Wicked was released in November of 2024. This movie, adapted from the popular Broadway musical of the same name, is a spin off of the classic Wonderful Wizard of Oz story, telling the “true” story of the Wicked Witch of the West. However, Wicked only portrayed the first act. Fans had to wait until this November to find out how the story ended in Wicked: For Good. This continuation, depicting the second act of the musical, resumes the story years later as the characters grapple with their new identities shaped by their previous experiences. Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, has fully embraced her depiction as the Wicked Witch of the West, working to uncover the Wizard of Oz’s lies and free the persecuted animals. Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, seems to finally have everything she’s ever wanted, though she struggles with the knowledge that her public appearance is merely a facade and deeply misses her old friend. The story depicts the power and harm that propaganda can have, and the heartfelt conclusion brings the story full circle, shedding a new light on what it really means to be wicked.
What do Ramapo students think about the movie? As the story was adapted from a Broadway musical, what other students would be better to interview about a musical than those involved in the Gold Masque, Ramapo’s Drama Club?
Isabella Loece, a junior who has consistently been a part of Gold Masque during her time at Ramapo and has just been cast as Fester in the upcoming production of The Addams Family, had conflicting feelings when asked how she thought the two movies compared to each other. Leoce mentioned that she “enjoyed Wicked better due to the songs and the plot [being] easier to follow”, favoring the music of the first movie over that of the second. She also mentioned, however, that she “did enjoy the drama and plot twist in the second movie” and that “all in all, both are very well-written movies.”
Angelina Bruno, another junior dedicated to Gold Masque and who has been cast as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, had very positive things to say about Wicked: For Good. When asked how she thought the two movies compared, Bruno replied, “Wicked: For Good, in my opinion, was even better than the first one! It was a lot darker and more twisted, allowing for it to have more layers.” She did agree with Leoce about the music, though, mentioning that “the songs were definitely better and more iconic in the first film.” She concluded by stating that “Wicked: For Good is a very well put together adaptation of the actual broadway musical! While the musical was obviously amazing, the movie added more depth to things like secondary characters, relationships between characters, and even filling in some plot holes that were left empty in the musical! John M. Chu did a phenomenal job with these two movies.”
Overall, Gold Masque students felt satisfied with the story’s conclusion and deeper meaning, but felt underwhelmed by the music in Wicked: For Good. Though, in the end, the best way to draw a conclusion from the movie is to see it yourself. Will you be changed for good?
