That’s some “Wicked” good casting.
Pop icon Ariana Grande and Tony-winning, Oscar-nominated singer-actress Cynthia Erivo revealed that they will be starring opposite each other in the highly anticipated film adaptation of the smash Broadway musical “Wicked.”
The performers broke the news on their Instagram pages.
“Pink goes good with green,” Erivo, 34, wrote on her page along with a series of photos of her looking elated about her upcoming role. Meanwhile, Grande, 28, posted a screenshot of herself and her “Wicked” co-star receiving the good news via Zoom from the film’s director Jon M. Chu (“In the Heights,” “Crazy Rich Asians”).
“Thank goodness,” Grande captioned the pic.
Grande will play the teen version of Glinda (the Good Witch) opposite Erivo’s Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, in the movie, which follows the friendship of the two young sorceresses before the events of “The Wizard Of Oz.” They will fill roles originated by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, who earned a Tony for her performance as Elphaba in the “Wicked” musical by Winnie Holzman, which is currently in its 18th season on Broadway.
Both of the original “Wicked” leading ladies congratulated Grande and Erivo upon hearing the news:
The role marks Grande’s first appearance on the Broadway stage since the 2008 production of “13,” in which the Grammy winner played the role of gullible teen Charlotte. She also predicted her eventual casting via a tweet a decade ago:
Erivo, meanwhile, has been a veteran of the theater, having received both a Grammy and a Tony Award for her work in the stage production of “The Color Purple.” The actress and singer is also a two-time Oscar nominee for “Harriet” (2019), and earned an Emmy nod for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in “Genius: Aretha.”
The “Wicked” movie is currently slated to start production in the UK in summer 2022.
