Ariana Grande has shared her emotional reaction to being cast as Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked. Grande has become one of the biggest pop artists working today thanks to her incredible voice, which has earned her over 90 billion streams, sold over 85 million units, and caused all of her studio albums to go platinum. The singer is known for her impressive four-octave vocal range and long list of pop hits.
In 2019, Wicked became Broadway's fifth-longest running show with 16 (now 18) years under its belt. The musical is based on Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is itself a reinterpretation of the story of The Wizard of Oz told from the titular witch's perspective. The book and musical chronicle the Westerly witch's descent into wickedness, beginning in her youth. The story also centers around Elphaba's frenemy relationship with Galinda, the Good Witch (who later drops the "a" as part of her celebrity transformation, becoming Glinda). Movie adaptations of Wicked have been discussed since as early as 2004, with a serious project beginning at Universal in 2012. After a few years in development hell, the Wicked movie production was delayed due to scheduling and the COVID-19 pandemic. Jon M. Chu replaced Stephen Daldry as director earlier this year.
Grande shared her touching reaction to receiving the news of her Wicked casting as Glinda in an Instagram post. On Thursday, Chu announced that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have been cast as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. Grande's post caption reads "thank goodness" in reference to one of Glinda's Act II musical numbers. Chu also boosted the post on Twitter, adding that it captures the moment he told her the good news. View the posts below.
The images show Grande covering her face in front of her laptop, presumably during a video chat with Chu and Erivo. The second image is of flowers Erivo sent the singer to congratulate Grande on her Wicked casting, along with a sweet message that reads, "'Pink Goes With Green" Congratulations Miss A, The Part Was Made For You, I Look Forward To Sharing This Musical Journey With You.'" Grande also shared screenshots of her video chat with her future director and co-star, in which the three all look very excited for their upcoming creative collaboration.
Although Grande's fans are surely over the moon about the news, some have been hesitant about the movie casting a pop singer alongside a more seasoned actress like Erivo. Grande is no stranger to the screen, however; the singer-actress got her start playing Cat Valentine on the Disney Channel's Victorious. The natural comedic timing she showed on the series will likely come in handy as well, as Glinda's more frivolous nature provides a somewhat comedic contrast to Elphaba's deep, dramatic character arc. Galinda was originated on Broadway by Kristen Chenoweth, another Soprano whose impressive whistle range has remained an essential part of the character. Grande's Wicked casting is a no-brainer, considering her knack for hitting the high notes required of the role.
Source: Ariana Grande/Jon M. Chu