Ariana Grande meets with past Glindas and Elphabas at "very emotional" Wicked screening
New York, New York - Ariana Grande recently hosted a special screening of the upcoming Wicked movie in a heartwarming tribute to past Glindas and Elphabas, including Kristin Chenoweth!
Monday's event brought together an incredible cast of Broadway alumni, including the legendary Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda.
Ari shared her excitement on Instagram, expressing her deep gratitude for the opportunity to join the beloved Ozian family.
"a very emotional night celebrating Wicked with some of the beautiful and brilliant Glindas and Elphabas that have come before ours," she captioned her post.
She acknowledged the immense talent and dedication of those who have previously brought the iconic duo to life.
According to Broadway World, the screening was attended by a host of talented stars who graced the stage as Glinda and Elphaba, including Ginna Mason, Carrie St. Louis, Ali Mauzey, Amanda Jane Cooper, Alexandra Socha, Jennafer Newberry, McKenzie Kurtz, and Brittney Johnson.
Kristin Chenoweth shared her enthusiastic review of the film on Instagram, saying, "It is so good. It is so special. The story is so wonderful and Cynthia [Erivo] and Ariana are amazing."
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo reveal they sang live for the Wicked movie
Adding further fuel to the excitement, the day before the screening, Ariana shared a clip of her and Cynthia belting out the iconic song Defying Gravity on the movie set.
A new featurette was also shared showcasing an interview with director Jon M. Chu, who went in depth to discuss the importance of singing live.
"When we came into this movie, we weren't sure how much we were gonna do live or not, but they are the best singers in the world, and so every scene, they have been singing live," he said.
Cynthia added that singing live helped her perform and connect with the story better, while Ari said the decision was a "no-brainer."
"What we've managed to do is immerse the audience because, effectively, our movie set is also a recording studio," Jon continued.
Wicked will fly into movie theaters on November 22, 2024.
Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Landmark Media & Emma McIntyre / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP