Top 10 Best Behind the Scenes Stories About the Making of Wicked

Historically, you might be used to prosthetic noses or chins on witches in film and TV. While “Wicked” resorts to no such stereotypes, prosthetics were a huge part of actress Cynthia Erivo’s makeup for Elphaba, specifically for her ears. You may have noticed the star donning a number of stunning earrings during the press tour for the film. It was for those piercings that the “Wicked” team created a ‘shell’ to save our heroine the trouble of having to take her jewelry off every time. If you have even just a few piercings, you’ll know how brilliant an idea this was.

Unless you’re an eagle-eyed equine specialist, you probably didn’t notice that Jonathan Bailey rides the same horse in both “Bridgerton” and “Wicked”. What you might have picked up on, however, is how perfectly in sync he was with his furry friend. Their obvious bond is exactly why Bailey was so particular about bringing his former castmate, named Jack, along for the musical ride. In fact, Bailey recommended the steed the very first day he met director Jon M. Chu. As if we needed any more reasons to fall head over heels in love with this man.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo spent the past few years of their lives dedicating themselves to “Wicked”. Along the way, they picked up some … souvenirs. This included Glinda’s wand and Elphaba’s broom, the latter of which now graces Erivo’s wall. They also snuck away more commonplace items like books, cardigans and a ton of snow globes, from the sound of it. Most surprisingly, the “thank u, next” singer took home a pair of Erivo’s prosthetic ears and, quote: “a piece of Johnny Bailey”, which she couldn’t say more about without spoiling “Part Two”. We can’t blame the stars for one moment. If we were in their shoes, we’d be pilfering all kinds too.

Director Jon M. Chu left no stone unturned in bringing the “Wicked” set to life as realistically as possible. The enchanted forest was created with real flora and attracted actual fauna too. In an interview, Erivo shared that, by the time they were filming in the forest, there were birds living in nooks and crannies. It seems the only reason anyone found out is because, when she’d sing, the birds would join in! It’s a pity their background vocals didn’t make the final cut, but they sure created magic on set. Mother nature must be a Cynthia stan.

Gravity wasn’t the only thing Ariana Grande was defying for “Wicked”. She destroyed preconceived notions about her popstar status and the doubts that came with it through the sheer passion she had for the project. Everyone had to audition for this movie, including Grande. As someone who’s long-since been outspoken about wanting to portray Glinda, Grande put her heart and soul into all five of her auditions, even going in barefaced upon request. Even the director, who initially wanted to cast lesser-known actors in the leading roles, had no choice but to recognize her talent.

Jonathan Bailey is arguably one of the busiest men in Hollywood right now. That’s great news for us, but it must be unbelievably hectic for him. While making “Wicked”, he was simultaneously filming for “Bridgerton” and “Fellow Travelers”. So, when he wasn’t swooning over Kate Sharma, he was dancing through life and into Hawk Fuller’s arms. It’s a testament to his massive talent, especially with how strikingly different the three roles are from one another. Similarly, Bowen Yang, who plays Pfannee, also divided his time between London and New York to do “Wicked” and “SNL” at the same time. Huge props to both actors!

The dream space that was Glinda’s suite, which she shares with Elphaba in “Wicked”, may have been larger than life but, in reality, was quite cramped. Despite being crafted with incredible attention to detail and the utmost care, it proved rather challenging to film in. For some scenes that called for top-down shots, the roof of the room had to be completely removed. Not even the director had a spot to monitor the scenes. So, he did what any committed professional would do: supervise from under the bed. Unfortunately, Chu wasn’t the most inconspicuous in his hiding spot, which we can only imagine broke the cast a few too many times.

Grande has described the movie as a “love letter” to not only the original musical but also its cast, which we think sums it up perfectly. The singer’s biggest goal, perhaps, was making her Broadway counterpart, Kristin Chenoweth, proud. Chenoweth, for her part, advised Grande to put her own spin on the character, later saying in an interview that Grande did just that. Cynthia Erivo also reached out to the original Elphaba, Idina Menzel, as soon as she was cast. In response, she was told to “be everything [she] needed to be” and enjoy the experience. The pair were so touched by their forerunners, they insisted on involving them in the new movie, giving us a cameo for the ages.

Successfully improvising in a musical so beloved and of such caliber can be no easy feat. Yet, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo pull it off with ease, and in the best moments of the film, no less. From Glinda’s sky-high kick in “Popular” to Elphaba’s comforting wink in “Defying Gravity”, there’s no shortage of improv-ed moments adorning this movie. Apparently, the scene where Glinda has her fairy godmother moment, flicking her wand to give Elphaba a new outfit took five hours to shoot because Grande kept making it funnier each time!

This one will elevate your respect for our leading ladies up by about a thousand notches. Both stars sang completely live for the entirety of the film. Yes, that includes when Erivo is levitating for “Defying Gravity”, held up by harnesses. And also when Grande spun from the chandelier with nothing but core strength supporting her. Even Jonathan Bailey, who did his own stunts, sang his parts. Regardless of how demanding their scenes got, it was deeply important to Grande and Erivo that they connected with the live aspect of musical theater. The atmosphere on set was so emotionally charged from their vocals that it often left the crew in tears. Well, at least now we don’t feel so bad for crying in the theater.


What was your favorite song and dance number in “Wicked”? Sound off in the comments!