Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande recently revealed behind-the-scenes details from Wicked, sharing insights into improvised scenes, Easter eggs and physical challenges of filming.
During a five-hour long commentary about the movie, the two-lead actress and director discussed the immense stamina that was required for the movie’s iconic performances, particularly in hit song Defying Gravity.
For Erivo, this song was specially demanding as she sang live while maintaining her breath as she navigated complex choreography and soared in giant rigs through the blue screen sky during the final scene shoot.
Director Jon M.Chu praised her performance as he said, “I mean, luckily, she’s a marathon runner, so she can handle it.”
In addition to singing live, both lead actress also contributed to the soundtrack’s vocal productions.
“One of my favorite things when I was comping the vocals was hearing [Cynthia’s] little footsteps on the stairs,” Grande shared. “It’s really real, live singing.”
Chu also instructed the actresses to hold on to their emotions until it is needed specially while performing Defying Gravity.
“I kept telling them, don’t, don’t, don’t cry when you get together. Just try to hold it in. You can feel the fight,” said Chu. However, Erivo couldn’t hold back, recalling a tear falling from her eyes and staying.
“It’s definitely from my eye not gel!” she recalled.Â
The final scene left the crew emotional as well, while Grande noted, “Every time [Erivo] hit this note, our whole crew and cast would try to hold back our applause and yelling until she finished then it was just pure applause, a standing ovation in the room.”
The movie Wicked has garnered massive critical acclaim becoming the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in global box office history. Its commentary bonus feature is available to those who buy the film on digital platforms.
