Top 10 Funniest Moments from Wicked: Part 1

Elphaba's finally getting her chance to meet the Wizard! The tension is palpable as she and Glinda walk through the palace halls, but it’s nothing compared to what’s ahead. We’d be lying if we said Glinda wouldn’t have her work cut out for her if she had to stop us from making a run for it, too. That giant head, complete with its booming voice and pyrotechnics, is incredibly intimidating! However, Elphaba and Glinda's squabbles add some levity to the situation. Soon enough, the Wizard reveals himself as just “a man.” A man who apparently can’t make out faces from behind the curtain, but we gotta ask, how many green people does he know?

Before any of that can happen, first the friends need to get to the Emerald City. Initially, it’s meant to be a solo journey for Elphaba while Galinda joins her classmates to see her off. Yet, as the train starts to pull away, they share one last sweet moment, leaving Elphaba thinking this trip might be better with her friend by her side. So, she invites Glinda to join her for “One Short Day” in the Emerald City. Although Glinda starts off humble, not wanting to steal the limelight, it doesn’t take much convincing to change her mind. Knowing that Ariana Grande totally ad-libbed the line only makes it funnier.

Now rewinding just a little bit more, as Elphaba prepares to board the train, she wonders if Fiyero will come and say goodbye. He does, and as the two share a moment, Galinda notices a vibe between them and swiftly brings the attention back to herself. Under the guise of solidarity with Doctor Dillamond, but clearly just to impress Fiyero, she makes a drastic announcement, complete with her signature hair tosses. We can't help but admire Grande's commitment to the comedy, especially since the crowd eats up her “braverism.” Not only does her performativeness fail to impress Fiyero but it comes back to haunt her later on. Poor Belinda! Oh sorry, Glinda!

The first time we watched the “Wiz-O-Mania” segment, we were completely floored by the iconic cameos. We needed several replays to truly grasp the humor Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth brought to their scene. As The Wise Ones, they spend most of the time trying to outshine each other, perhaps a cheeky nod to their so-called rivalry back in the day? The creators sprinkled plenty of Easter Eggs for fans, too, from Chenoweth’s signature operatic soprano to the battle cry that started it all! We also caught a little hop from Chenoweth and a small wand malfunction that took us back to her “Popular” days. Their cameos end sweetly with their film counterparts but not before one last sassy moment from Chenoweth.

During a campus tour, Galinda brings Fiyero to “the book place.” However, their rare and medium rare collections don’t impress him much. Now, take a moment to focus on the book he’s holding as he starts singing “Dancing Through Life.” “Forbidden Corn?” Yeah, that’s definitely not foreshadowing anything! Fiyero spends the next chunk of the song making all his schoolmates swoon, including the librarian. Librarians tend to be strict about noise levels and probably more so when the person is loudly singing about how books and education are a waste of time. To be fair, though, if Fiyero sang that close to us, we’d probably also be willing to glide away into the unexamined life.

As we learn during orientation when Galinda enrolled at Shiz, she applied for a private suite, but life and Madame Morrible had other plans. But don’t worry; she’s very accommodating and has made a real effort to make space for her roommate. No, really, it’s great! And totally selfless, of course. And Galinda isn’t the only one who knows how to compromise. After she makes a big show of how much she enjoys air after Elphaba tries to shut the balcony door, Elphaba accidentally stumbles on a fix that will keep them both happy. Despite this rocky beginning, both vow to rise above it or at least that’s what they tell their parents.

These two have quite the meet-cute! We imagine Elphaba is quite used to defending herself, so by the time she docks at Shiz, she pretty much has her whole introductory spiel nailed down. Only with Fiyero, it goes a little differently than what she’s probably used to. He’s not at all fazed by her abrasiveness, and she seems to find his charm more grating than endearing. Although this isn’t how they meet in the stage show, it’s a hilarious reimagining of a pivotal moment. Fiyero tries to crack one last joke as Elphaba walks away, only to receive a rather curt reply. Once again, we’re sure that’s not alluding to anything!

As you may know, Bowen Yang actually improvised many of his lines. According to the actor, that wasn’t his intention going in, but it was the one director Jon M. Chu apparently chose for him. And Chu clearly knew what he was doing! Practically everything Yang says as Galinda’s friend Pfannee has us laughing out loud. Indeed, he, often along with Bronwyn James as Shenshen, steals the show with hilarious banter. From Pfannee’s first interaction with Fiyero to defending Galinda’s efforts to help Elphaba, Yang always manages to hit the comedic mark with perfection! We can’t wait to see what other gems he’s come up with in Part Two.

One of the film’s funniest moments is during “Popular,” when Galinda teaches Elphaba a few “flounces,” like her signature hair toss. If you thought that was funny, be sure to check out the deleted scene! However, the most hysterical moment comes when Galinda, who got her wand just 20 minutes ago and hasn’t yet had a single sorcery lesson, tries to turn Elphaba’s “froat” into a ballgown. In an interview, the actors revealed that Grande improvised the entire sequence. Cinematographer Alice Brooks also shared that they had so many takes of Grande’s wand-libs, each funnier than the last, that they weren’t sure how they’d narrow it down! We’d love to see what didn’t make the cut!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

No One Can Say Fiyero Isn’t Deceptively Honest & Blissfully Self-Aware…

Well, It’s Not Every Day You See a Little Green Sprout!

Even During Times of Peril, Glinda Can’t Help but Be Charmingly Hilarious

Clearly, a Question Oz’s Philosophers Have Been Debating for All Ages

So We’ve Heard…

It would be impossible to pick just one moment from Grande’s performance during “Popular,” so let’s go with the whole number! Actually, let’s start a little before when she has a right strop over Elphaba’s secret. Yet, once the song starts, we see the full brilliance of Grande’s comedic talent. She turns the classic “take off the glasses” makeover trope on its head, and her exaggerated flounces throughout have us cracking up. From her hilarious “ew” while pointing out Elphaba’s shoes to her emphatic declaration after Elphaba chimes in, Grande makes the song her own while honoring the comedic legacy of past Galindas. We knew she was funny, but this scene proves she has a truly magical gift for comedy!


Which moments made you laugh the loudest? Let us know in the comments