favorite, they will have to wait until part two to see it on screen. The Wizard is at it again as he tells Elphaba how he is an ordinary man from Ohio and fell into the position of The Wizard by accident.
A Liar and a Leader
While falling into his position of power, The Wizard often abuses that power and consistently lets down the innocent Elphaba. The Wizard almost manages to convince her again that he may actually be decent, but after seeing what has been done to Doctor Dillamond, she vows to destroy The Wizard once and for all.
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2 "No Good Deed"
With so many powerful ballads sung by Elphaba, this may be her most powerful. Originally sung by Menzel in the musical, she lit up audiences with this display of strength much like the character of Elphaba. This song finds Elphaba as frustrated as ever, after being constantly thwarted despite trying to do good.
A Striking Song
The number expresses anger unlike anything previously seen from the character Elphaba. But after all that she goes through during the show, it is completely warranted. This song will also wind up in part two of the film, but for anyone looking to express their rage now, they can listen to this song and the rest of the original set list on Spotify.
1 "For Good"
A song of true friendship and growth that comes at the end of the musical and will follow the same trajectory in the filmed version. It captures all that each of the girls has gone through and how directly related that is to their friendship with one another. It is also a deeply emotional number as the characters are saying goodbye to one another "for good." The role of Glinda also caused a lot of personal growth for Ariana Grande even prompting her to use her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera.
A Beautiful Friendship
The women consistently sing the line that they have been "changed for the better." The song will have tears in every audience member's eyes, much like it did during the original production of the musical. The film and this song in particular showcase the complex growth possible for its characters and for anyone who has struggled during their lives.
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