There is something truly transformative about the experience of live music. I have been to many performances of the same music because no matter what it says on the sheet music, no two artists have the same take on a piece of music, and it's always worth hearing something familiar in a new way. In films, the finished product is the result of multiple takes and clever editing to make sure the best version of a scene makes it to the theatrical release. This is why Jon M. Chu's decision to use live singing in the upcoming Wicked film is such an interesting choice. In "Wicked: Singing Live," we get to see some of the realities that come with that approach to the famous musical.
"Further connected to the words"
At the beginning of the video, this seems like more of a rehearsal than anything else. Cynthia Erivo walks towards the set while running through a five-note ascending and descending vocal exercise on alternating vowels. Thirteen seconds in, Ariana Grande practices a passage of music that is recognizable from the song "Dear Old Shiz" while someone makes an adjustments to a costume in the background. Perhaps the most captivating snatch of music is at the one-minute mark, when Cynthia reaches the famous "so if you care to find me, look to the western skies" moment of "Defying Gravity."
The video invites the audience into a kind of dress rehearsal for what we are going to be seeing in just a few weeks and this is something special. Live music is explosive and emotional when done right, but it's also unpredictable. Cynthia Erivo speaks of how she and co-star Ariana Grande advocated for the musical direction:
"We chose to sing live because it meant that we would be further connected to the words we were saying and to each other...There's something special that happens when music is live in a room."Cynthia Erivo
Ariana confirms that "it was an immediate no-brainer for Cynthia and I." The director says that they've managed to "immerse the audience because effectively, our movie set is also a recording studio." This truth is underlined as we see the conductor hard at work in the foreground of a scene.
"Husks."
Chu mentions, "That raw and real emotion we are recording on set right now will be what you hear and experience in the theater." For anyone concerned that this will affect the quality of the music, we hear the unaccompanied duet at the midpoint of "Defying Gravity," followed by the same powerful intensity of the vocals backed by an orchestra.
Grande says that "Whenever we'd get to the end of an incredibly emotional day, Cynthia and I would refer to ourselves as husks. having given everything we've got." The commitment to the music is certainly exhilarating in just three minutes and we can only imagine what it will be like by the end of the first movie in the Wicked duology.
Wicked releases on November 22, but there are plenty of behind the scenes videos and insightful interviews to enjoy until then. We will be here for all of it.