Could Glinda the Good Witch also be Glinda the Lesbian Witch? “Wicked” star Ariana Grande thinks she “might be in the closet a little bit” — and original Broadway lead Kristin Chenoweth agrees.
In an interview with The Gay Times ahead of the musical’s premiere, Grande and co-star Cynthia Erivo discussed the inherent queerness of “Wicked” and the Land of Oz.
“Every day in the Emerald City is a pride parade, right?” Grande said. “Even the chickens…those chickens are gay.” She went on to describe Dr. Dillmond to Peter Dinklage, a professor of goat history at CHIS, as a “gay icon.”
“I mean, Dr. Dillmond wears that Bud jacket… let’s talk about it,” she said. “Let’s just talk for a minute about him and his tea set too. With the tea and the sweater, I’ll just throw it in there!”
Some “Wicked” fans even ship Glinda and Elphaba as a romantic couple. When asked about this possibility, Erivo said: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection they have. I think they have a real connection, it’s real love, and that’s probably why people ship it because what they’re building with each other is An unbreakable bond.
Grande added that they provide “such a safe space for each other, which is what all relationships should be. So, you know, whether it’s romantic or platonic — Glenda might be in the closet a little bit — but if there’s time, you never know.” Give it more time.”
“It’s just true love and I think it goes beyond sexuality,” she concluded.
It turns out Grande wasn’t the only Glenda who thought so. When e! News compiled the interview and posted Grande’s quote on their Instagram, and Chenoweth — who originated the role of Glinda in the Broadway musical “Wicked” — commented, “I thought so too when…”
Watch The Gay Times’ full interview with Grande and Erivo below.