The musical blockbuster Wicked has us dancing through life with its rousing onslaught of pastel-pink hues, pitch-perfect acting chemistry and a story that nimbly resets our expectations of one of cinema's greatest villains.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande light it up as Elphaba and Galinda (later to become Glinda), enemies at Shiz University who soon form an unexpected bond. Set to Stephen Schwartz's stage tunes, which are adapted into underscore melodies by How to Train Your Dragon composer John Powell, Wicked has all the elements needed to become one of the year's biggest hits.
Here are the unbeatable Wicked songs that we simply can't stop belting out, whether at work, at home, in the car or on the bus. Is your favourite included in our list? Scroll down to find out.
1. 'No-one Mourns the Wicked'
Wicked sets out its stall with this rousing opening number, one that shows off the athletic direction from director Jon M. Chu (helmer of the 2021 Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation In the Heights) and choreographer Christopher Scott, a veteran of the Broadway stage.
The song is pitched as a celebratory triumph of good over evil, but the film then cleverly flips the script by posing the simple yet fascinating question: what makes someone evil, and how do you even define it? That Wicked can smuggle in these conceits within a barnstorming popcorn framework is a testament to its enduring success.
2. 'The Wizard and I'
Wicked is fundamentally Elphaba's story and her destiny plays out in appropriately grandiose fashion. It would all be for naught without the casting of Cynthia Erivo: she nails Elphaba's bookish sense of outsiderness, which makes her cathartic musical eruptions all the more impactful, especially when she wistfully outlines her destiny of meeting the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum).
3. 'Dancing Through Life'
It's not just the Erivo/Grande show. Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey comes close to stealing the movie as the seemingly self-absorbed Prince Fiyero, the man who stirs the interest of Galinda but who finds more of a kindred spirit in the seemingly disinterested Elphaba. Bailey brings the Wicked equivalent of 'Ken-ergy', camping it up with a twinkle in his eye before slowly concealing more character depths.
4. 'Popular'
Pink is very much the order of the day in Stephen Schwartz's sharp-witted song that cements the bond between Elphaba and Galinda. It allows Ariana Grande's fine comic timing and carefully calibrated physical movements to come to the fore as the somewhat vapid Galinda reaches out to someone else, Elphaba, for the first time in her life.
Wicked Easter Egg alert – did you spot the moment when Galinda picks up the ruby slippers and taps them three times? It's a reference to Dorothy (Judy Garland) in The Wizard of Oz.
5. 'Defying Gravity'
A lot of movies suffer by splitting their story in two, but Wicked locates the perfect outro moment. 'Defying Gravity' is seen as the centrepiece song of the original music and sends us out on a thunderous high as Elphaba embraces her destiny as the eventual Wicked Witch of the West.
Here's another neat Easter Egg: during the song, Galinda sings the notes of ‘Follow The Yellow Brick Road’, which acts as a counterpoint to Erivo's showstopping central performance.
Defy gravity and watch Wicked at Cineworld. Book your tickets below.
Have you heard about our Wicked gifting range? Our gift cards start from £5, plus you can share in the joy of cinema with our Gift for Two, and our Unlimited gift box is the perfect pressie for the film fan in your life. You can also take a piece of Oz home with you when you purchase our Wicked merch.
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