Wicked is one of the most famous and popular musicals to be made in the last 20 years. Based on a novel by Gregory Maguire Wicked sets out to tell the true story about the Wicked Witch of the West and how she came to be, reinterpreting the world created by L. Frank Baum. The musical was originally produced in San Francisco, before moving to Broadway and beyond. The original Broadway production turned Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth into stars.
Universal has the rights to both the novel and the musical but the film adaptation has been stuck in development hell. When the production finally does get off the ground many of the roles would be some of the most sought after. Many fans have their dream actors for the film so here’s my take.
Elphaba – Samantha Barks
The actor who plays the lead character of Wicked needs to have stage presence and singing ability to belt out songs like “Defying Gravity.” Samantha Barks is an actress who would be a perfect fit for the role.
Barks is most famous for playing Éponine in the 2012 version of Les Misérables, respiring her role from the West End and the 25th Anniversary Concert. She beat the likes of Taylor Swift, Lea Michele, and Scarlett Johansson for the role and it was set to propel her to movie stardom.
Barks first came to prominence in 2008 when she competed in I’d Do Anything on BBC One. She came third and the show has produced some success stories. Jessie Buckley is a rising star in the UK and Ireland and Rachel Tucker became a Broadway star. One of Barks’ big performances on the show was “Defying Gravity” where she was coached by Idina Menzel. Even though Barks was only 17 at the time she gave a powerful performance of the song and showed her star potential.
Since her role in Les Mis Barks’ film career hasn’t been successful – films like The Christmas Candle and Bitter Harvest were critical flops. But she has been a lot more successful on the stage, leading in The Last Five Years and Honeymoon in Vegas in London and she has recently made Broadway debut in Pretty Woman: The Musical. She has earned critical praise for her role in Pretty Woman.
Barks clearly has the pipes and the looks to play Elphaba and all the make-up department need to do is paint her green. It could be the role that can turn Barks into a star and the studio could market it as such.
Glinda – Lily James
If Barks did get the role of Elphaba she would need an actress with name recognition to star alongside her and help draw in audiences. Someone who can do that and still be a great fit for Lily James who has been becoming a bigger name in the UK and US.
James is most famous for playing Cinderella in Disney’s 2015 remake of their animated classic. She has also appeared in films like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Baby Driver and Darkest Hour. James recently wowed audiences in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and being able to do justice to a Meryl Streep role. James sings at a high pitch and is able to hit the high notes.
Glinda is a beautiful, popular young woman who is seen as the pinnacle of kindness, yet is really self-centred, selfish and a queen bee. James would be able to mix both characteristics. James was goodness personified in Cinderella whilst in 2012’s Fast Girls she was in a more antagonistic, bitchy role.
The Wizard – Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer is a great actor and a talented singer, yet he has never starred in a musical. It is time for that to change and he would be perfect to play The Wizard. Grammer is best known for playing Dr. Frasier Crane for 20 years yet he is a prolific actor appearing on screen and stage. He won a Golden Globe for his role in The Boss and even in critically derided films like X-Men: The Last Stand and Transformers: Age of Extinction he earned praise.
Grammer is the right age to play the Wizard and has the skill to make him. He could make a seemingly benevolent man from a humble background but really a horrific villain and dictator.
Most audience members properly know Grammer singing the ending song for Frasier and performing Gilbert and Sullivan and Pagliacci in The Simpsons. He sings in a deep baritone and his Wizard could be both the caring fatherly figure and the convincing conman when performing “A Sentimental Man” and “Wonderful.”
Fiyero – Taron Egerton
Fiyero is a handsome, party boy and the love interest for both Elphaba and Glinda. He is a troublemaker who had been kicked out of a number of schools and seems to be only interested in recreation – but hides how much he really cares for the animals of Oz. Whoever plays Fiyero needs to be a singer with a powerful voice and a heartthrob and someone fitting that bill would be Welsh actor Taron Egerton.
Egerton is most famous for playing Eggsy in the Kingsman series which quickly made him into a star. He showed off his vocal talents in the animated film Sing, singing “The Way I Feel Inside” and “I’m Still Standing.” He is set to lead a musical film about Elton John this year.
Egerton is clearly a good-looking man, having a jawline and a body that most would kill for. His experience within the action genre means he could transfer his skills to dancing which would be important for the song “Dancing Through Life.”
The only issue regarding Egerton is his height. He is 5’9 which is average for a man and Fiyero is meant to be tall. It would be more awkward if he started alongside Barks because is only two inches shorter.
Madame Morrible – Helena Bonham Carter
The main villain of Wicked was Madame Morrible. She is Elphaba and Glinda’s teacher at the university and later becomes an advisor to the Wizard. Madame Morrible ends up being the power behind the throne – she is the one who orders the repression of the animals, builds up Elphaba’s standing before making her an enemy of Oz. In the middle of “Defying Gravity” Madame Morrible interrupts the song and bellows the declaration of Elphaba’s wickedness. When I saw this on stage I thought there was only one actress who could play the role on screen: Helena Bonham Carter.
Bonham Carter is an actress known for playing eccentric characters and has played villains. Bonham Carter was perfect as the unhinged Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series – one of Voldemort’s most loyal followers and clearly enjoyed herself as the Fairy Godmother in Disney’s Cinderella. Whoever plays Madame Morrible needs to be outwardly kind, a teacher who takes Elphaba under her wing before revealing her true colours of evil.
Bonham Carter has experience in musicals, starring alongside Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and in Les Misérables, ironically as Éponine’s (Barks) mother.
Nessarose -Emily Marie Palmer
Nessarose is Elphaba’s younger sister and the only reason why Elphaba is able to go to Shiz University. Glinda describes her as ‘that tragically beautiful girl, the one in the chair.’ In the novel Nessarose was born without arms but changed to be a wheelchair user for the musical. An actress that fits would Glinda’s description is Emily Marie Palmer.
The role of Nessarose would be perfect for an unknown and gives them a chance to shine. Palmer is an attractive American actress/singer whose biggest claim to fame was auditioning to play Cosette in Les Misérables but lost out to Amanda Seyfried. Her audition tape was leaked onto Youtube and she nailed signing “In My Life/A Heart Full of Love,” a task made extra difficult because she had to sing it as a solo. Palmer clearly has potential and she deserves a shot in a major film.
Boq – Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Boq is a shy, nerdy Munchkin boy who becomes Nessarose’s love interest. During the musical he changes. He starts as a sweet and innocent and attracted to Glinda who tells him to dance with Nessarose but becomes bitter and resentful as he gets older with the wheelchair-bound girl. Thomas Brodie-Sangster is an actor who can fit the bill.
Brodie-Sangster has a naturally youthful look – he’s 28 and can still pass himself off as a teenager. This makes him a candidate to play Boq from being a university student to Nessarose’s first man. He has the wide-eyed innocent look and can easily play the younger version Boq and playing the older version of the character would test the British actor.
Brodie-Sangster has only sung in one film, playing Paul McCarthy in his younger days in Nowhere Boy. His singing in the film is fleeting yet shows he has a capable voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pU3aZ1Ls0c
Doctor Dillamond – Alan Tudyk
Doctor Dillamond was the history professor at Shiz University and the only animal. On stage he is normally played by a singer in make-up and prosthetics. His role is small but pivotal so it could be a great role for Broadway or West End singer with few credits or a big name actor who could ensure some star. Whoever does perform the role would need to be prepared to wear heavy make-up or a motion capture suit.
My pick is Alan Tudyk, a talented actor who has a devoted following. Audiences will know him for roles in Firefly, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. He is mostly known for being a comedic actor but he has dramatic roles. Tudyk has experience in motion character roles, playing Sonny in I, Robot and most famously as K2SO in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He stole the show in the Star Wars film.
Tudyk has become a prolific voice actor, he has a role in every animated Disney film since Wreck-It Ralph. He would be able to make Doctor Dillamond sound like a wise mentor to Elphaba who is scared and losing his intelligence. Tudyk voiced a chicken in Moana so would be able to make goat sounds.
Doctor Dillamond only has one song in the musical and he basically talk-sings it. Tudyk would be up to singing “Something Bad” with Elphaba.
