Breaking down these ‘sentimental’ cameos

On By Littum

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Spoiler alert! We discuss important details about the new “Wicked” movie (in theaters now).

They cannot all come and go by bubble.

Ever since there were rumblings of a “Wicked” movie more than a decade ago, fans have wondered how the show’s original Broadway stars, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, would fare in the film. Would they reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda? Could they be background actors? Or even voice associate professor Dr. Dillamond?

The answer is so much better than all of the above. Late in the film, sorcery students Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) are invited to the Emerald City, where they are swept up in the hoi polloi of the verdant metropolis. Midway through the song”A short day“, the wide-eyed witches buy tickets to the stage show”Wizomania,” a kind of propaganda musical for the great and powerful wizard (Jeff Goldblum).

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Who do Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth play in the ‘Wicked’ movie?

“One Short Day” is significantly expanded for the film version, as Ozians performs a sumptuous number about the origins of a sacred text called The Grimmerie. According to an ancient prophecy, whoever can decipher the book’s magical spells will be the one to save Oz in its darkest hour. As “Wicked” fans already know, the only one who can actually read the spells is Elphaba and not the Wizard.

All of this information is melodiously delivered by Menzel and Chenoweth, who appear as the fabulous leading ladies of “Wizomania.” Originally, “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz and screenwriter Winnie Holzman considered having the actresses as Elphaba or Glinda’s mothers.

But then, “when we were writing this part of ‘One Short Day’ about the story of Grimmerie, our brilliant director, Jon Chu, had this idea,” Schwartz recalls. “He said, ‘You’re talking about these old wise people. Why don’t you just have Kristin and Idina come and be the wise women of Oz?’ We thought, ‘Oh, my God, this is brilliant.’ And then, of course, he did it in a wonderful way that was a tribute to how each of them were on the show.”

Midway through the song, Menzel works in Elphaba’s famous “Defying gravity” riff as Chenoweth hits one of Glinda’s iconic high notes. “‘One Short Day’ is just one big Easter egg after another,” says Schwartz.

Who else is making ‘Wicked’ cameos with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande?

In addition to Menzel and Chenoweth, theater fans may see other beloved “Wicked” stage alums, including Kerry Ellis and Dianne Pilkington. “There are a lot of Elphabas and Glindas in there from the past, though you’ll have to search for them,” Chu teases.

Schwartz appears as an Emerald City guard who proclaims, “The Wizard wants to see you now!” Holzman also pops in during an audience scene wearing a giant wig and says, “He must be a wizard!”

“You’re such a good actress you’re unrecognizable,” jokes Schwartz. “And I’m such a bad actor that even if you stick a big mustache on my face, everyone will still know it’s me.”

Holzman says it was “a minor miracle” to get both Chenoweth and Menzel on the London stage on the same day as they prepared for upcoming Broadway productions of “The Queen of Versailles” and “Redwood“, respectively. But seeing the “Wicked” veterans dance and sing alongside the next generation of witches ultimately proved extremely emotional for everyone involved.

“We cried all night,” says Schwartz. “First of all, Ariana and Kristin are very close,” having met backstage on “Wicked” when Grande was just 10. “And then it was very sentimental to see Idina and Cynthia together. It was beautiful.”