Monday Moments - Defy Gravity

 By this time, you might be saying, "I'm sick of the hype." 

BUT....Wicked, the movie,  is absolutely  tremendous  in my opinion.  And you must  see  it on the  big screen.  And  yes, it's over two  hours,  but the time flies by with all of the magical scenes filling your eyeballs.  

There's  plenty of homage (Easter eggs) to  the original 1939 movie Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland.

And there's also treats from the Broadway stage musical starring  Idina Menzel and Kristen  Chenoweth. 

But now, this movie is Part 1 and based  on  the book by Gregory Maguire. The movie truly gives a deep dive into the characters, the motivations, the real story and question of  "wicked".  Who  is truly behaving badly?  Do you see  parallels to today's world?  Oh yes.    

The voices soar, the harmonies are gorgeous, the dancing, choreography, sets are lush eye candy. 

The cast is perfect - Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey  (Prince Fiyero) is extra charming, Michelle Yeoh  (Madame Mori), Jeff Goldblum (the Wizard), for  me a bonus Bowen Yang who lets his freak flag fly  (I say that as a compliment), and so many more. 

My friend and I sat stunned as the credits came up.  Defy Gravity rang in our ears.  So much to enthuse about.  We agreed we could easily see it again to  absorb more. I wore green. She wore pink. 

WICKED   WOW

Defy Gravity or Embrace Memphis Rock 'N Soul

Gregory Maguire started with an interesting premise for a book. Everyone knows the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. But, does everyone wonder what happened before the house fell on the wicked witch? How did evil begin? Wicked was quite successful, and in another level of creativity theater folks adapted the book (Winnie Holzman), created music and lyrics (Stephen Schwartz) and voila! a hit Broadway musical.

I saw a Dallas touring production a few years ago and was delighted. I saw the Gershwin Theater production recently and was blown away - what a stage, what sets, costumes, lighting, and voices. There were flying monkeys everywhere. No One Mourns the Wicked begins our musical journey, Popular sticks in the brain, and Defying Gravity will have you soaring.

Wicked is good.

Memphis tells the tale in music of a white DJ who's just crazy enough to hang on Beale Street, devour black music, and spread its joy. It's not easy, but the struggle is worth it. This musical journey shows the impact of integration issues through music. The glory of the voices will have you shouting amen.

The Music of My Soul, Everybody Wants to Be Black on a Saturday Night, and Someday will have you tapping your toes. Say a Prayer will bring tears to your eyes. Stand Up, Change Don't Come Easy, and Memphis Lives in Me will have you believing in the power of rock and roll, gospel, and blues.