Last November, the hit movie “Wicked” hit theatres, and it blew up everywhere. From the cast, to the press tour, to the actual movie, “Wicked” took the world by storm. “Wicked” was originally a book turned into a musical on Broadway that first starred Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell as main characters Elphaba and Glinda. The story follows what the author thought the prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” may look like. The most recent adaptation of the book came out last year and was a smash hit amongst viewers. The film starred actress Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, as well as pop singer Ariana Grande as Glinda. This film is part one of the two-part release. The second part, “Wicked: For Good,” will be released this November
The moments that came out of the press tour for this movie almost stole the spotlight from the movie entirely. One of the most notable ones was when Erivo and Grande were in an interview with Out Magazine journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist discussed the impact that the film had on queer media. In the interview, Gilchrist mentioned that people in the media and those who had watched the movie were “holding space” for it.
“I didn’t know that was happening. That’s really powerful,” said Erivio.
Fans and viewers made the observation that the two actresses were visibly confused by the comment; however, moments later, they both became very emotional. With this interview came the famous finger hold between Erivo and Grande that blew up all over social media. During the interview, Grande was holding onto Erivo’s very long fingernail, and people found that incredibly funny and only added to the comedic effect of holding space. People all over TikTok began to recreate this moment, going viral on platforms like TikTok and X, with stars as big as Jimmy Fallon hopping on the trend.
Not only did the cast leave a mark on pop culture, but so did the show-stopping soundtrack. Songs like “What is this feeling?” and “Dancing Through Life” became instant hits on all streaming platforms as well as social media platforms. Millions of users all over TikTok were recreating the dances performed by Grande and her ensemble during “What is this feeling?”, recreating the costumes, music, and dances alike.
One particular part of the song “Dancing through Life” became a widely used TikTok sound. Midway through the song, Boq, a munchkin, decides he will ask Nessa, Elphaba’s sister, to go to the Ozdust with him. People all over social media parodied his singing and used it to create their own humorous videos. Ethan Slater may not be everyone’s favorite actor, but he sure knows how to blow up the internet.
The showmanship of this show sparked a love for musical theatre, dance, and singing in young kids. The entertainment aspect of it all, with memes like mentioned before, is simply what draws viewers in. There are now so many more fans awaiting the arrival of the second movie than before, and it’s all thanks to the virality of the first movie. I am incredibly excited for “Wicked: For Good,” and I know I will be holding space for it when it arrives in theatres.
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