Wicked is already bursting with stars, from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo to Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum. But the film takes its star meter up a notch by incorporating three of the most influential figures from the original stage show into the film.
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the original Broadway Elphaba and Glinda, both pop into Wicked for brief cameos that nevertheless had the audience at my screening going wild. They show up in the song "One Short Day," when Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande) arrive in the Emerald City for the first time.
While there, Elphaba and Glinda go to a performance of Wizomania, a musical all about the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Goldblum). Wizomania makes up a short section of "One Short Day" in the musical, but the film expands on it, adding in a new story about the Wise Ones of Oz, who wrote a book called the Grimmerie that is only legible to those who are magically gifted (like the Wizard). Fittingly, Menzel and Chenoweth play the Wise Ones.
At an early screening and Q&A about the film, Wicked composer and lyricist Schwartz discussed the new Wizomania section and bringing Menzel and Chenoweth into the fold.
"[With Wizomania], we have time to show more of the Wizard's propaganda, how he's getting this fake story out into the world and persuading all of Oz that he has talents that he doesn't," Schwartz said. "Also, we wanted to explain more about what this mysterious book, the Grimmerie, is, because it figures importantly not just in this movie, but extremely importantly in movie two."
Schwartz and Wicked director Jon M. Chu had always wanted to incorporate Menzel and Chenoweth into the film, but couldn't figure out how. Would they be a teacher at Shiz University? Someone's mother? Finally, it was Chu who suggested the Wise Ones, especially since these roles work as a tribute to how Menzel and Chenoweth kickstarted Elphaba and Glinda's onstage lives. Their section also contains some fun connections to their original roles, with Chenoweth shushing Grande in an extremely Glinda-like way, and Menzel hitting us with her original "Defying Gravity" ending riff.
Meanwhile, Schwartz himself makes an appearance at the end of "One Short Day," declaring to Elphaba and Glinda that "the Wizard will see you now!"
Of the experience on set with Menzel, Chenoweth, Erivo, and Grande, Schwartz said, "We basically just shot it, but cried mostly."
