Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the movie “Wicked,” which is in theaters now.
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth have found their way back to Oz. The original Broadway witches make a surprise appearance in director Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” but not as Elphaba and Glinda.
The duo, who began the lead roles in 2003, sing a new verse in “A Short Day,” telling the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Their characters fight for the spotlight in the Emerald City, prompting Menzel’s character to end the competition by performing her hit song “Defying Gravity.”
Composer Stephen Schwartz also appears as the Soldier of Oz who allows Elphaba and Glinda into the wizard’s palace, while bookworm Winnie Holzman similarly appears in the Emerald City, touting the wizard’s ability to read grimy.
Dressed in pink and purple puffy dresses, Menzel and Chenoweth share a sweet moment with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who play the roles that made them famous.
It was so surreal. “It was really extraordinary,” Grande says. diverse To share the screen with Broadway legends. “I mean, the women who helped write, create, and birth these characters embracing us and embracing our version of them, it was so surreal. I mean, they were texting us, and they were supportive beforehand, but I don’t think they got to see or hear our version of the characters until filming was done.” So it was really emotional.
Grande previously starred in NBC’s “Hairspray Live” in 2016 with Chenoweth, whose portrayal of the good Glinda has been praised in numerous interviews. “I’m not sure if I’ve ever been this prouder. From the first day I met you… you were destined for this role,” Chenoweth posted on social media at the time of Grande’s casting in 2021.
Idina Menzel, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Kristin Chenoweth attend the Los Angeles Premiere of Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on November 09, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
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Menzel was similarly ecstatic about Erivo, telling ET, “She’s amazing. I feel like she’s going to be the one to pass the torch to. She’s going to love it.” Menzel and Erivo also presented an award together at the 2024 Tony Awards earlier this year. “I’m going to go off script real quick to say how excited I am to see what I know is going to be an amazing performance in this movie that she’s doing,” Menzel said onstage. “Green Girl Power!”
Marc Platt, who has produced both musicals and film adaptations, says he will never forget the day the duo shot their little movie. “I think when Kristen and Idina came on set, there was so much love and respect from the film crew, especially Ari, Cynthia, and John Cho — almost like they were royalty! They grew up listening to these two women sing, and I felt that sense of awe, and also the legacy.” Then Christine and Edina, equally, are in awe of these two younger women taking on these roles of their own.”
“There’s a moment when Edina fixes my hat and sends me on my way. “I tried not to be vulgar, and it was like passing a broom,” says Erivo. “So, to get the blessing almost from the queen herself, it was really beautiful.”
Platt says Menzel and Chenoweth initially had reservations about appearing in the film for fear of stealing Grande and Erivo’s fame. “The girls, Kristen and Edina, were a little nervous about it. Kristen jumped in really quickly, because she had a relationship with Arie and she was excited,” he says, adding that Menzel “didn’t want to rain on anything to do with Cynthia. And I thought, ‘This “It’s her moment. I want her to have her moment.”
But a little convincing from Platt was all it took to change their minds. “You’ll both want to touch the film,” I said. You are part of the “evil” tradition forever. And because we found an organic way written by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman to engage them in the movie as part of the storytelling, “You’ll want to be a part of something bigger than yourself, and so for the rest of your life.” In your life, you’ll always be a part of Wicked, even in the movie. And they both said: Well, you’re right.
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth perform “Defying Gravity” during the 58th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 6, 2004 in New York City.
Frank Misslotta/Getty Images
“I was so honored that they wanted to include us,” Chenoweth says. diverse. “I thought, ‘Should we? Is it weird, because it’s Ariana and Cynthia now? “You have to do it,” Marc Platt said. What do you mean? It wouldn’t happen without you!
“Edina and I had a lot of fun,” she adds of the emotional day she and Menzel filmed their special. “Our costumes were amazing, and we got it right. We just had the best time ever. We did it in one day, and being reunited with my sister was so special. Chenoweth says she and Menzel got to the set early and had dinner to catch up:” We had a great time there. Elfie and Glinda have grown up!”
Chenoweth also says she’s thrilled that the revered musical is finally making it to the big screen so a wider audience can discover the magical story. “I’m so glad they made the movie, because I grew up in Oklahoma, and it wasn’t like we could afford to go see a show on Broadway: dinner, a hotel, all that stuff. And now we have the movie, and it’s going to be introduced to new generations of people who might have been In the same boat I was in. I’m really proud.
“Kristin and I have run into each other a few times over the last 20 years, but it’s been great,” Menzel says of the reunion. “It was great to be there, to get all the feels, to rehearse together, to kind of replicate our characters, and to be with Cynthia and Ari and enjoy the set in a completely different way. It was everything.”
For Erivo, Menzel and Chenoweth’s support (on and off set) has been a source of comfort and inspiration as she put her own spin on the iconic role of Elphaba. “They have been really great with us, and we have received incredible words of encouragement from both of them,” she says. “Those things mean a lot to us, because they’re not necessary. They’ve been theirs for all this time, but for them to spare those kind words and give us the space to also do what we want to do with them as well, that’s really meaningful, really touching.”
Platt hopes Menzel and Chenoweth’s involvement speaks to the lasting legacy of “Wicked” as a new fanbase discovers the beloved musical. “I think when we all joined forces we felt that there was something bigger than all of us, that we were part of something that might live beyond all of us,” he says. “Being able to join those two worlds, the original theater world and the film world, especially for those four girls, was something that no one who witnessed that night of filming will ever forget. It was truly beautiful.”