Inside Vogue’s “Wicked” screening with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo

A Short Day in New York City, cast by Evil joined in Vogue for one exciting special screening of the film at the Museum of Modern Art. Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode and Bowen Yang took to the red carpet in their press tour finest; Erivo traded her green hue for a black Dior dress and ASMR-worthy intricate nails. Grande wore a Louis Vuitton hot pink dress and got a boost of confidence when her co-star hyped her up on the carpet, “Yeah! Come on, shoulders!” cried Erivo. The couple strolled down the red carpet until a familiar bob and sunglasses approached them, to which they turned and sang, “Annaaa!” That could only mean one thing: the show was about to begin.

Guests, donning various shades of green and pink, grabbed boxes of red vines and water before heading to their seats. Producer Marc Platt warmed up the crowd and gave a special thank you to the person who helped make his 20-year dream of a Evil film a reality or, in his words, how its director Jon M. Chu brought this project “over the rainbow.”

Chu introduced each cast member as the proud coach of a team; one by one they ran down the hall before lining up in front of the screen and locking hands. When they were all gathered, they shouted in unison, “Enjoy the show!”

For the next two hours and forty-one minutes, a full house experienced the film; clapped after every song as if it were a live theater performance. The energy was palpable, especially when there were more people Evil superfans in the theater – but the movie is just as delicious for someone who has yet to see the Broadway show. It offers a tribute to the original score with sprinkles of novelties and the cameos are not to be missed. As the film drew to its final moments and Erivo took a breather before Elphaba’s iconic riff, a petite blonde in a white tuxedo rose to her feet in the audience. It was Kristen Chenoweth and she started a full theater standing ovation.

There was silence for a nanosecond and then a burst of conversation. The best place to debrief? The MoMA lobby above an Ozmopolitan, of course! (Ozmopolitan’s special addition was a nitrogen bubble at the top of the glass, reminiscent of Glinda’s “entrance car”). Gnocchi stations, taco stands and passing hors d’oeuvres kept a crowd hungry for more than just the second part of the film. It was, that night, the city’s most exquisite place, as the party continued until the guests followed the yellow taxi road home.