Filming the highly anticipated movie adaptation of Wicked has proven to be an emotional journey for Ariana Grande and her co-stars. In a recent episode of the Broadway Podcast Network’s Sentimental Men, Grande shared insights into the filming experience, revealing that emotions ran high on set.
“Me, everyone, we all cried every day,” the 31-year-old singer said during the episode that aired on Friday, November 1. She expressed gratitude toward director Jon M. Chu and her co-stars, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey. “Everyone cried. It was really beautiful,” she added, remarking wryly, “So that was terrible.”
With the first part of Chu’s two-part adaptation set to hit theaters on November 22, Grande, who plays Glinda, joined hosts Quincy Brown and Kevin Bianchi to discuss her passion for the iconic musical. The podcast focuses on women in musical theater, highlighting actresses from Wicked, a Tony-winning production based on Gregory Maguire’s reinterpretation of the Wizard of Oz story.
Grande, who has been a lifelong fan of The Wizard of Oz, recalled her first encounter with Wicked. “I love Judy Garland, and I’ve always been a huge Wizard of Oz person,” she said, describing her awe at the “untold story of the witches of Oz” when she first experienced the show at age 10. During that visit, she had the opportunity to meet Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the original actresses who portrayed Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.
“Idina gave me a little green bracelet,” Grande reminisced. “Kristin gave me a little wand, which feels so full circle and insane. And a body wash that had glitter in it, and she said it was magical. And now I really believe that it was!”
Grande made her Broadway debut in 2008 with the musical 13, and she now steps into the role of Glinda alongside Erivo, who plays Elphaba. The film also features Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, and other notable actors including Marissa Bode as Nessarose and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
The casting process for Wicked was as emotional as the filming itself. Grande recalled a particularly poignant moment during a chemistry read with potential Elphabas, stating, “I had cried so much that I left my fake eyelashes behind. I was like, ‘Well, that’s all, folks!’ I officially left everything else I had to give in this room.”
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Interestingly, Grande did not have a chemistry read with Erivo prior to being cast. She praised Erivo, calling her “the best, most formidable actress and singer that there is.” The two stars made a pact upon meeting to establish a deep connection, allowing them to communicate non-verbally on set. “I can just look at her and I know what she’s thinking… because without that, nothing else works,” Grande explained.
Erivo is scheduled to appear on Sentimental Men on Friday, November 8, where she will likely share her own experiences from the filming process.
