VideoVideo: Get a Sneak Peek at NBC's Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will lead the TV special celebrating the upcoming Wicked films.
By
Andrew Gans, Logan Culwell-Block
November 11, 2024
Fellow Oz-ians, before the first of the two Wicked films hits movie theatres November 22, its stars are coming together for a television special. Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked, a behind-the-scenes celebration of Universal Pictures’ upcoming feature film of the international hit musical Wicked, will air on NBC November 19 at 10 PM ET; check local listings.
The TV event will feature co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande,
who will lead a journey through this newest version of Oz, unveiling
some of the film's spectacular sets.
Erivo and Grande will be joined by their co-stars, including Michelle
Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, and more. The actors will share
memories, video diaries, and secrets of the making of Wicked, culminating in the debut of an exclusive scene from the film.
Andrew Smith will executive produce. Monkey Kingdom will produce. Get a first look at the TV special in the trailer above.
Tony winner Erivo and Grammy winner Grande co-star as,
respectively, Elphaba and Glinda in the forthcoming film, joined by
West End Company Olivier winner and Bridgerton star Bailey as Fiyero, SpongeBob SquarePants
star Ethan Slater as Boq, Emmy winner Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond,
2023 Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Goldblum as The
Wizard, and newcomer Bode as Nessarose.
Stage and screen star Keala Settle, SNL's Bowen Yang,
Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael also play roles
new to the musical's screen version, with Settle as Miss Coddle,
Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, and Yang, James, and Teoh as Shiz
students Pfannee, ShenShen, and Avaric, respectively.
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz,
debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at
the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the
musical features music and lyrics by Schwartz and a book by Holzman. The
original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth
as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical is now the fourth
longest-running production in Broadway history.
The show won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel),
Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene
Lee).
Find tickets at a theatre near you
at WickedMovie.com. Pre-orders and pre-saves are also now available
for the film's soundtrack album, which will also release November 22.
The second part of the film will be released Thanksgiving 2025.
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Photos: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Kristin Chenoweth, and Former Elphabas and Glindas Attend Wicked Film Screening