Although I have admiration for many actors, artists, authors and musical talent, I haven’t once considered myself to be such a fan that I labeled myself into a category. Do I appreciate Taylor Swift and her music? Sure…. but do I consider myself a Swiftie? Not at all. I have been to six Justin Timberlake concerts in the past 10 years, but wouldn’t claim to be one of “The TN Kids”. I completely align with Klosterman. I haven’t read a single paragraph of a Harry Potter book and simply because my daughter read each book and watched every movie multiple times, I have probably seen 30-minutes total from all eight movies combined just by being in a room with her while it was on. A Potterhead I will never be, and I'm perfectly fine with that.
Working in the media industry, I’m actually surprised that I haven’t connected myself to a particular fan base. That was until November 22, 2024. Since that day, I am completely comfortable aligning myself as an Ozian.
I’ve always been a fan of the Broadway version of Wicked, so when I realized that I didn’t have work the day of the movie release, I purchased my ticket to the IMAX Theatre here in Rhode Island and off I went to the show. I was in awe within the first 15-minutes of the movie and completely amazed by the cinematography, the costumes, the dancing and of course, the music! I have a new appreciation for Arianna Grande, who I was somewhat of a fan of before viewing Wicked, but since seeing her performance, she has intrigued me to stream a variety of her interviews unrelated to her role as "Galinda". Her humor and talent during guest appearances on Saturday Night Life and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon have truly been entertaining for me and in my opinion has solidified herself as a pop culture icon.
As for Cynthia Erivo, she’s a vocal powerhouse. (What I wouldn’t do to be able to hit that last note of “Defying Gravity’). Her performance as “Elphaba” has influenced me to follow her on Instagram and to watch every reel she posts on this social platform.
Even though I am a huge fan of the Netflix series, Bridgerton, I didn’t follow the cast members anywhere beyond viewing the episodes in my living room, so I had no idea that Jonathan Bailey could sing and dance. His performance as “Fiyero” has me anxiously waiting for Wicked, Part 2, which is slated to be released on November 21, 2025.
So, I ask my fellow classmates and readers of this blog….am I alone with these feelings about Wicked? Is there a movie that you have watched that so unexpectedly took you somewhere magical that you wanted so much more when the credits rolled? Looking forward to the feedback!
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