A movie musical becoming a huge hit in the year 2024? It’s the sort of twist that devotees of the long-ailing genre have wished for – but they might just regret picking up that monkey paw. Wicked, the first of two films adapting Stephen Schwartz’s stage musical phenomenon, is shaping up to become one of the year’s biggest films, fuelled by, among other things, the fervid fan culture surrounding one of its lead actors, pop star Ariana Grande. But the Wizard of Oz prequel’s success has not been without its controversies, particularly concerning the matter of cinema etiquette – or lack thereof.
Screenings of Wicked have, in many cases, prompted a sort of interactive approach from audiences. When they’re not getting turned away at the door for wearing green face paint (Ozplaying, as it were), enthusiastic cinemagoers have been singing along with the musical numbers, to the inevitable irritation of others. Cynthia Erivo, Grande’s co-star, has given these auditorium warblers her blessing, as has Moana 2’s Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. (Grande has yet to weigh in.)
