On November 6, less than two weeks before the Wicked: For Good premiere, Universal pulled a brilliant stroke of vertical integration by throwing the film franchise a whole-ass televised spectacular celebration on NBC, honoring the last movie (which came out just last year) and teasing the next one . What other 2025 blockbusters can say that they’ve basically thrown themselves an awards show? Wicked: One Wonderful Night showcases the over-the-top, often embarrassing, but ultimately gratifying magic of being a fan of this cockamamie IP and serves as a perfect example of the thrills and dangers of letting a musical become a mainstream pop-cultural phenomenon. Ballyhoo ensues. I couldn’t watch it live because I was at a different Stephen Schwartz/Kristin Chenoweth musical, but I

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