Warning Issued for Louisiana Fans Attending ‘Wicked’ in Theaters

Anticipation is the word I would use to describe the feeling most often associated with the release of John Chu's adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. Chu's movie premier of that story is set to grace screens in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, Monroe, and Alexandria on November 22nd. And already there are being alarms sounded and concerns voiced.

Wicked, the Musical first graced the stage of the Gershwin Theatre on October 8, 2003. The show was in previews for several weeks and its official opening night at the Gershwin was October 30. Seems appropriate, right? A musical story about witches debuting on the eve of Halloween?

If you're not familiar with the Wicked story, it's less about Halloween and more about the Wizard of Oz. It's based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. You might remember the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. It was her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East that had the house land on her during the film's opening moments.

The Broadway adaptation of Wicked was critically and financially acclaimed. The musical earned three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. The Original Cast Album also earned a Grammy Award. With this kind of critical acclaim, it's no wonder the project was destined to become a movie musical too.

The film version of Wicked stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Both are talented performers and based on preview reviews they do an excellent job. But at least one theater chain is issuing a warning for those who might want to support Ariana and Cynthia.

That warning is this, "Don't Sing Along with the Movie". The folks at AMC Theaters are already on record and remind guests that "singing" is in violation of the theater's "no talking" policy.  So matter how much you want to Defy Gravity during the film, you best be singing to yourself self or you could be singing outside on the sidewalk.

I can actually see both sides of this argument. However, I would lean more toward the side the theater is taking. I didn't pay to come here you sing the score of Wicked. I paid to see and hear the cast of the film perform the music. Please keep other guests in mind when you attend Wicked this weekend or anytime during its run in theaters.

Now, when Wicked becomes available for home viewing. You can raise the roof all you want.