How Cynthia Erivo Defied Expectations When She Was Asked To Fly And Defy Gravity During Wicked’s One Wonderful Night

by

As a huge movie musical fan, I’m always excited when one gets serious Oscar buzz, and it looks like Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: For Good might be this year’s contender! The movie finally comes out later this month, and they’ve been doing a great job building anticipation – especially with that Wicked: One Wonderful Night event, which you can stream on Peacock. I just learned some amazing details about how Cynthia Erivo absolutely crushed the final song while literally flying through the air – talk about defying expectations (and gravity!)

Details about Wicked: For Good are still emerging as the movie’s release date approaches, but we’re learning more about the sequel. The soundtrack will include two new songs, though “Defying Gravity” remains the most popular song from the franchise. Ben Winston, an executive producer on One Wonderful Night, recently discussed with Golden Derby the process of casting Cynthia Erivo in the role, and how they made her performance soar.

I expected her to refuse when we suggested it. I figured she’d say she was already too busy with rehearsals and the difficulty of the songs, and that adding flying would be too much. Instead of telling us it was a bad idea, she was surprisingly open to it.

It probably wasn’t a shock that Cynthia Erivo handled the physical demands of the Wicked event so well. She previously did incredibly complex wire work for the Wicked movie, which looked amazing on screen. In comparison, One Wonderful Night only required her to be lifted and move around the stage. Given her experience with challenging physical roles, it makes sense she’d be willing to put those skills to use again.

As a huge film buff, I was excited to find out Wicked: One Wonderful Night is streaming exclusively on Peacock! And the best part? It’s really affordable – you can get a subscription for as little as $7.99 a month, or even save more with an annual plan at $79.99. They also have upgraded options – Peacock Premium and Premium Plus – if you want to ditch the ads and download shows to watch when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan!

Let’s talk about how the meeting went. Winston explained how the award-winning actress reacted to the idea of flying during the Wicked: One Wonderful Night show. Apparently, she had a few worries, as he described it.

She told me she was happy to try it, but wanted to test it out during rehearsals to make sure it didn’t strain her voice. I was really anxious because it felt like she was taking a big risk – it was a delicate situation. As someone who’s also responsible for the production and the company, I naturally felt the pressure.

Winston and Erivo clearly saw the potential downsides of this decision differently, likely because of their different roles on the Wicked project. Erivo, as an actress, was focused on delivering a strong vocal performance, while Winston, as an executive, worried about the lead actress getting hurt.

Cynthia Erivo truly wowed the audience at One Wonderful Night when she powerfully sang “Defying Gravity” while suspended in the air. It was a standout moment, and director Ben Winston described the first time he saw her perform the aerial rendition.

She was thrilled to perform, and the moment she began to sing, all your worries just faded away. Her voice was truly amazing, and the performance was deeply moving. It was captivating – you could watch it over and over again. It was a really powerful experience.

The marketing campaign for Wicked: For Good is now in full swing, and this exciting movie is expected to draw large audiences to theaters. The first Wicked film was a huge box office success and even received Oscar nominations. Early reactions to the sequel have been very positive, and fans are excited to see how the story continues with the grown-up versions of Glinda and Elphaba.

You can now watch Wicked: One Wonderful Night on Peacock, and the movie For Good will be in theaters on November 21st as part of the 2025 film lineup. Expect to see lots of spectacular flying scenes featuring Cynthia Erivo in this eagerly awaited sequel.

Read More

2025-11-07 20:38