Smash hit movie Wicked now screening at the Jones Theater

An appealing and popular journey of words, images, and lyrics from a narrative novel to a grandiose Broadway musical to a proverbial blockbuster on the silver screen is a rare occurrence in the entertainment industry. But Wicked, the holiday offering at the historic Jones Theater, is the mega-hit culmination of such a journey. At half a billion dollars in pocket, surpassing Grease as the most successful adaptation of a musical to a movie, the makers of Wicked are looking at nothing but pure profit ahead, a yellow brick road, if you will, to Holly- wood history. And this coffer will no doubt enhance the production of Wicked: Part II, scheduled to be released in November 2025; Wicked is actually formally titled as Wicked: Part I.

Wicked, in all its forms, traces the origin stories of the witches of Oz. As soon as about sub-strata themes of the imaginative story. From speculations about the “real” relationship of the two witches—Elphaba Thropp, to become the wicked witch of the west, and Galinda, to become Glinda, the good witch of the north—to commentary on resistance to authoritarianism, the cinema-chatter world is abuzz with wildly fantastic reactions to the wildly creative film.

Some puckish folks decry the length of the film—it’s a longish one at two hours and 40 minutes—and how strenuous it is to see repeatedly Elphaba’s green complexion. The latter is one of the threads of wonderment in the “what-does-it-all-mean” stream of online chitchat: the presence, annoyance, attractiveness, and repulsion of “the Other.” No need to delve into all that of course; here, we remain in the “It’s a movie!” mindset, and encourage you all to grab your flying broomstick, or hitch up with winged monkeys, and get yourself over to the his- toric Jones for an evening or afternoon of sheer delight.

The Wicked showings spread across the late December Christmas/New Year holidays. A long run for movies at the Jones, the silver screen is alive with this festive PG film on Fridays—tomorrow and December 27—and Saturdays, December 21 and 28, at 7 p.m., and Sundays, December 22 and 29 at 2 p.m. Doors open a half hour before the lights go down and Wicked lights up your imagination. At that time, you may purchase your admission tickets—at prices so modest, Hollywood thinks we’re all in some kind of enchanted environment here.

Well, we kinda are… Happy Christmas and New Year to all you munchkins from the Tribune…

– W.A. Ewing