Broadway musicals are a vital of the American pop culture landscape, and plenty of beloved titles have made the jump from stage to screen with movie musicals. The next entry into the genre will be Jon M. Chu's Wicked, with the first movie arriving later this month. Pop star/actress Ariana Grande is playing Glinda, and knows there was controversy over her casting. Here's what she has to say to fans.
The Wicked cast list is led by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who are bringing Elphaba and Glinda to the big screen. The latter recently appeared on the Sentimental Men podcast, which is all about the musical Wicked. During this discussion, she revealed that she actually understood concerns that folks might have had about her casting, especially if they were only familiar with her pop career. As she put it:
I probably would’ve said, ‘Why the fuck? Kill me. I’ve waited 20 years for this. Kill me.’ I would’ve said that, as a fan from the outside knowing of only ‘7 Rings’ probably, I’d say, ‘Well, that’s bullshit’ So, you know, I get it. But I thought I'm just going to turn that off and just do the work and keep my blinders on.
Well, she certainly didn't mince words. Grande understands how much Wicked means to people, as she's a hardcore fan herself. And as such, she seems to understand how some folks were originally reticent about her the beloved role originated by OG Glinda Kristin Chenoweth.
Ariana Grande's voice is definitely not in question, as she's perhaps the strong vocalist of her generation of pop stars. Instead fans wondered if she could transform into Glinda as an actress, despite Grande having appeared on Broadway as a kid and having credits like Victorious, Sam & Cat, Hairspray Live!, and Don't Look Up. (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription). In the same podcast appearance, the "We Can't Be Friends" singer shared:
I felt a little bit of the initial nervousness or preconceive notions about what I might be able to deliver or not deliver. Or why I would be wrong or whatever. I think of course, like any human being hearing something about something they care so much about, it's been a great secret. They didn't get to see any auditions or anything. Going off of side to side I probably would have said the same thing.
It sounds like Grande has a great perspective about what outside voices and naysayers might have said about her Wicked casting. She's been taking criticism with grace lately, including comments about her speaking voice. And luckily her work as Glinda will be able to speak for itself when the movie arrives later this November.
Early reception for Wicked has been quite positive, including Ariana Grande's performance. And she's reporting being submitted for the Best Supporting Actress category for Awards Season.
All will be revealed when Wicked hits theaters on November 27th. While we wait, check the 2025 movie release dates.
