By Robert Moran
The early heat and humidity might have had some wailing “I’m melting” in their fanciest gowns and suits, but it was only fitting that the Land of Oz came to, well, the land of Oz on Sunday evening.
The State Theatre was awash in green, pink and more green for the Australian premiere of Wicked, the blockbuster Hollywood adaptation of the hit stage musical.
Across the street, excited fans, some from interstate, had camped from early morning or overnight to catch a glimpse of its cast, particularly pop icon Ariana Grande (and Jeff Goldblum, maybe).
Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey at the Australian premiere of Wicked at the State Theatre on Sunday. Credit: WireImage
The 31-year-old, dressed to theme in a sparkling pink ball gown, walked the yellow brick carpet to pose for photographers and greet fans.
A revisionist take on The Wizard of Oz tale from the perspective of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, the film is the first screen adaptation of the Tony-winning musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which premiered in 2003 and was itself based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire.
Led by its breakout number Defying Gravity, the musical has since become a stage staple overseas and in Australia (it premiered locally in Melbourne in 2008). Last year it overtook Cats to become the fourth-longest-running musical in Broadway history, with more than 8100 performances.
Ariana Grande at the State Theatre.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
At Sunday’s premiere, the film’s stars – including Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba, and Grande, who plays the good witch Glinda – introduced the movie.
“This is an absolute dream, to bring Oz to Oz,” Erivo said.
Grande, fairy voice intact, said she hoped viewers could take a positive message from the film.
“I hope it can inspire them to be more empathetic and to be less judgmental. Give people a chance because there’s so many layers to everything,” she said.
“Hopefully they’ll meet someone like Elphaba who will pop their bubble some day.”
Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba.Credit: Getty Images
Also at the screening were co-stars Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater, Grande’s now-partner (their on-set hook-up sparked endless tabloid controversy for the singer).
Stage-to-screen adaptations have become a fickle business in Hollywood recently, with Dear Evan Hansen, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and Cats failing to land with audiences. With a budget of $US145 million ($220 million), Wicked remains a risky proposition for studio Universal Pictures.
Director Jon M. Chu, who missed the screening for the birth of his fifth child, said in a video message that he was inspired by seeing the musical’s original run in San Francisco and hoped the film could reintroduce the world to viewers already familiar with its source.
“I love the world, I love the sets and I love these two characters,” he said.
The film, part one of a two-part adaptation, opens in cinemas in Australia on November 21.
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