Kristin Chenoweth is a Broadway legend. She's the recipient of multiple Tony Awards and is best known for her performance as Glinda in the original stage production of Wicked, which we know is being adapted for film. The two-part movie musical found its two leads in Cynthia Erivo, who's playing Elphaba, and Ariana Grande, who succeeds Chenoweth as Glinda. The musical theater vet recently had nothing but nice things to say about the upcoming adaptation, as she highlighted Grande’s talent, in particular. She's also keeping her cards close to the vest when it comes to a potential cameo.
The 54-year-old star discussed the movies while speaking with ET at Carol Burnett's 90th birthday celebration. It was during that chat that she dropped some thoughts on the musical features and spoke about Ariana Grande. It should comes as no surprise that the Glee alum had great things to say about her successor:
I'm going to get to watch two women I know soar, and Ariana Grande is going to step so beautifully into my shoes. I'm so excited for her, she's gonna put her own stamp on it.
Those are certainly love sentiments from one icon about another, and it's not the first time such comments have been shared. Kristin Chenoweth previously explained why she thinks Ariana Grande is right for Glinda. In the actress' estimation, Grande -- who she's known since she was a child -- has the comedic and dramatic chops to pull off the role.
The theatre veteran played Glinda for nine months in 2003 on Broadway before being cast in The West Wing. She starred opposite Idina Menzel, who played Elphaba. Menzel has since given her own blessing to Cynthia Erivo, though she also shared the "honest truth" about how it feels to have aged out of the role a bit. Of course, both she and her Broadway co-star could still appear in the movies in other roles. When talking about a potential cameo of her own, Kristin Chenoweth said:
[I] cannot confirm or deny. I really... I really cannot, I'm waiting and we'll see.
That's a cryptic answer if I've heard one. I don't think fans would mind seeing either her or Idina Menzel show up in some capacity. It'd actually be quite fitting since their performances are a major part of why the Wizard of Oz spinoff became such a cultural phenomenon.
As things remain unconfirmed on that front, more details on the first installment are steadily being revealed. Last weekend, fans received their first looks at Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in their stunning costumes. The aesthetic choices for the film also seem to perfectly match those of Stephen Schwartz's musical, clearly paying homage to how the production was originally imagined. The adaptation is also aiming to faithfully cover all aspects of the story, which is why director John M. Chu says Wicked had to be adapted into two movies. In addition to Grande and Erivo, the films also star Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey.
It's lovely to hear such comments from Kristen Chenoweth share such lovely thoughts on the upcoming movies and, hopefully, Ariana Grande got some time to pick her brain before production started. Here's hoping Chenoweth is able to snag a cameo of some kind.
Wicked: Part One is currently filming in London and is scheduled to hit theaters on November 27, 2024, with its sequel dropping in December 2025. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's schedule of 2023 new movie releases for info on films that are opening this year. Fans can also see Kristin Chenoweth on Schmigadoon!, which currently has two seasons streaming for Apple TV+ subscription holders.
