Film & TV News
Date Set for TV Concert Special Celebrating Wicked: For Good
Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and more will preview the Broadway movie musical’s second installment ahead of its theatrical release for NBC and Peacock.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good.
Universal Pictures
Let it sink in: The Wicked: For Good promo train is officially upon us. A date has been set for the upcoming TV concert special celebrating the film’s upcoming November 21 release. The special will air from Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre November 6 at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC, and stream the next day on demand via Peacock.
As previously announced, the event will feature Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and more performing songs from the first film and previewing some from the second. Ben Winston and Raj Kapoor are executive producing, with Fulwell Entertainment serving as production company.
The two-part film stars Tony winner Erivo and Grammy winner Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. Joining them in the cast are West End Company Olivier winner and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, SpongeBob SquarePants star Ethan Slater as Boq, Emmy winner Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, 2023 Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, and newcomer Marissa Bode as Nessarose, the first wheelchair-using actor in the musical’s history to take on the role.
READ: Behind the Broadway Cameos and the New Song in the Wicked Movie
The upcoming special follows Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises, which aired in anticipation of the first film’s release last fall.
Stage and screen star Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael are also in the cast, with Settle as Miss Coddle, Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, and Yang, James, and Teoh as Shiz students Pfannee, ShenShen, and Avaric, respectively.
The screen adaptation, which includes new songs by Stephen Schwartz, is helmed by In the Heights screen director Jon M. Chu. Wicked book writer Winnie Holzman penned the screenplay with Dana Fox, and Tony winner Paul Tazewell designed the costumes, earning an Academy Award for his work.
READ: The Wicked Film Features an 80-Member Orchestra—And the Full Overture
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the musical features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical is now the fourth longest-running production in Broadway history.
The show won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel), Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee).
READ: Who Is Oscar Diggs? Inside the Wicked Movie’s Most Wonderful Easter Egg
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Photos: First Look at Wicked: For Good
Photos: First Look at Wicked: For Good
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Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in Wicked: For Good.
Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande in Wicked: For Good.
Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande with Director Jon M. Chu on the set of Wicked: For Good.
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good.
Universal Pictures
Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in Wicked: For Good
Universal Pictures