There’s little question that one of the biggest movies of the fall will arrive when the Wicked: Part One release date gets here in November. Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are embodying their characters, at least visually, as we’ve seen the pair together in outfits that match the characters they’ll be playing. But we now have an even better picture, as the new Elphaba met up with the character’s OG actress, Idina Menzel, at the Tony Awards — and it was amazing.
Last night’s Tony Awards saw some amazing wins and some powerful speeches, but what may have been one of the best moments may have been seeing Cynthia Erivo and Idina Menzel come together. The latter played the original Elphaba in the Broadway production of the Wizard of Oz spinoff. And, of course, the other will be taking on the role in the big-screen adaptation as she and Grande lead the Wicked cast which is already expected to be one of the year’s biggest movies. Check it out:
We’ve been used to seeing Erivo and Grande wearing their trademark green and pink on red carpets over the last few months. Both have perfectly coordinated at the Met Gala and elsewhere, doing what amounts to the Broadway version of Disneybounding, or invoking a character look without specifically dressing in costume. It’s a great way to help keep their movie in people’s minds leading up to its theatrical release.
Neither Erivo nor Menzel had green in their ensemble this time, but the two still looked great together. The appeared both dark and glamorous, which considering there wasn’t much coordination planned here, makes it all look even better.
One imagines the two had plenty to talk about at the Tony Awards if they were able to spend any real time together. While there’s a chance that the Widows alum may need to go back for some reshoots of Wicked: Part Two between now and its release date in November 2025, she has otherwise completed the role. That means she and her predecessor could have really shared their experiences in the famous role.
The Uncut Gems star has been honest that she would have loved to have played Elphaba on screen, but knew she was too old for the role. Having said that, she and co-star Kristen Chenoweth were truly happy for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande taking on the parts and Menzel seems as excited as the rest of us to see the finished product.
The role of Elphaba catapulted Idina Menzel’s already solid career into the stratosphere, eventually landing her the role of Elsa in Frozen, likely making her a star in the eyes of many children whose parents loved Wicked. Cynthia Erivo is already only an Oscar short of an EGOT, though she’s been twice nominated. There’s a good chance that anybody who doesn’t already know her name won’t be able to forget it once the highly anticipated flick hits screens.
Wicked is set to hit theaters on November 27 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.