The best thing you can do at a sing-along screening of Wicked? Be the first to sing
Special sing-along screenings of Bad have been happening since Christmas, but due to the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I wasn’t able to attend one until this past weekend. As a huge fan of the musical and a big karaoke person in general, I was super excited. Not only do I like to sing in a crowd, I also like to sing with people who are enthusiastic about the songs in question. It’s a wonderful way to come together and celebrate a musical.
Once I settled into the theater, however, I remembered an important fact Bad: Stephen Schwartz’s songs are not easy to sing.
The musical begins with the thrilling ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’, which not only features Glinda the Good Witch riffing in her incredibly high register, but also many exciting ensemble parts. It starts with a triumphant chorus of “GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!” and doesn’t really let it go from there. It’s one of my favorite songs in the entire musical, but boy, it’s not for beginners.
When the movie started and the song played, I’m pretty sure everyone in my theater held their breath. A conversation with some fellow theatergoers after the performance confirmed this. Even at an event that was specifically labeled as a sing-along event, it seemed like everyone was afraid to start singing first.
Maybe it was ingrained theater etiquette, especially since AMC had the usual “Shut up your cell phone!” pre-show announcements. Perhaps everyone was nervous about breaking the sacred silence of the theater, especially after so much intense recent debate about singing along in movies. Or maybe no one wanted to take a chance on such a loud song right away.
But even though I was nervous at first, I decided I wasn’t there to be a coward. I was there singeven though I couldn’t hit a single high note from Ariana Grande. So a few lines into “No One Mourns for the Wicked,” I went for it. I’m not sure if I was the first (the sound mix in the theater made it hard to hear anyone who wasn’t right next to you), but once I started singing I felt powerful. Yes, I knew there was no way I could match Cynthia Erivo’s big belt at the end of “The Wizard and I,” but with a can-do attitude and a passion for singing that makes up for any lack of talent, I could definitely try it.
It quickly became clear that the entire audience was participating, even if I could only hear the others at certain moments, such as the more subdued conversational segments of ‘Dancing Through Life’. But in the darkened audience I could see the outlines of enthusiastic hand gestures – sometimes mimicking Glinda’s jaunty little gestures, other times just as personal singing flourishes. I heard giggling and laughter during some line deliveries (in accordance with the “I and BOQtrendfor example). Everyone cheered when Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth made their cameos. It was euphoric for everyone to come together, united by common love.
Some songs were easier than others, like “A Sentimental Man” (which was also a popular bathroom break song) and “I’m Not That Girl,” but the harder crowd favorites, like “Popular” and “One Short Day,” were definitely the most fun to sing along to.
It all came to a head with “Defying Gravity” – the musical’s most famous and difficult song.
I was particularly worried about this because of my own limited vocal range. I didn’t want to totally embarrass myself, as understandable as it would be if I couldn’t hit Elphaba’s high notes.
Fortunately, the film version of ‘Defying Gravity’ is actually suitable for singing along. Director Jon M. Chu chose to divide “Defying Gravity” into segments punctuated by action. If you watch the film regularly, you will feel the song at chopped to pieces, to the point where it undermines the great catharsis. But in a sing-along setting, the frequent dialogue breaks between verses gave me a chance to rest my throat, gulp down some of my large theater drink, and prepare for the next round of loud singing.
Did I hit those notes? Absolutely not. But so did most of the theater. However, that didn’t matter. We were just here to celebrate a damn good musical. It was like my favorite kind of karaoke, where you’re not really trying to impress anyone; everyone is just out to have fun making music together, whether the performances are great or not. And united by a shared love for Badwe all were unlimited ✨✨✨defy gravity together.
All it took was one brave soul willing to stand up and sing.
Bad sing-along screenings still take place in the cinema, but if you prefer to sing at home, the movie available on VOD or on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K HD.