Entertainment
‘Wicked’ may be set in Oz, but it feels very real in our current world – Andscape
Twenty minutes into the long-awaited film adaptation that musical theater buffs had been waiting to see, a moviegoer sitting in front of me motioned for me to come back closer. She practically turned her whole body, clearly stunned by the performance of Cynthia Erivo, the Oscar-nominated influencer who brought abolitionist superhero Harriet Tubman to life in 2019 (whether most of you thought she must have done it or not) .
Her words were muffled behind her mask, so she needed to repeat herself twice. She checked out the screen over again, on the already clear masterpiece that sat on the 50-foot screen, taking in the pink and green charm the film had to supply, and this time she pointed at Erivo.
“Is that Jennifer Hudson?”
And so began a two-hour and 42-minute journey into an overtly political journey that we are able to all experience in the film more than likely to be awarded – heavily – this season.
So did it translate masterfully to the silver screen as many had hoped?
That’s true.
But it delivers far more than it guarantees, and what it guarantees is sort of an exorbitant order – the powerful vocals captivate with a twisted version of a time-honored story that leaves everyone who listens to it questioning who’s inherently good and who is definitely evil .
On Broadway when this play was created, it starred theater queens Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, a privileged witch, blonde, messy-haired, and seemingly blind to the world round her, and Idina Menzel as Elphaba, the raven-haired solid – minus the aspiring sorceress who was rejected by father, rejected (ultimately) by her sister and persecuted by the world round her due to color of her skin – she is green.
As Kermit said, it’s challenging being green.
But in this shot from director Jon M. Chu, we’re gifted with Erivo, and her micro braids and full lips give us a more determined take a look at an outcast who wants to alter the world for the higher. It’s hard to not know that underneath all that green is her black skin, and the pain of what that extra layer of otherness represents makes this version even higher than it must be.
In the film adaptation, which hit theaters on November 22, we see the uncomfortable dynamics of what happens when a jammer enters the chat room, and the way the world round her rejects her ideals – and what she looks like – in response. Especially when he doesn’t need to play the sport.
Especially when she’s mainly not ready for it – are you ready for it? – shut up and dribble.
Sound familiar?
The established order is unacceptable. The world will not be calm. Another community is kidnapped, locked in cages and deprived of their inalienable rights.
We’re still talking about it.
Here’s what’s sensible about this movie: nothing about this approach is recent. This is similar record-breaking production that has captivated Broadway and traveled across the country since 2003, this is similar story of the stage musical that surpassed the $1 billion mark in total Broadway revenues in 2016, putting it in unique long-time Broadway company staple and the just one to point out it. And today? It is the second highest-grossing musical of all time, after Disney.
But Elphaba Erivo might be a sharper representation of otherness – it’s inconceivable not to note it.
And he wants to make use of his emerging power for good. The problem is that the world she lives in – this excellent musical world filled with hopes, manifestations and dreams – only wants her to either be hidden away or – as we learn from the villains – use her powers to oppress others who’re also . other.
In the wake of the 2024 election – which tens of millions thought would result in the coronation of the primary woman president and the primary Black and Asian president – lots of us needed a moment to breathe.
Still yes. This is raw. And it’s early. And the consequences of the national elections are still there and can be there for a while. The headlines are harsh and terrifying. Neo-Nazis openly march in the streets of the Midwest. Anti-Semitic demonstrations before the performance. And unfortunately, there’s quite a lot of anti-black rhetoric.
This is when great art is created and enhanced.
This is when the world we live in is interpreted and transformed for creative consumption.
When art is finished well, when it is really at its best, it is a mirrored image of the times. It’s something that helps mark the story – even when it’s told from a fictional fantasy land that, in a way, is recycled, drawing inspiration from our very real experiences.
is loosely based on the 1995 book, inspired by L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, which is in fact a movie adaptation of Baum’s book right into a 1939 film that a young Judy Garland helped make.
When Baum’s novel was first published, it was a story a few fantasy world that the creator initially created for youngsters – and later adults – a world that is essentially tortured by a tyrannical witch from whom everyone wants freedom. The story was a hit and was eventually named “America’s greatest and best-loved native fairy tale” by the Library of Congress.
By the time 1939 rolled around, the world had passed three years since athlete Jesse Owens became the primary American to win 4 gold medals in a single Olympic Games. His sporting victory was a direct rejection of Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler’s belief in Aryan supremacy. Not that they were stopping the inevitable. After Owens’ victory lap, Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, starting World War II.
On American soil, 1939 also saw the discharge of a novel adapted from a Civil War novel that in some ways glorifies slavery.
There is not any Elphaba – there isn’t a anti-hero to root for and who’s willing to risk all the things to uproot the prevailing system. But to the world beyond this film is Hattie McDaniel, who became the primary black person to win an Oscar, and ultimately this film became a significant turning point in the way in which Black Americans were portrayed in cinema.
In , we’re in a position to see a well-known story – one which we all know in and out, one which is so rooted in our human experience that we’re like a family.
We know well. We know the wicked.
And since the world has modified a lot, we have now seen the opposite side of a improbable story that’s rooted in lots of the experiences all of us have.
Because stories with universal truths clearly connect with tens of millions of individuals. As they need to.
Entertainment
Morgan Freeman caught up in Jason Kelce’s dramatic showdown with an irate fan thanks to an autograph
Jason Kelce (37) got right into a heated exchange with a fan searching for an autograph.
TMZ Sports obtained footage of a retired Philadelphia Eagles player being shouted at by an indignant man after recording a game “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” episode November 21.
“You’re not special. You’re some asshole who thinks he’s on some pedestal. Don’t be an advertisement…!” he yelled at Kelce because the Super Bowl LII champion was seen moving into his vehicle.
“I actually have a habit. I do not sign for individuals who follow where I’m going,” Kelce told a gaggle of individuals outside the El Capitan Entertainment Center on Hollywood Boulevard in California.
The man replied: “We are not following you. We serve every guest who comes here. Morgan fucking Freeman did it with a broken arm! That’s 100 times bigger than your sorry…!”
He continued his tirade, saying, “I’m with this shit! Morgan Freeman, Harris Ford, you have time and you don’t!? F…you!”
Eventually, Kelce got out of his SUV, walked through the gate and walked over to the group to sign autographs. The furious autograph seeker continued to criticize the Ohio-born NFL star before admitting he was “ashamed” of the moment.
The constant references to Freeman, 87, stem from the actor suffering a broken arm, elbow and shoulder in a 2008 automotive accident in Charleston, Mississippi.
According to reportsthe Oscar winner must wear compression gloves to maintain blood flow due to injuries sustained in the accident.
“It’s fibromyalgia,” Freeman said Esquire magazine in 2012 when asked about his damaged left hand. “Up and down the arm. This is where it gets so bad. Excruciating.”
Ironically, a “Lioness” solid member mentioned unpleasant experiences signing autographs in the course of the show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in October 2018
While appearing on “The Electric Company” in the Nineteen Seventies, he left a shopping center where a signing event was happening and located papers with his signature scattered on the ground.
The intense interaction between Kelce and his tormentor after Kimmel’s show ended with each men expressing their love and shaking hands. Commenters on YouTube shared their reactions to the clip of Kelce being cursed out for initially not wanting to sign autographs at that moment.
“An adult is crying over an autograph he wants to sell on eBay,” one person wrote. Another comment reads: “And people wonder why celebrities stay away from these psychos. A grown man behaving this way is absurd.”
A fan of the previous skilled athlete wrote: “Jason Kelce handled the situation with class, he didn’t have to come out and sign anything. Meanwhile, this guy was acting like a clown.”
Additionally, one other fan gave Kelce some advice, writing, “Jason needs to learn to ignore people. This is the second time he has been lured by the mob.
Previously, TMZ Sports published footage of Kelce engaging in a physical altercation in Pennsylvania prior to the Nov. 2 Penn State-Ohio State football game.
Kelce was seen slamming a Penn State fan’s phone on the bottom near Beaver Stadium. Apparently, a fan referred to Jason’s brother, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, as a homophobic slur.
In response, Kelce turned to the fan’s face and asked, “Who… – now!?” Following the backlash online, the “Monday Night Countdown” analyst addressed the situation during ESPN’s pregame broadcast.
“I’m not completely happy with anything that happened. I’m not pleased with it. In the warmth of the moment I made a decision to greet hate with hate and I just don’t think it’s productive, I actually don’t,” Kelce said, according to ESPN.com.
The “New Heights” podcast host continued: “I don’t think this leads to discourse and it’s the right way to proceed. At this point I have sunk to a level I shouldn’t have… I strive to treat people with common decency and respect, and I intend to continue to do so.”
Entertainment
TikTok mom posts ‘wicked’ warning to parents after claiming ‘witchcraft’ in video caused her 12-year-old to try to fly off the roof on a broomstick
A mother on TikTok controversially warned other parents that “Wicked” just isn’t a family film like its closely related and popular predecessor “The Wizard of Oz.”
The latest film, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda (the good witch) and Elphaba (the evil witch), respectively, hit theaters on Friday, November 22.
However, according to content creator Sammyopamp, who claims to have attended the film’s premiere with her children, the literary work has enchanted the youth in the worst possible way.
“I feel very lied to and cheated into doing this. I believed that since my kids are huge fans of Ariana Grande and he or she wears pink in the movie, I believed it might be a cool princess movie. Instead, it was stuffed with witchcraft and dark magic. I felt this heavy presence and energy all the time,” he said.
The mother continued to explain the lasting impact the film had on her children, stating that “they came home and everyone was trying to cast spells” and that “now they imagine in magic. Now they imagine in the darkness of hell.”
Sammyopamp noted, “My 12-year-old fell off the roof trying to fly his broom.” To turn the tables, she shared her plan to rely on religion and her savior, “their father, baby daddy Jesus,” by taking a week off from school and receiving prayers from the “deliverance team” at their church.
Her parting advice to other mothers was to stay home and protect their kids from “Wicked” until January 5, when it would likely be safer to watch it.
@sammyopamp WICKED – wait a few weeks until it’s secure. #fypppppp #virus #mean #badmovie #universalstudios #facebookmomslike #satire #movie #disney #arianagrande #cynthiaerivo #SNL ♬ original sound – Sammyop
One person on Instagram commented“I tried casting spells after watching Harry Potter. It’s normal, like a girl would leave her children alone.”
But in Sammy’s TikTok comments videosome selected this satirical story. One follower asked: “Have you seen the art? Wicked is not a film for children,” apparently putting the burden on her. A 3rd person’s response was, “This must be a joke.” And so it was.
The “Wicked” comment was one in all several satirical posts Sammy shared with her over 21,000 followers. She addressed the outraged reactions to her disturbing warning in a separate article post.
She first revealed that she grew up in an clan of evangelical extremists and was not allowed to watch fantasy childhood movies that many love, including Disney movies.
@sammyopamp Wicked Mom’s Crazy Origin Story #break #mom got here out wicked @TwojeTango #church #cult #Protestant #deconstruction #sammyop #satire #virus #sketch #funnymovie #humor #fypppppp ♬ original sound – Sammyop
“Honestly, I have a lot of fun making sketches and satirical videos,” she said. “If that’s not your thing, there are plenty of other people on TikTok who might like it. … If you like harmless laughter, stay a while.”
Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway play “Wicked” grossed greater than $100 million on its opening weekend.
Entertainment
Destiny’s Child reunites to celebrate Michelle Williams’ debut “Death Becomes Her.”
It’s been just over 20 years since Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams announced that their destiny had been fulfilled with the discharge of their final studio album Destiny’s Child, however the trio still strongly support one another’s fates.
On Thursday, November 21, it was Michelle Williams’ turn as her former bandmates showed up at New York’s Lunt-Fontanne Theater for the premiere of her latest Broadway show, “Death Becomes Her,” alongside Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles. To celebrate Destiny’s Child’s impromptu return, Beyoncé shared photos from the Broadway show on Saturday, showing the trio hugging backstage. Instagram. The montage featured her duet “Cowboy Carter” with Miley Cyrus, “II Most Wanted” which notably includes the lyric “I’ll be your shotgun rider until the day I die.”
Williams responded to the post, commenting, “I try not to cry too early in the day, BUT…. My sisters forever!”
Beyoncé added on Sunday one other tribute to her longtime friend, a portrait of Williams posing in the home of an empty theater with the caption “My Beauty.”
As reported People MagazineRowland also marked the special day by posting a close-up of her hand holding a “Death Becomes Her” sign to Instagram Stories. “Oh my God!!” – she signed the post.
Williams stars as Viola Van Horn in the brand new musical adaptation of the 1992 hit film starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard bring back the roles of Streep and Hawn – Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp, respectively. Williams plays the temptress who leads the rival duo to extreme youth and sweetness efforts, with disastrous results. But as she noticed in your individual post honoring her enduring bond with Beyoncé and Kelly, their dynamic stays free from competition.
“They help me shine!!!” – she wrote next to a photograph of the three on the premiere, probably referring to the lyrics and theme of Robert Glasper’s single Experiment “Shine” “This song has been my theme lately, but it also reflects the love in my life!” – she continued. “It’s a blessing!!”
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