Who's ready to watch the most thrillifying movie of the year? I know I am, and I'm sure you are too.
It's been 20 years since Wicked hit the Broadway stage, and the story about how the Wicked Witch of the West came to be continues to capture audiences. Now, with Wicked Part 1 debuting in theaters on November 22, folks will get to see a brand-new adaptation of the beloved story, with Cynthia Erivo playing the iconic Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande portraying her nemesis-turned-best friend Glinda Upland. What's more, folks will get to see more of the characters come to life, with Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and many more.
Given how the movie is a direct adaptation of the musical, fans may be wondering one key thing about the Wicked movie. As seen in other previous musical movies (like 2012's Les Misérables), the cast had to sing live while the cameras were rolling on their performances. What's more, it made for memorable performances, with some of the cast winning Academy Awards for their ability to act and sing live at the same time.
So, with that in mind, seeing all the hype about Wicked and the movie's music had us wondering: Is the Wicked cast singing live in the new movie? As it turns out, we got the answer — and it came from none other than Cynthia herself.
When Cynthia appeared on The View on November 14, she gave a little insight into what the process was for her to sing live while filming Wicked. As she revealed on the air, she had one other component the other actors didn't necessarily have to contend with. Along with singing live with the cameras on her, she was doing so while also performing her own stunts.
"If you're going to do something big, especially like 'Defying Gravity,' you usually would have the ground underneath you to make the sound, because that's where the force comes from," she explained about the process. "I have no ground — I'm in the air, my feet are dangling. So, my wonderful vocal coach and my stunt director, they sort of worked together to help me find out where to place the support. I have to find the support within my body, as opposed to using any outside influence."
That's not all. When Cynthia, Ariana, Jonathan and Jeff all made an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show on November 19, Ariana shared the importance of why they all wanted to sing live while filming Wicked.
"We're all singers here, and it's something we love to do," she told host Kelly Clarkson. "It was really important to us. A) because we love it, and B) because the emotional integrity of the content itself kind of demands it. You're able to be spontaneous and follow your feelings and be honest. Also, when the comedy is in the room, you know, improv and play and surprise ... you can't really do that if there's a track."
So, there you have it! Now, if only we could have equally as incredible voices while singing along to the Wicked soundtrack in the movie theater...
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
