Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
Cynthia Erivo Shares Emotional Message from Wicked Production: "My Heart Broke Open and Tears Fell"
Erivo will appear in the two-part adaptation as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West.
After three months of production on Universal's two-part adaptation of Wicked, Cynthia Erivo is feeling all the emotions.
Posting a lengthy message to Instagram over the weekend (see below), Erivo confessed that she hasn't shared much about the musical project, "mainly because I’ve been keeping my head down and mining this beautifully complex being that is Elphaba."
A green-skinned outcast, Elphaba will one day be known as the Wicked Witch of the West. But before she had that infamous moniker forced upon her by the fearful citizens of Oz, she was a thoughtful student of Shiz University and best friend to Glinda the Good (played by Ariana Grande in the upcoming films).
"My heart broke open and tears fell. (Please know this happens OFTEN). I thought of us, the ones who often feel like they’re on the outside," Erivo continued, reflecting on the recent experience of filming "I'm Not That Girl," a bittersweet number underscoring her character's disenfranchisement.
"The ones who don’t know that their differences, oddities, quirks are what make them beautiful and special. The ones who, for some reason, believe they can’t be loved and I felt proud to sing a song that might speak to those feelings. I am endlessly grateful to play a role that turns the notion of what beauty is on its head. I am endlessly grateful to be working with some of the most beautiful souls on the planet and I’m already grieving for the day our little bubble must come to an end."
Check out Cynthia Erivo's post about playing Elphaba in Wicked
Jon M. Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) sits in the director's chair, overseeing a cast made up of Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Jeff Goldblum (the Wizard), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Ethan Slater (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live), Bronwyn James (Lockwood & Co.), Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman), Colin Michael Carmichael (Black Mirror), and relative newcomers Marissa Bode and Aaron Teoh.
Wicked: Part One arrives on the big screen Nov. 27, 2024. Part Two is slated for release on Dec. 25, 2025.
Suddenly in the mood for some Oz-universe fun? Head on over to Peacock and check out The Steam Engines of Oz starring Ron Perlman, William Shatner, and Julianne Hough.
