These Wicked Secrets Will Have You Dancing Through Life

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The cast of Wicked, including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Jonathan Bailey, knew from the start their movie was going to be a hit.

Those who considered themselves musical theater fans grew up listening to the soundtrack from the original 2003 Broadway show, which was inspired by Gregory Maguire’s popular, and somewhat gloomy, 1995 novel of the same name.

Ariana Grande shared with Entertainment Weekly that listening to the music from Wicked always made her feel happy and secure. She explained that it was a source of comfort whenever she was feeling anxious or down, a place where she always felt safe.

Ariana Grande, familiar with the story of how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, was very eager to play the role of Glinda.

When the Grammy-winning artist found out she’d be portraying the Good Witch – a character deeply impacted by her bond with Elphaba – she immediately knew who to contact.

Oh, I’ll never forget the moment we found out! I was on FaceTime with the wonderful Kristin Chenoweth, and honestly, we were both just a mess – completely overcome with emotion, full-on crying, the works! We were practically blubbering like little dolphins!

Agreed Chenoweth, “There was white noise and pink snot glitter. There were tears.”

Erivo recalls a comparable discussion with Idina Menzel, who felt the movie set was a truly unique and special place.

The award-winning performer told Menzel, who appeared with her in the original production, that she felt incredibly supported by both of them. She explained that they gave her the freedom, encouragement, and space she needed to thrive.

Of course, the foursome aren’t the only ones to have been changed for good. 

The first film in director Jon M. Chu’s planned two-part series earned nearly $650 million globally and received 10 Academy Award nominations, recognizing both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for their work.

Ariana Grande recently revealed on the Today show that the most rewarding part of filming was performing gravity-defying scenes with her co-star.

She said working with him was the highlight of her career, and that she’ll always cherish the experience. She jokingly added that it’s ruined her for future collaborations!

Before the movie Wicked: For Good comes out on November 21st—and before TopMob livestreams the New York City premiere on November 17th at 6:15 PM Eastern Time / 3:15 PM Pacific Time—let’s take a look back at the making of both films.

Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow us down the yellow brick road memory lane. 

Ariana Grande, the Grammy-winning singer, is fulfilling a lifelong dream by playing Glinda in the upcoming Wicked movie. She first saw the original Broadway show over twenty years ago and met Kristin Chenoweth, who previously played the role. Naturally, Ariana turned to Kristin for advice on how to play Glinda – everything from charming boys to choosing the perfect shoes!

Ariana Grande told Entertainment Weekly that she and Kristin Chenoweth exchanged a lot of video messages during their relationship. Chenoweth joked that they sent so many, she actually filled up all the storage space on her device.

The two Elphabas shared a similarly spellbinding connection. 

Cynthia Erivo said she contacted Idina Menzel right away, leaving a voicemail simply to say hello and connect with her.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth’s involvement in the Wicked movies wasn’t just a brief appearance – they had a cameo in the first part, released in 2024. When asked if they would return for Wicked: For Good in 2025, Chenoweth explained that she and Menzel had their time to shine, but now it’s up to the new cast to take the lead.

You know those instant connections you have with people? I experienced one of those with Ariana Grande the very first time we met! It was at my place, and we just talked… for hours! Seriously, five hours flew by. It felt so natural and easy – like we didn’t even have to try. We just clicked, and thankfully, that feeling has stayed with us ever since. It’s one of those beautiful, effortless bonds, and I’m so grateful for it.

And, no doubt, it’s changed each star for the better. 

From the moment we met, we both agreed to support each other, and we’ve truly done that throughout everything we’ve experienced together,” Grande explained.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always fascinated by the dedication artists bring to their craft! Director Jon M. Chu wasn’t initially sure how much of the music in the film would be recorded live, but Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were adamant about performing everything in real time. For them, it wasn’t even a question – they had to sing live. Cynthia explained it beautifully: performing live allowed them to truly connect with the meaning of the songs and with each other on a deeper level. It’s that commitment to authenticity that really shines through!

The film’s U.K. location was truly special. Director Chu described it as feeling like an incredible concert experience, with the perfect view from every angle.

The only real difficulty during filming was that both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were sick just before they needed to record their most important songs.

Cynthia Erivo told The New York Times she tested positive for Covid-19 right before filming ‘Defying Gravity.’ She explained it felt like a sign she needed to rest and postpone things, saying, ‘It was like, ‘Sit down, Cynthia, not yet.’

Ariana Grande shared that she joined the set while still recovering from something, wearing a mask during her last days of recovery to learn the choreography for the hallway scene.

And try out a few jokes. 

I remember being in the dorm room with her, and I playfully sang into her ear, ‘Stay positive, everything will be okay!’ But honestly, I wasn’t feeling optimistic myself – I had already taken the test to find out what was going on.

Ariana Grande says she doesn’t remember intentionally adding a particular moment to her performance. She explained on TikTok that when Cynthia Erivo finished a line in the song, Grande instinctively shouted “Right!” She discovered this happened while listening to a studio recording before seeing the movie, and it startled her so much she immediately called the director, Jon, while laughing.

Though, added Grande, “For the record, I absolutely do not remember doing this.” 

The lead actors were fully dedicated and willing to trust their gut feelings, even if it meant taking risks. That’s why Erivo performed her own stunts, including wire work that made it look like she was flying. As she explained in a behind-the-scenes look, she knew from the start that the role would require stunts and was determined to do them herself.

She explained it felt like ‘flying with a corset, a harness, and songs.’ But when everything came together, she said, ‘it truly felt like magic.’

During the performance of “Popular,” Ariana Grande swung around on a chandelier. However, it was someone else who almost got hurt.

During the first practice run, one of the stunt coordinators had to stand by to prevent me from getting seriously injured, I joked on The Tonight Show. He was standing very still and bravely in the corner when I accidentally almost kicked him in the face with my foot. He didn’t even flinch!

Jonathan Bailey played the role of Fiyero and his performance of “Dancing Through Life” included an elaborate set piece. This featured three rotating wheels, each with a ladder built into the center.

At nearly 180 feet long, 145 feet wide, and 45 feet high, the set was incredibly risky, Chu admitted to Entertainment Weekly. He explained that even getting insurance for the project was a major challenge.

The stunt was quite dangerous; choreographer Christopher Scott admitted he wasn’t even sure they’d be allowed to put Jonathan Bailey in the rotating ‘tornado’ prop due to safety concerns. It was crucial that Bailey, who plays Fiyero, wasn’t injured, as he has a lot of performing to do.

Rather than relying on automated systems, they used a team of engineers to watch the performance and manually adjust the speed to match the dancers’ movements.

Erivo chose to have her skin airbrushed rather than digitally altered to appear green.

In an Instagram video, she described wanting to create an image that felt real and alive. She envisioned a woman with green skin, focusing on making it look textured and natural, complete with freckles and realistic shading. The woman’s green eyes, she explained, were meant to reflect her inherent qualities – a deep part of who she is, not just a surface-level feature.

They dubbed her particular shade “Cynthia Green.” 

As a huge Cynthia Erivo fan, I was fascinated to learn how they created her signature freckles for a recent project! She explained on The Kelly Clarkson Show that they actually made a mold of her face – almost like a vacuum-form mask. Then, they poked tiny holes in it. They’d use this mask like a stencil, airbrushing the freckles on through the holes so they’d stay put. It’s such a clever way to get that consistent, natural look!

Despite her many piercings, the actress readily agreed to a compromise suggested by the production team instead of hiding them.

Let me tell you, when it comes to red carpet looks, details matter! I have quite a few piercings – seriously, a lot! – so for a recent event, the team brought in an amazing prosthetic artist. They actually created a custom ‘shell’ for my ears. You won’t believe this, but those weren’t my ears on the red carpet! It was all about creating the right silhouette and making sure everything looked flawless.

She explained to Elle that painting could take up to four hours, depending on how detailed the depiction of ‘head, chest, hands, full body’ needed to be.

Ariana Grande, however, found the transformation surprisingly simple. As she explained on set, she could be ready with just a few quick steps. This involved covering her tattoos, carefully putting on a wig, and a makeup process that ultimately led her to rethink her overall approach to beauty.

She explained the makeup look was subtle, avoiding strong eyeliner or dramatic shading. Instead, the focus was on lashes shaped like a cat’s eye – a lift she enjoys – but presented in a more natural way, staying true to one’s actual appearance.

Ariana Grande was thrilled to wear Glinda’s famous, fluffy pink dress. She described it as being covered in ‘pink and fluff’ and mentioned the incredible detail – it took 225 hours to sew, with over 20,000 beads! She was so impressed by the thoughtfulness put into the costume that she said she almost had a heart attack.

Even Elphaba’s clothing was carefully designed. Costume designer Paul Tazewell drew inspiration from the textures of mushrooms and fungi, creating a stunning pleated dress. As Cynthia Erivo described it, the dress felt like velvet with layers of purple and lace underneath.

According to Tazewell, the material is created by layering a finely pleated fabric onto a foundation, which gives it a wavy texture.

The set designers paid incredible attention to every detail. For example, the train traveling to Emerald City weighed 16 tons and took two days to move into position. And the beautiful field of tulips in Munchkinland wasn’t created with computer effects – nine million real tulips were planted across 25 acres in Norfolk to make it bloom.

Chu observed that they carefully built the forest of Oz, making sure to maintain a broad view despite focusing on the individual trees.

He explained that the final result hinges on meticulous attention to detail. He noted it’s amazing to consider how the project transformed from initial sketches and concepts into the finished product we see today, thanks to the power of special and visual effects.

Knowing Ariana Grande well, Kristin Chenoweth gifted her custom jackets. The jackets were painted by Janan Studio and decorated with crystals by Haus of Crystals.

In December 2024, the Broadway star shared a sweet on-set moment on Instagram, describing leading their daughter as ‘a little physical memento of our ‘passing of the wand.'”

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo proved their close bond with matching tattoos that complete each other. As Grande explained on The Kelly Clarkson Show, they purposefully got the tattoos on opposite hands so that when they hold hands, the designs connect, symbolizing their lasting friendship – quite literally ‘for good’.

Oh my gosh, they were sending the most amazing things! Everyone got these beautiful, matching poppy flowers and hearts, it was SO sweet! And Cynthia Erivo? She was living for the theme, she actually drew a broom and a hat right onto her arms with ink! Can you believe it? It was the cutest, most dedicated thing ever!

Erivo told Elle that she feels like she’s gained a sister, explaining that they instantly felt a strong connection with each other.

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2025-11-16 11:18