![]() ![]() ![]() They share a moment singing the same line again – “I hope you’re happy” – this time, not with intent to wound, but laced with understanding. Glinda realises that she, in spite of everything, is still on the ‘good’ side. Glinda and Elphaba sing together in harmony of defying gravity. After a staccato exchange of passive-aggressive I-hope-you’re-happy-nows, there seems to be a reckoning. Just one thing though, before her grand exit, she goes back to Glinda in a last attempt to make her understand, to help her see the light. Her worth is hers to decide, verdigris and all. So what if she was labelled wicked, at least she’s being true to herself. But here? Elphaba decides that she doesn’t care if she isn’t a fan favourite. A sweet sappy serenade, it was a veritable crash course in popularity by Glinda. In some ways, I believe it’s the exact opposite of everything Popular was. Her hopes shattered by those she believed in, Elphaba finally realises that she doesn’t need to be submissive just to be accepted. ![]() Her family told her that she’s worthless, her neighbours ran in terror and her beloved idol, the Wizard, turned out to be a mere fraud. Now, I don’t have the money for Broadway, which is why I resort to cast albums on YouTube, but perhaps, my dear readers, you could give it a shot.ĭefying Gravity is about finally shrugging off the weight of all that society has told Elphaba – that she’s not good enough, that her green skin makes her a sub-par human. Menzel, who won a Tony for her performance as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Chenoweth, who played Glinda the Good Witch, ensure that the audience sticks around for Act 2 with their glittering performances. The song that I chose to write about, Defying Gravity, falls exactly in the middle of the musical at the very end of Act 1. Although originally lambasted by critics, it continued to enjoy the spotlight for over a decade encouraged by an army of fans. Wicked the Musical opened on Broadway in 2003. With an amazing back-and-forth between Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, Defying Gravity is the exact thundering conclusion that Act 1 of Wicked needed. It’s about reclaiming your self-worth and flying free of your little, people-defined mould. It’s a powerful song that evokes equally powerful emotions. I might be 16 years too late to the discourse, but I say Defying Gravity is a feminist anthem. Believe me, I know all that you have to say about Defying Gravity – a song that ran its course, a song that sticks in your head like a gnat of a memory. ![]()
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