So last month, a release date was set for the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked. Yesterday at San Diego Comic Con, composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz revealed that he is currently working on four new songs for the film (one of them being an old song that was cut from the Broadway show). Of course, the idea of incorporating new songs into a big screen adaptation of a Broadway musical is nothing new. For example, the film adaptation of the musical Hairspray incorporated two new songs into its plot (one of them being ‘The New Girl in Town’ which was previously cut from that Broadway show). So with three original songs being written for the film, Stephen Schwartz could have up to three chances at an Oscar nomination in 2020 (he is a previous three-time winner).
In a previous blog, I mentioned that there were currently no celebrities I could think of to star in the film. Though since then, I actually have thought of a couple film stars I could see potentially starring as Elphaba and Glinda respectively. What I find great about these two suggestions is that they both of musical theatre backgrounds. So not only do they sing, but they also understand acting through song.
Daisy Ridley
For those of you who were just introduced to her in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she is actually a 2010 graduate of the Tring Park School for Performing Arts where she trained in musical theatre. Here is a video of her performing when she was only 15 years old.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svhoyGL4sHA
And here she is recently singing ‘At the Ballet’ from A Chorus Line with Barbra Streisand and Anne Hathaway on Streisand’s upcoming album Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bz8sD48avw
Emma Stone
So I was reading a recent article from Teen Vogue offering their casting choices. One of the ideas they had was Emma Stone as Elphaba.
http://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/wicked-movie-galinda-elphaba-cast-predictions#17
Personally, I think she's more of a Glinda. She's funny and a natural blonde. She's also played Sally Bowles in the most recent Broadway revival of Cabaret.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6ycHsfNXRY
I don't know if she has the vocal chops for Glinda (she was approached to play Cinderella in the film adaptation of Into the Woods, but turned it down because she didn't have the vocal range for that part), but she at least has a musical theatre background. Not to mention that she has a movie musical (La La Land) coming out later this year which happens to be produced by Marc Platt (the producer of Wicked).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDMf9m7FXd4&list=PL_2Wk1WlmEySY09myN5lvIUiaW9f29JBw&index=8
So what do you think of these ideas?
In a previous blog, I mentioned that there were currently no celebrities I could think of to star in the film. Though since then, I actually have thought of a couple film stars I could see potentially starring as Elphaba and Glinda respectively. What I find great about these two suggestions is that they both of musical theatre backgrounds. So not only do they sing, but they also understand acting through song.
Daisy Ridley
For those of you who were just introduced to her in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she is actually a 2010 graduate of the Tring Park School for Performing Arts where she trained in musical theatre. Here is a video of her performing when she was only 15 years old.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svhoyGL4sHA
And here she is recently singing ‘At the Ballet’ from A Chorus Line with Barbra Streisand and Anne Hathaway on Streisand’s upcoming album Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bz8sD48avw
Emma Stone
So I was reading a recent article from Teen Vogue offering their casting choices. One of the ideas they had was Emma Stone as Elphaba.
http://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/wicked-movie-galinda-elphaba-cast-predictions#17
Personally, I think she's more of a Glinda. She's funny and a natural blonde. She's also played Sally Bowles in the most recent Broadway revival of Cabaret.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6ycHsfNXRY
I don't know if she has the vocal chops for Glinda (she was approached to play Cinderella in the film adaptation of Into the Woods, but turned it down because she didn't have the vocal range for that part), but she at least has a musical theatre background. Not to mention that she has a movie musical (La La Land) coming out later this year which happens to be produced by Marc Platt (the producer of Wicked).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDMf9m7FXd4&list=PL_2Wk1WlmEySY09myN5lvIUiaW9f29JBw&index=8
So what do you think of these ideas?