This article contains spoilers for the movie adaptation of Wicked.Wicked's leading cast includes Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh, two of which (Erivo and Grande-Butera) were recently recognized for their work through Golden Globe nominations. In addition to the main cast , Wicked featured a notable cameo from Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who played the original Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway.
In an interview on the Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul podcast, Chu delves into the cameos from Chenoweth and Menzel. Chu explains the difficulty with creating an apt cameo in the first place, noting that the team aimed to "show the strength of them, but it couldn't be so much that it took over the movie." Their vision for the moment was that it was supposed to be "like an amusement park ride," wherein you see "little pop-up book stories of how Oz came to be." Check out the full quote from Chu below:
No. We had tried a bunch of different things and—not that they, we never presented it to them—but of course we went through a bunch of different things of how we could include them. None of it felt sufficient enough because we always came back to, they're at the top of their game. If they're in this movie, we wanna see them do something. We wanna show the strength of them, but it couldn't be so much that it took over the movie. They have a big presence. And we had this section where we needed to tell backstory of the Grimmerie, of the history of Oz, how the Wizard got there—we needed that information anyway.
It was supposed to be like an amusement park ride. It was supposed to be like ‘It’s a Small World.’ You’re supposed to get in the thing, and it’s supposed to go through, and you see these little pop-up book stories of how Oz came to be and how the wizard came down—and they [Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel] weren’t in it. And then when we said, ‘What about this area?’ Steven was like, ‘Yes, I know exactly what to do. Just give me a night or two.’ And he came back with this song and worked with Winnie. And I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s awesome. If they would do that, that would be awesome.’ And they came and agreed right away.
What This Cameo Change Means For Wicked
The Wicked Team Did Double-Duty With Exposition
Chu makes a good point in mentioning that they "needed to tell the backstory of the Grimmerie" anyway, desiring a spot to put that exposition. As a result, the team ended up deciding on adding a song section for Chenoweth and Menzel, wherein they explain the history of Oz and the Grimmerie. This allowed the two Broadway stars to have a more extended cameo moment, while still providing critical background information for plot-critical details in the Wicked universe.
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Wicked's Elphaba and Glinda teach audiences many important lessons about the power of friendship, standing by each other in moments of crisis.
It is also interesting to hear how Chu and his team wanted the "One Short Day" moment to feel "like an amusement park ride." The song overall is organized in these pop-up sections, where the tools of editing are used such that viewers can see sections of the Emerald City in small spurts. This creates a whimsical feel to "One Short Day" overall, one that is only further accentuated by the way in which Chu ended up including Menzel and Chenoweth.
Our Take On How The Wicked Cameo Was Done
The Cameo Did Indeed Feel Significant
Looking at Wicked's cameo moment, I think the most important element of Chu's decision was the fact that he made it a point to "see them do something" in this moment. Chenoweth and Menzel are such stars; as Chu said, they "have a big presence." It would have been so wasted to only see them in a ing glimpse, or in dialogue-only roles, given their talent. Luckily for the film, Wicked more fully incorporated the stars, making for one of the more memorable moments in the film.
Source: Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul Podcast
Wicked
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Runtime
- 160 Minutes
- Director
- Jon M. Chu
Cast
Cynthia ErivoElphaba Thropp
Glinda Upland
WHERE TO WATCH
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
- Writers
- Gregory Maguire, Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, L. Frank Baum
- Studio(s)
- Marc Platt Productions
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Main Genre
- Musical
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