The haters are wrong: the 'Wicked' singalong rules

In the weeks leading up to the silver screen debut of Wicked, haters bemoaned the possibility that hordes of hyped-up, grown-up theater kids would crash the remake of the beloved Broadway musical.

After a month of showings with standard rules — no talking, texting or singing — select theaters are inviting that very crowd to raise their voices in singalong screenings.

A disclaimer: While theater kids do exist in public media, I’m not one of them — my experience with the dramatic arts amounts to one Saturday afternoon painting sets for a friend’s show in high school. I have seen one staged rendition of the Wicked musical and remember just enough of the lyrics to “Popular.”

Now that I’ve witnessed a singalong screening firsthand, I am here to say: The haters are wrong. The enthusiasm, creativity and reverence of the fans enhances, not detracts, from the moviegoing experience.

Will it be wonderful?

Walking into the AMC at the Americana, you’d forget Wicked was even still playing.

All the posters have been swapped for forthcoming movies, but you could spot a few outfits inspired by Oz headed toward the matinee showing of the singalong show.

Several members of the Clevenger family wore matching pink bows.

The ladies of the Clevenger family— Mom, Jeanne, and daughters Maddie, Abby and Paige. Jeanne said the soundtrack has been playing in the house and car nonstop since they first saw the movie in November. "I love the social justice aspect, too, of Elphaba standing up to the wizard," Jeanne said. "We also can't wait for the second part to come out."

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Mariana Dale

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LAist

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“We decided to do a fun girls’ date,” said mom Jeanne. “My husband and their brother, they loved the movie, but they didn't need to sing along.”

Rowan Wooten paired a puffy-sleeved black dress with Doc Marten boots and a striped undershirt as a nod to the other Wicked Witch (of the East.)

“I've been waiting for Wicked since I was 8 years old,” they said. “I was so scared it was going to be terrible. But I saw it the first day it came out and it was amazing.”

Wicked, the musical and the movie, are based on the eponymous 1995 book about the land of the yellow brick road before and after Dorothy’s arrival.

After news spreads that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead, Glinda the Good Witch reveals the two had been friends once (that is, their paths did cross, at school).

In the movie, Ariana Grande takes on the role of Galinda (emphasis on the GUH) and Cynthia Erivo plays the emerald-skinned Elphaba (affectionately Elphie).

“I was kind of bullied as a child,” Wooten said. “I really identified with Elphaba and I also really loved Galinda [be]cause she's just so sweet once you get to know her.”

‘No keeping quiet in this theater’

After the lights dim, Grande and Erivo reminded us “there’s no keeping quiet in this theater” (prompting the first of many rounds of applause throughout the show) and led us in a series of lip trills to get warmed up.

I sat next to Wooten.

Rowan Wooten donned their "best Wicked Witch" look for the singalong screening. "I've been waiting for Wicked since I was 8 years old," Wooten said. "I was so scared it was going to be terrible, but I saw it the first day it came out and it was amazing."

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Mariana Dale

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LAist

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Instead of sinking into the plush seat, they sat straight up, shoulders back, ready to project. (They used to be in choir.)

The movie’s musical numbers are accompanied by karaoke-style text on the screen. The text turns gold and sparkles as the lyrics scroll.

The first number, “No One Mourns the Wicked” was subdued, perhaps feeling out the vibe of the theater or too loyal to the Wicked Witch of the West to celebrate her demise. But by the time Elphaba and Galinda trade barbs in “What Is This Feeling?” the majority of the audience is singing along.

The cast vocals still dominated the soundscape, but a pleasant hum filled the theater. The only loathing was on screen.

The science of singing

When this audience leaves the theater, they’ll not only have the experience, but they’ll be better off in other ways, too. Research has found people can feel less stressed and  more connected after hitting high notes together— or at least trying to.

For example, if you’re stressed or anxious, you might take frequent, short, shallow breaths. To sing, people inhale and exhale with control and precision.

“There's a kind of regulation of the cardiorespiratory system that happens when we sing that seems to have a calming effect on the body,” said Toronto Metropolitan University psychology professor Frank Russo. He co-directs the college’s SingWell Project and has studied the experiences of people who sing alone and together.

“You do not need to be a trained singer or highly talented singer to receive these benefits from group singing,” Russo said. “I think what's critical is that everyone has the same collective goals, that we're here to have a good time. We're here to sing together and to enjoy singing together.”

Russo pointed out that the human voice as an instrument dates to ancient times.

“We live in this culture of specialization where we've got this idea that you have to train for many years and you have to be expert in something before you can do it publicly,” Russo said.

If you need an example of our primal connection to music, just look to babies. I recently witnessed a friend’s infant son delight in a playlist of jock jams.

“They're totally involved in the joy of music,” Russo said. “I think we're all capable of that. We just have to let our guard down and get over our egos.”

Being part of a community

I floated out of the theater on the final high note of Erivo’s "Defying Gravity" and caught up with the Clevenger family.

High school freshman Abby is an “OG fan.” She’s seen Wicked on Broadway and the movie once before.

 "They all were fans," she said of the audience. "I felt more connected to the people."

Roxy Panaro came to the screening with her husband. "I love that everybody was singing, but it wasn't like screaming," Panaro said. "It was ... feeling the community of people who really loved the movie."

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Mariana Dale

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LAist

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“It felt really freeing,” her mom Jeanne added. “During the regular movie, you wanted to sing, but had to hold back. It was … a communal experience.”

Long time musical-theater lover Wooten said that when they were little, “I was constantly being told by teachers to stop singing ‘Popular.’” The screening was filled with people who knew not only the chorus, but also the preceding dialogue ("Dearest Momsie and Popsicle…").

“There were multiple times where I'd glance over and somebody in the back would make eye contact with me and we'd make the same face,” Wooten said.

There was laughter and applause throughout the show, but no one in the audience ever tried to upstage the stars on screen. When Elphaba and Galinda finally connect on the Ozdust Ballroom’s dance floor, there was a reverent hush, save for a few emotional sniffles.

Members of the audience “held space” for each other to experience the journey.

I couldn’t help but think of something Russo said as I walked out of the theater and into the crowded, twinkling walkways of the Americana.

“Although we're all individuals and we appreciate our individuality,” he said, “we're more likely to see ourselves as part of a greater whole when we sing together.”