by Clayton Tramel
First off, if you haven’t seen “Wicked” yet, stop reading. Stop whatever you’re doing. Go see it. Don’t wait for streaming. Don’t wait for TV. Go see it in a theater. Bring your friends and family. It’s magnificent.
Also, if you haven’t seen the movie or the musical, stop reading now because I’m going to spoil it. However if you have already seen it, that’s a horse of a different color.
I watched it on December 5th, exactly one month since our Election. I’m going to be honest: it’s been nice to take a break from politics. Whether you were a winner or loser (my team won) I’m just glad the whole thing is over. It’s like the timer finally went off in the oven and now we get to just sit and enjoy the cake.
The landslide victory by Donald Trump, and the massive flip of the Senate and retaining of the House by Republicans has been described by many political pundits on both sides of the aisle as an indictment of the direction of the Democratic party. “Go woke. Go broke.”
I think that’s probably accurate.
That’s why I almost didn’t see Wicked. I was afraid it would be Woked.
If you’re going to be friends (or family) with my sister, you’re going to have to watch Wicked at some point. I caught the traveling show with her in Oklahoma City circa 2009ish. Then again on Broadway in 2011. It was magic both times (the traveling show was better).
You knew it was bound to be the No. 1 movie at the box office in the not too soon but not too distant future. Well, here we are 15 years later and it came to pass.
I have no idea how people come up with a show like this. My filmmaking sensibilities are generally limited to people sitting around talking to each other and hopefully aren’t too pretentious. Maybe they’re crap. Probably. But it’s my crap.
I’m in awe of people who have a vision for something like Wicked. Not just the fantastic and moving songs but the choreography of the dance. The design of the sets. The wardrobe. The Cinematography. All of it. It’s beyond my creativity.
But I’ve been sour on the movie ever since Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elpheba (and boy does she), gave comments berating a fan for posting his version of the Wicked movie poster.
The fan changed the studio’s version to obscure the eyes of Erivo and Arianna Grande (a surefire Oscar nomination to come for her). Erivo claimed the edit was degrading, and an attempt to erase her.
Turns out, it was just a nod to the original Broadway poster. Erivo was forced to backtrack.
I knew thanks to the power of observation, that Erivo was a black woman. I did not know, that apparently she is also a queer woman. Suddenly as I type this I’m hoping I’m allowed to call her a woman. Maybe this take won’t be so popular (that’s a Wicked pun, and not in the way a guy from Boston would mean it).
Cynthia Erivo in the studio poster for “Wicked” on the left, and the original broadway poster on the right.
I was afraid the movie was going to become an anthem for the woke. A metaphor about respecting people who are different, like the green but gifted Elphaba. I already agree with that so I didn’t know if I was up for two and a half hours of being slapped in the face with it.
I was right. The movie was a metaphor. Just not the one I was expecting.
Elphaba has a chance to do what she’s always wanted to do, which is ask the Great and Powerful Jeff Goldblum to de-greenify her. She passes up that opportunity for a request to try and help others instead. Her plans clash with those in power, and in an effort to hold their power, they poison the image of Elphaba with the public.
They lie to the (now) flying monkeys that Elphaba is the source of their pain. They lie to everyone in the city, everyone in the towns, EVERYONE AT THE UNIVERSITIY (hook the young and impressionable first), that Elphaba must be stopped. She’s wicked.
I cant be the only one who makes the connection…
Is Elphaba Donald Trump?
I thought of the Covington Catholic boys. I thought of the phone call to the Gold Star widow. The labeling of immigrants as animals. All lies spread by those in power to turn people against the person who is actually trying to help them.
I thought of the current President (Biden), the former President (Obama), and the hopeful President (Harris) in the weeks leading up to the election, openly and knowingly lying to the voters about the Charlottesville “fine people” hoax.
You think I’m off base? Listen to the words of the Wizard himself:
“If you want to unite people…give them a villain.”
Man that hits hard.
There are people reading this right now scoffing at the absurdity of my comparison. There were also hundreds of citizens of Munchkin Land dancing and celebrating at the news of the Wicked Witch Elphaba being dead in the opening scene of the movie. You think they would believe that Elphaba was actually a good witch trying to help them? See how it works?
Evil is a word I’ve used to describe the leadership of the Democratic party in the past. What’s a good synonym for evil?
Wicked.
The Witch isn’t green: he’s orange.