The Necessities of Life

 I was 17, on a flight to the Bahamas for a family vacation, when I first listened to the Wicked Broadway soundtrack. Staring out the window at the endless clouds, I felt like I was soaring right alongside Elphaba as she defied gravity. That music stayed with me, becoming a soundtrack to a summer I’ll never forget. Years later, sitting in the audience at Playhouse Square, I watched the story come to life on stage, and it changed me “for good.” So, when the movie finally came out, I walked into the theater with high hopes—and let me tell you, I was utterly blown away. Wicked: Part 1 was released in November 2024, directed by Jon M. Chu, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. It’s a fantasy musical adaptation of the Broadway hit and novel by Gregory Maguire. It starts with celebrating the Wicked Witch of the West’s downfall after melting and perishing to her doom. Although all seems fine and celebratory in the Land of Oz, we later learn that the Wicked Witch, ...