This week, we’re heading back to Oz with acclaimed director Jon M. Chu, the visionary behind Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights, Wicked, and now its sequel, Wicked: For Good. Jon opens up about the emotional and creative journey of adapting one of America’s most beloved and most reinterpreted stories. He talks about friendship, the meaning of home, the power of musical storytelling, and how becoming a father reshaped the way he sees the world. From the magical specificity that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande brought to their roles to exploring the deeper truths beneath the spectacle, this conversation is full of magic, meaning, and heart.

BOOKS MENTIONED;

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Wicked by Gregory Maguire 

Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen by Jeremy McCarter and Jon M. Chu

Mother Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist by Chuck Jones

Build by Tony Fadell

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr by Ron Chernow

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Mystery of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg