Never underestimate the power of divas working in tandem. When Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande connect at the same time on Zoom, they emit a hi so prolonged and joyful that it overpowered my laptop speakers and temporarily knocked out the audio. “Maybe we both screamed at the same time,” Erivo says. “Sorry, we rushed in,” adds Grande. “We were thrilled.”
Like theater fanatics everywhere, they too have been waiting more than twenty years for the musical Wicked was adapted for the big screen. Apparently, sooner or later, very different directors would have shown a certain interest in the film JJ Abrams, Ryan Murphy and Rob Marshall; it is said that actresses like Lea Michele And Amy Adams. For years, Stephen Daldry he seemed destined to direct the film, but then nothing came of it. Why did it take so long? “After you've done something good in a certain environment, if you're going to change the environment, you feel the pressure,” says producer Marc Platt, the driving force behind both the Broadway production and the film. “Maybe subconsciously, I thought, 'Emotionally, I'm not ready for something like this at all.'”
Prequel to Wizard of Oz based on the novel Witch – Chronicles from the Kingdom of Oz in revolt by Gregory Maguire, Wicked tells the story of Elphabathe Wicked Witch of the West, and the Good Witch Glinda before Dorothy, her house and her little dog also landed in Oz. The Broadway show was truly lavish and featured two of the most beloved songs in musicals of this century, Popular And Defying Gravity. The director of the film, therefore, needed an imagination to match. And here's Jon M. Chu, the man behind it Crazy & Rich And Dreaming in New York – In the Heights. Chu is a die-hard fan of Wicked, who saw the musical during its pre-Broadway test run in San Francisco. «I remember thinking: “Oh, wow. It already feels like a movie,'” says Chu. Or maybe two film, to give the story space to take flight? Wicked by Chu will arrive in theaters next Thanksgiving, while the second part will arrive a year later.
Chu initially planned to cast unknown faces in the roles that Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel have made legendary. The production, however, opted for two superstars. Ariana Grande he jokingly admits that he “hounded” Platt to get the role of Glinda: «I literally went on for 10 years saying: “Knock knock, is there any news? Is there an audition this year, or next year? I would like to start preparing immediately.” When the moment came, she didn't let go. “Every time she came to audition, she showed up at least 30 minutes early,” Chu says. «I saw her car going around in circles. I was asking: “Who is that?”. “It's Ariana Grande.” “Why is he here so early?”». Cynthia Erivo, however, despite having already won an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony, she declared: «Honestly, I didn't think I would be considered for the role» (the British actress and singer-songwriter, in fact, was one of the last people auditioned for Elphaba). As soon as she received the call, she says, “I started training like I was a boxer.” After she sang, she says Chu, “Marc and I looked at each other and said, 'We're on a horse.'”
You might think that creating Oz would involve too much computer-generated imagery. We would be wrong. «I said to myself: “I want to do it like I dreamed of it as a child when I watched Hook – Captain Hook”», says Chu. “Behind the scenes, Steven Spielberg he was on a dock with a giant pirate ship. I thought, “If this is the only chance I have to do it, I want to do it Like this”». On the yellow brick road of Wicked there's a lot of mud, and a real train transports the witches to the Emerald City. And the singing? “It's all live,” Chu says. «While we were shooting, the girls said: “Fuck pre-recorded. Let's do it live.” The director was skeptical. «You will have a lot of air in your bronchi. Are you sure it's okay?” he asked. They didn't hesitate for a moment: «Of course. It's what we do.”
For Defying Gravity, Erivo actually sailed across the western sky belting out high Fs. “He had a harness pulling and pushing and tugging all over the place,” Grande says. His songs weren't a walk in the park either. “I will literally never forget you jumping on a chandelier over my head while you sing,” Erivo tells her co-star. Grande chuckles, remembering the stunt. “He was just thrilled to perform for his new friend,” he says of Glinda. «He wanted to do a number».
In the movie, Jeff Goldblum he performs miracles of a more questionable nature as the so-called Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The emerging star of Bridgerton Jonathan Bailey He plays the attractive Prince Fiyero, who stirs things up between Elphaba and Glinda. And Ethan Slater, nominated for a Tony for playing the title character in the Broadway musical SpongeBob SquarePants, he won the role of Boq thanks to his comedic skills. As for Michelle Yeoh, made sure Chu was clear about her limits before giving her the role of principal of Glinda and Elphaba's school. The director remembers asking her star about her Crazy & Rich if he would ever do a musical. «He replied: “Jon, I can't sing… but I would do anything for you”.
The essence of Wicked and the bond between Elphaba and Glinda: a friendship between two women subjected to scrutiny by a public that is anything but forgiving. “When two big stars work together, you never know what kind of egos will pop,” admits Chu. But Erivo and Grande created a relationship that changed them for the better. “I only have one thing to say: I don't think people realize how much it's worth,” Erivo says, grabbing Grande's hand. “I don't think people realize how brilliant this person's brain, voice and talent is.” Grande turns away, her eyes filling with tears. She also paid Erivo a compliment, like the good witch she is: «she IS my favorite female voice. As I watched you sing at the Oscars, I thought, “Someday I hope I get to sing with her.” Thank goodness dreams come true.”
Source: Vanity Fair
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