Movies

Wicked nearly starred two A-List pop singers before Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast

BBG News

As a dedicated theater enthusiast with a deep appreciation for musical adaptations, I must say that the recent news about Wicked has me utterly thrilled! The cast, under the expert direction of Jon M. Chu, seems to be a perfect blend of talent and charisma. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are truly sensational in their respective roles, as DailyMail’s Brian Viner aptly puts it.

The musical “Wicked,” featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has been receiving exceptional praise. However, during its early stages, the cast had a distinctly different appearance, with two well-known pop artists taking on significant roles.

Initially, renowned director Stephen Daldry envisioned himself at the helm of the upcoming production, and he harbored ambitious aspirations for the cast, with Lady Gaga slated to play Elphaba and Shawn Mendes earmarked for the role of Fiyero. This information was shared by a source who conversed with Page Six on Tuesday.

Lady Gaga, the singer known for “Born This Way,” held several meetings with the production crew to share her ideas about the character she portrayed.

According to an insider, they (the two individuals) discussed and planned the character and her persona. Lady Gaga was initially chosen for the role in his vision, but unfortunately, the project didn’t move forward.

But Daldry’s vision never came to be—he left the project in 2020 due to scheduling conflicts.

In the new version of the project, Jon M. Chu stepped in as the director and made changes to the original cast. Eventually, he brought Cynthia Erivo on board for the role of Elphaba, Ariana Grande took up the part of Glinda the Good Witch, and Jonathan Bailey joined as Fiyero.

In Brian Viner’s words from DailyMail, this cast is a flawless choice for their respective roles. He describes the film as one where Chu and the writers revel in fun, and the cast, including Erivo and Grande, deliver outstanding performances that are nothing short of extraordinary.

He added:  ‘{Michelle] Yeoh, Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support.’

Over the years, Lady Gaga has demonstrated her talent for acting in movies such as A Star is Born and the more recent Joker follow-up, where she appeared alongside Joaquin Phoenix on screen.

Regarding Mendes, although there have been discussions about him acting early on, he hasn’t delved deeply into acting just yet. Instead, he’s concentrating primarily on his music career at the moment.

The latest announcement regarding casting comes after Erivo’s Elle 2024 Women in Hollywood cover story, during which she disclosed the challenging and intimate discussions that took place between her and Ariana prior to their collaboration on ‘Wicked’.

In Elle’s 2024 Women in Hollywood feature, I proudly declared that I’ve found a sister. Our daily conversations have become the norm now. It’s amazing how quickly we formed this deep connection from the very start, leaving us both astonished.

On that special occasion, it brought us together for the first time. This gathering took place at director Jon M. Chu’s residence, with Stephen Schwartz, who is renowned for composing Wicked’s music and lyrics for both the original Broadway production and the movie, present as well.

He performed a few tunes for us, and for the first time, we sang in harmony together. It turned out wonderfully. One of the most fulfilling moments was realizing there was someone so open and willing to participate, just like her, which allowed me to be open too.

‘We also had a beautiful relationship offscreen.’

In conversations with The New York Times, they shared that they often spent their free time together. This included visiting each other’s homes, going shopping together, and even having matching tattoos done.

As your trusted lifestyle guide, let me share with you an intimate aspect of a special journey I embarked on. What truly made it precious for me was feeling deeply supported and having a steadfast companion at every turn. In essence, I felt not only securely held but also cultivated an enduring friendship throughout this extraordinary experience.

She expressed her great sense of pride, stating that we have shown authentic care towards each other consistently during this entire period.

Wicked hits theaters on Thursday. 

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2024-11-20 07:03

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