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# Defying the Gravity of Going It Alone
- URL: https://the-wicked-truth.ghost.io/defying-the-gravity-of-going-it-alone/
- Published: 2026-02-09T16:15:40.000Z
- Updated: 2026-02-09T16:15:39.000Z
- Description: Dr. Brian Ammons brings a queer perspective to Wicked, Defying Gravity, and what it means to find your vocation.
- Author: Suzanne Ross
- Tags: Wicked, wicked musical, defying gravity, peacebuilding, queer theory, queer theology, mimetic theory, cynthia erivo, faith and art, christian spirituality, conflict transformation

[The newest episode of *Third Things First* is now live!](https://youtu.be/9SU-PzKqlks?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io)

In this episode, I interview Dr. Brian Ammons – minister, educator, and [spiritual director](https://www.theporchcommunity.net/coaching-spiritual-direction?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io) at [First Church Belfast](https://www.firstchurchbelfast.org.uk/?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io) – about the deeper meanings within the musical Wicked — and especially the iconic song, [“Defying Gravity.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UOgvF2vLAA&ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io)  
  
Brian's experience as a religious leader shaped by queer theory intersect with the grounding in [mimetic theory](https://the-wicked-truth.ghost.io/the-unexamined-life-part-1-copy-that/) here at *The Wicked Truth* to reveal new spiritual, cultural, and social dimensions of *Wicked*. Together, we explore how art can open paths for peacebuilding, belonging, and transformation — especially for those who’ve lived as outsiders.  
  
💫 This is **Part One** of a two-part conversation. In Part Two, we continue reading into Elphaba’s “vocation,” and how the Grimmerie operates as a kind of sacred text within the film. You won't want to miss Brian's reading, which has *enormous* implications for how we pick up and read our own holy books! Mark your calendars for **February 23,** when the new episode will air!

⚡

****Episode Highlights:**  
  
\- Is "Defying Gravity" really the rebellious anthem it's become in popular culture for the last 20 years?  
  
\- How do casting choices (Idina Menzel vs. Cynthia Erivo) reshape our interpretations of film and broadway works?  
  
\- Understanding the Wizard of Oz as a "false god," and what that interpretation reveals about power and identity  
  
\- Why art matters for peacebuilding and hope

🔗 You can learn more about Dr. Brian Ammons through his work at [The Porch!](https://www.theporchcommunity.net/coaching-spiritual-direction?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io)  
📹 As always, you can watch this episode on [our YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@thewickedtruthsr?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io), or listen on [Spotify ](https://open.spotify.com/show/5g8nVbDX52iQPtyiF60rKR?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io)and [Apple Podcasts!](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wicked-truth-third-things-first/id1872146191?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io)  
👍 Wherever you watch or listen, please like, subscribe, comment, and share if you believe art can help mend our divided world!