Wicked
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Goodness knows, Ariana Grande has a lot of love for her Wicked castmates. The 30-year-old pop star joined Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum and Michell Yeoh in promoting the upcoming film duology at CinemaCon Wednesday (April 10) in Las Vegas, during which she posed for a set of sweet photos with the group backstage […]
Ariana Grande appeared with her Wicked co-star Bowen Yang in a hilarious spoof of Moulin Rouge during Saturday Night Live on March 9. The five-minute sketch begins as a PBS special, hosted by SNL‘s Mikey Day, that examines what the 2001 movie musical’s “Elephant Love Medley” would’ve looked like if director Baz Luhrmann has been […]
For over a decade now, Ariana Grande has been known as one of the biggest and best voices in contemporary pop music. From “Dangerous Woman” and “Bang Bang” to “Yes, And?” and “7 Rings,” the two-time Grammy-winning Boca Raton-bred vocalist has dominated radio and streaming playlists alike with her trademark riffs and genre-blending catalog. Before […]
Ariana Grande has been changed for good. In an emotional post to her Instagram Story Thursday (Jan. 25), the 30-year-old pop star gushed about her time playing Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba in Jon M. Chu’s upcoming Wicked films, the first of which arrives Nov. 27.
“i will never forget even a minute of my year(s) with [Glinda],” she wrote, resharing a post from Chu’s account. “Or you. or my Cyn. permanently and preferably intertwined.”
“i am so inexplicably thankful that we got to add so many soggy eyelashes to the collection,” she continued, tagging the film’s director. “there aren’t words quite yet. but. thank you, Jon, for leading the way with such compassion, openness, brilliance and kindness. i have never seen someone conduct a space the way you do. i love you so much.”
“have an incredibly beautiful last day tomorrow,” the “Positions” singer added, seemingly confirming that Wicked is finally wrapping up more than a year after filming commenced in the U.K. in 2022. The shoot was originally scheduled to conclude in July 2023, but was shut down 10 days before its original end date due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which respectively ended in September and November.
Aside from a couple “first look” photos shared in April, sneak peeks at the Wicked films have been minimal. Grande did, however, also share a snap of her shadow on Thursday, showing off the unmistakable silhouette of her pink Glinda gown.
“like a handprint on my heart,” she captioned the post, quoting lyrics from “For Good.”
And as Grande’s time as Glinda comes to a close, her new era is just beginning. This week, the Victorious alum scored her eighth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as her latest single “Yes, And?” debuted in the top spot on the chart, less than two months ahead of her March-slated album, Eternal Sunshine.
“it is overwhelming and so sincerely moving to see how many of you this song has resonated with,” she wrote on her Story Monday (Jan. 22). “it is such a gift to feel so seen and held by you! thank you for your positivity, for your support and for everything. you have no idea how much you mean to me! this is absolutely because of and entirely for you. thank you!”
Ariana Grande has remained tight-lipped in the face of heightened gossip and public scrutiny surrounding her personal life this past year. But in a recent message shared to Instagram Stories before the new year, she seemed to address how she was affected by the 2023 rumor mill.
“One of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special years of my life,” Grande wrote in her Friday (Dec. 29) post, black text layered over a photo of a Glinda the Good Witch illustration. “There were so many beautiful and yet polarized feelings.”
“I’ve never felt more at the mercy of and in acceptance of what life was screaming to teach me,” she continued. “I have never felt more pride or joy or love while simultaneously feeling so deeply misunderstood by people who don’t know me, who piece whispers together and make what they want out of me and their assumptions of my life.”
The “Positions” singer didn’t specify what instances she was referring to, but there was objectively no greater peak in gossip surrounding Grande this year than when reports of her romance with Wicked costar Ethan Slater surfaced. This was partially due to how closely the news followed the vocalist’s reported split from ex-husband Dalton Gomez, as well as Slater’s own separation from wife Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young son.
Both TMZ and People, however, reported at the time that the Broadway actor and Grande had started dating after both of their prior relationships were over. The seven-time Billboard Hot 100 topper has since been spotted with Slater only a handful of times, most recently in New York City on a Dec. 23 dinner date with Grande’s father.
“i am reacting to things that deserve my energy only and removing and protecting myself from things that do not,” the “POV” hitmaker continued in her post. “i feel more human than ever. i feel more deeply than ever. i feel softer and stronger, all at once.”
“if you ever feel misunderstood of alone, just remember that it will pass and you are not,” she continued. “take a deep breath and know that you are so incredibly loved.”
This year saw Ariana Grande feature on a remix of The Weeknd’s “Die for You,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100. She has confirmed her highly anticipated seventh album is set for a 2024 release. In 2023, she primarily focused on filming the upcoming live adaptations of Wicked — in which she costars as Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba — as well as her R.E.M. Beauty business.
See Grande’s Story before it disappears here.
Wicked — the wildly successful Broadway musical about the story of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (Glinda the Good Witch) — celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and rising pop stars Reneé Rapp and Lizzy McAlpine are getting in on the festivities.
At the first New York stop of her Snow Hard Feelings Tour, Rapp invited McAlpine onstage to perform an emotional rendition of “For Good,” one of the standout duets on the Wicked soundtrack.
Fan-captured footage via TikTok finds the two singers enrapturing the audience as they assume the roles of Glinda and Elphaba atop a neon-green-lit stage. Rapp choosing to perform “For Good” for the first of her four New York tour stops is unsurprising considering her Broadway roots. In 2019, The Sex Lives of College Girls star enjoyed a brief run as Regina George in the Tony-nominated Mean Girls musical. She is set to reprise her role in the forthcoming film adaptation of the musical, which is set to hit theaters Jan. 12, 2024.
The first part of the two-film adaptation of Wicked, meanwhile, is slated to hit theaters on Nov. 27, 2024. The film’s star-studded cast includes Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang and more.
Rapp’s musical theater background echoes across her music, including Snow Angel, her debut studio LP. The record, which helped Rapp land a pair of MTV Video Music Award nominations this year, debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200 with 18,000 units shifted — the biggest first-week total for a debut album by a female artist in 2023. On Tuesday (Oct. 31), Rapp will head to Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre for a special Halloween show where fans are encouraged to attend in costume.
As for McAlpine, the “For Good” duet comes on the heels of an exciting year for the fast-rising folk-pop singer. This year, McAlpine enjoyed the rise of “Ceilings,” which became her very first Billboard Hot 100 hit (No. 54), as well as collaborations with Noah Kahan (“Call Your Mom”) and Niall Horan (“You Could Start a Cult”).
Watch Rapp and McAlpine deliver a gorgeous “For Good” performance below:
Ethan Slater and estranged wife Lilly Jay have filed for divorce on Wednesday (July 26), Billboard can confirm. The reason listed for the divorce is not currently clear. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The musician also spoke out against the SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical star’s […]
The entertainment world was sent into a frenzy on Thursday (July 20) when reports surfaced that Ariana Grande is dating her 31-year-old Wicked costar Ethan Slater following her recently reported split from husband Dalton Gomez. Both TMZ and People report that he and Grande started dating after both of their relationships were over. Slater was previously married to singer Lilly […]
As the joint WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue to send shockwaves throughout Hollywood, many filmmakers are updating fans on the status of the slew of upcoming films set to be impacted by the breakdown in negotiations between writers, actors and AMPTP. Among them is Jon M. Chu, the director of the highly anticipated Wicked movie musicals.
In an Instagram Story and tweet on Wednesday (July 19), Chu confirmed to fans that filming is “paused until the strike is over.” “We were only a few days away from being done, so we were SO close,” he wrote. “It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back! And we will finish properly strong when the time is right.”
“More to come, but in the meantime, I’m excited to excavate what we have shot for the past year here in Oz (release date shouldn’t be affected),” Chu continued. “It has been an extraordinary adventure… more to do.”
His clarification comes on the heels of fan speculation that filming was complete, as well as rumors that star Ariana Grande — who is playing Glinda the Good Witch — would be returning to the States soon. The majority of Wicked filming took place right outside London, the same city where the “Positions” singer was recently spotted without her wedding ring a day before reports surfaced that she and husband Dalton Gomez were headed for a divorce.
Wicked features a star-studded cast of some of the industry’s most acclaimed actors and singers including Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero and Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible. Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang and Keala Settle round out the cast. Split into two films, the first Wicked movie is slated for a Nov. 27, 2024, release, with the second following on Nov. 26, 2025.
Chu concluded the Instagram Story with update with a note of solidarity, writing, “Much love to … our beloved SAG members who are fighting for a fair deal! We stand with you.”
Click here to read Jon M. Chu’s full statement on Instagram Stories, and see his tweet below.
Not done yet. Just paused until the strike is over and we can finish the last pieces of the movie. We were only a few days away from being done so we were SO close. It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back! And we will finish properly strong when the…— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) July 19, 2023
Wimbledon 2023 wrapped on Sunday (July 16), and the music stars were out in full force to enjoy thrilling matches at the world’s oldest tennis tournament. This year’s Wimbledon Championships, the 136th edition, featured some stunning victories. Twenty-year-old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won the gentlemen’s singles title, beating renowned tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia. […]