Charlotte Shields-Rossi | a&e editor

Thanksgiving is a time for family, turkey and expressing gratitude, but for the past two years many of us have held space for our favorite movie-musical adaptation — “Wicked.”

Last November, “Wicked,” directed by Jon M. Chu, hit theaters. The star-studded cast, amusing press tour and cultural significance of the mystical land of Oz made it a huge hit. The world has become green and pink for the past year as fans have been anxiously awaiting the sequel, “Wicked: For Good” which debuted Nov. 21.

In the last movie, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) defied the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), and has been propagandized as “wicked” by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), which has forced her to go into hiding.

Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande) has been labeled as “good,” living what should be her dream — engaged to Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey), living in the Emerald City and acting as the figurehead for the bright future of Oz.

The use of propaganda, good and bad, is a recurring theme throughout this installation.

“Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” authored by Gregory Maguire, was the inspiration for the musical and subsequent movies. The novel has strong political undertones about how propaganda plays a role in public perception, and the prequel excelled in expressing these themes without being boring.

Set design is one of the movie’s highlights. The art deco inspired Emerald City is a sparkling green, resembling the technicolor technology featured in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz,” and the construction of the vast yellow brick road is nothing short of breathtaking.

The unveiling of the yellow brick road is the kick off for the events that happen in “The Wizard of Oz,” the plot line of which runs concurrently with the movie at the halfway point.

Before Dorothy’s (Bethany Weaver) arrival, the movie shows the origin of the Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo), the Tin Man (Ethan Slater) and the Scarecrow (Jonathan Bailey).

The Tin Man has a frightening and mechanical look, the Scarecrow’s burlap skin is perfectly fused to Bailey’s face and the computer-generated imagery to create the Cowardly Lion is all top notch.

The creatives behind the scenes used special effects and makeup to sell the fantasy aspect of the movie while paying homage to the original film. That being said, if you were hoping for a face reveal of Dorothy, don’t hold your breath. The most we see of Dorothy is a silhouette. Chu wanted to keep the focus on Elphaba and Glinda. We also don’t see the famous ruby slippers or iconic blue and white checkered dress — both being copyrighted by MGM, while the 2025 film was released by Universal Studios.

The first movie gave us amazing and powerful songs such as “Popular,” “Defying Gravity” and “No one Mourns the Wicked.” This prequel really held its own with four standout performances.

“The Girl in the Bubble,” sung by Glinda, is part of the movie’s original score. Glinda sings during a moment of self reflection — she lacks the magical powers she yearns for, her love for Fiyero was unrequited and her title as “good” was only a title.

Both literally and figuratively living in a bubble, she realizes it is time for her to stop living in a fantasy world. This song marks the point that Glinda decides to actually be good, something that was missing from the musical.

Although “Wonderful,” sung by the Wizard, is not new to the movie, Glinda’s inclusion in the scene was. The song is about how the Wizard was able to rise to power, not because he is good but because he was perceived as such.

“Is one a crusader — or a ruthless invader? / It’s all in which label / is able to persist / there are precious few at ease / with moral ambiguities / so we act as though they don’t exist,” Goldblum sings.

Including Glinda in the scene shows that she is a true believer of the Wizard, complicit in propagandizing Elphaba as “wicked” while being fully aware of the consequences.

“No Good Deed” and “March of the Witch Hunters” are musical-movie accurate, but it is the talent behind the respective songs that make them all the more powerful.

“No Good Deed” is sung during the climax of the movie. In the castle Kiamo Ko, Elphaba is racing against time to save Fiyero from the guards, while questioning if she really is wicked — her good deeds often end up hurting more than helping. After this epiphany, she vows to never do a good deed again — the prophecy of her wickedness has come true.

Elphaba goes through a roller coaster of emotions — panic, questioning and finally acceptance — in her role as the Wicked Witch of the West. Erivo was able to deliver a strong and emotional rendition that not only did the scene justice but made it come to life.

Back in the Emerald City the Tin Man is rallying the troops in “March of the Witch Hunters,” he is bloodthirsty and blames Elphaba for his current state. Slater was an unexpected star in the prequel. His ability to encapsulate the pure rage of his character was shocking considering his first claim to fame was as Spongebob in the Broadway adaptation of the Nickelodeon kid’s cartoon.

The movie ends with a flashback of Glinda and Elphaba’s time at Shiz University — their home base in the first movie. In a poppy field, Glinda whispers something into her friend’s ear, recreating the iconic Broadway musical poster.

The movie isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a fan of world-building, character development and glittery pink dresses, it is sure to defy your expectations.

Charlotte Shields-Rossi can be reached at shieldsrossic@duq.edu