SAN JOSE, CALIF.—The broadway original “Wicked” rose to light with its movie adaptation release.

The long-awaited “Wicked” adaptation finally released on Nov. 22, 2024, and the skyrocketing popularity has been ongoing ever since. The Wicked musical is a 2003 broadway original based on the novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” 

“Wicked” tells the story of friendship, finding yourself and breaking norms. The storyline follows the popular and demonstrative Glinda and Elphaba, an outcast due to her green complexion, at the prestigious Shiz University in the Land of Oz. The pair go through a tumultuous relationship as they navigate their time at Shiz, starting out as adversaries but then eventually finding solace in one another as friends. 

Alongside the classic origin story that comes along with “Wicked,” the movie carries 11 songs throughout the progression of the story. Senior Jasmine Lopez says, “I mostly liked the parts that included singing.” Many theatres across the country include a sing-along showing for audience members who want to also partake in the many iconic songs in “Wicked.”

Many people have also noted several underlying themes in “Wicked” relating to the real world, despite the fictitious world of Oz. Elphaba’s story before becoming Wicked Witch of the West is based on how she is viewed by others. Just by the color of her green skin, she is viewed as an anomaly. Additionally, Nessarose, who is Elphaba’s younger sister, was born with a disability. While making her move to Shiz, she remarks wanting to delve in this newfound independence despite other characters stepping in to assist her. Many articles have remarked that this is “Wicked’s” way of illustrating a common struggle that people with evident disabilities face.

Prior to its release in theatres, many netizens grabbed any chance to see teasers of the movie. Specifically, the cast to fulfill the parts of Glinda and Elphaba had a large role in the widespread popularity of the movie. With Ariana Grande’s (Glinda) stardom as a singer and actor paired with Cynthia Erivo’s (Elphaba) decorated career on Broadway, the majority of fans following “Wicked” closely anticipated it would deliver in every way possible. 

On the other hand, long-time fans of the original broadway musical were curious to see how the directors and cast could portray the story of “Wicked.” Some predicted that it would not be the same, since it is an edited version of the live musical. Silver Creek’s theatre director Gabrielle Koizumi says “I think it was great, but nothing compares to a live action. The magnitude of what they can do on stage is so much more impressive live.”

There is still a Part 2 release anticipated to come out later this year.