Tag: Elphaba

The emotional press tour for Wicked continues on to awards season as the film hits its digital release. And listen, at this point complaining about Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s displays of sisterhood is tired from anyone who hasn’t shot two films back to back and sung the musical’s iconic songs live.

These women became Elphaba and Glinda for the fans and it shows. In an interview with Variety, the stars discussed their transformations—particularly Grande. As one of the most recognized global pop superstars, she had to completely become unrecognizable in the role and perhaps reach to the roots of who she truly has been all along: a theater kid at heart with a dream to play a role of a lifetime.

“Maybe people underestimate how long we spent finding and disappearing into these women,” Grande told the trade. “So when certain inflections or mannerisms take time to melt away, sometimes people poke fun. But we had a job to do, and we had things to get lost in—because that’s what the piece required.”

She added that she was likely to keep Glinda with her into her next evolution. “I think that might stay,” she said, in particular referring to her new Old Hollywood lilt. “Galinda required a lot of vocal work for me. Certain things maybe won’t melt away. Some will, but I’m really grateful for the pieces that will stay with us forever. What a beautiful thing to be left with, and to feel the ghost of every day.”

For Erivo, becoming Elphaba meant taking a for the visible representation of anyone who’s felt marginalized. In the days since the film’s release, Erivo has been touched by outpouring of love for the Ozdust Ballroom scene. Anyone who’s ever felt othered knew exactly what Elphaba felt the moment she stuck out upon arrival at the social gathering among Ozians and Shiz students. “I was talking to a friend earlier this week,” Erivo said, “and he was like, ‘I just want to confirm for you that you were bullied.’ This moment gave me the opportunity to revisit, process, feel it again, and share it.” And it made the instant where Galinda joins her in dance to accept her the core of the film’s messaging of belonging.

To Grande, that moment juxtaposed with the film’s opening says a lot about the importance of sisterhood and allyship. The film’s opening is her character lighting an effigy of her friend, Wicker Man-style. “Much like how hard the Ozdust felt for you, that’s how it felt to light you on fire a million times in a row!” she said of the emotionally challenging task.

As a true Wicked fan, Grande recalled how the story has always been about the somehow radical notion that we need to stick together with those we love, no matter how different they are, in the face of the glossy Emerald City facade of fascism behind the curtain. “When Wicked first came out on Broadway, I remember the people in my life having that exact discussion,” Grande shared. “It’s time for people to say, ‘Oh, how can I be a better ally?’ Because that’s how we’ve always survived. We’ve always been able to survive with those friendships and those allies.”

Erivo added, “The thing that keeps coming back to me is how much people need it,” she said. “It gives people the permission to think of themselves as people that can help. It might not be easy, but it isn’t impossible. That’s the sort of thing that permeates.”  

Wicked is out in theaters now and is also available on digital.