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Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's Wicked Audition Tapes Go Wicked Viral (WHERE TO WATCH)
Wicked Part One is now playing in theaters everywhere.
There's no denying it: Wicked fever is in the air, and it's turning fans green with excitement.
The long-awaited film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical (itself an adaptation of Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel of the same name) is not only dominating the box office, but also the cultural conversation — from the now-iconic "Holding Space" meme to the viral sharing of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's audition tapes, the latter of which can be found exclusively in NBC's Defying Gravity: The Curtain Raises on Wicked special.
RELATED: Why "Defying Gravity" Was the Most Challenging Song in Wicked: "There Are No Shortcuts..."
"The real heavy lifting, the big thing that loomed all over us, was you don't have a story if you don't have Galinda and Elphaba," director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) explains in the 42-minute peek behind the curtain. "So we went on the biggest casting search that I've ever been a part of across all continents and it took us a long time to find the right people."
Erivo apparently had to through a rigorous, 3-hour audition process — one that included a red blanket draped around her shoulders and a plastic broom clutched in her hand — before landing the coveted role of Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch of the West. Grande, meanwhile, lobbied for the role of Galinda/Glinda for many years, "stalking" producer Marc Platt and even going so far as to take extra voice and acting lessons "because it's so different vocally from what I usually sing," she explains.
Where to watch Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's Wicked audition tapes
Audiences can check out the stars' audition tapes (and the respective Zoom meetings where Chu offers them the top roles) in the 42-minute NBC special, Defying Gravity: The Curtain Raises on Wicked — now streaming exclusively on Peacock.
RELATED: Wicked's Cynthia Erivo Whistles Gorgeous, Haunting Version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (WATCH)
The NBCUniversal platform offers two monthly subscription plans: Premium ($7.99 a month with ads) and Premium Plus ($13.99 a month with no ads and download access for certain titles). If you're a student, you can enjoy the Premium plan for just $1.99 for an entire year!
What is Wicked about?
The Broadway musical and its two-part film adaptation imagines a Wizard of Oz prequel centered around the green-skinned Elphaba, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West. Before she gained her flying broomstick and an army of flying monkeys, however, the character is a talented student at Shiz University, where she rooms with the popular Glinda. Things start to go downhill once Elphaba travels to the Emerald City and meets the so-called Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), who may not be as "wonderful" as we once thought.
How can you watch Wicked in theaters?
Boasting an excellent score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, Wicked is now playing in theaters everywhere. Click here to pick up tickets for yourself and the whole family! The sequel — Wicked Part Two — is set to follow on November 21, 2025.
