With each viewing, I am reminded of the complexity of the characters and themes covered — uncomfortable ones, too — from racism to politics to propaganda that feels more relevant today than ever. Elphaba starts off the introverted social pariah thanks to her fluorescent facade, Glinda the popular kid with bouncy, blonde locks. Over the course of the story, they fall in love with the same guy, and manage to maintain their bond without bitterness – a modern feminist feat in itself – help each other shed their insecurities and unmask a false wizard.
Wicked is a love story, yes, but of two women, who could not be more different at first (in fact, they found each other “loathsome”), but who encourage each other’s idiosyncrasies rather than try to change them, who defiantly ignore external pressures and perceptions, and whose loyalty to one another becomes the true legacy of the story.
.jpg)
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Without fail, I tear up each time For Good is sung at the end. My stoic husband couldn’t help but shed a tear himself. The lyrics go, “I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them, and we help them in return… I know I’m who I am today because I knew you.”
It reminds us all of the friends who have undeniably moulded us to become who we are, the women in our lives who have propped us up even when, and especially when, we didn’t believe in ourselves, and who taught us that we could, with their help, even defy gravity.
Wicked the movie is out in theatres from Nov 22, and the West End stage production is playing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London. For more information and tickets, visit the website – www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk
