Wicked: A Cheeky Nod to Broadway Roots
The highly anticipated movie adaptation of Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has finally arrived. But before the new cast takes center stage, the original Broadway stars, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, make a cameo appearance that is both a loving tribute to their iconic roles and a wink to the audience.
Menzel and Chenoweth reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in a scene that ties back to their original Broadway performances. They sing an additional verse in the song “One Short Day,” dressed in elaborate costume dresses, to let the audience and the new witches know what’s happening in Oz. The cameo is a perfect blend of respect for the original Broadway roots and the excitement of the new adaptation.
The scene is filled with cheeky references to the competitive spirit between Elphaba and Glinda, with Menzel and Chenoweth competing for center stage. In the end, Menzel wins the competition by belting out her iconic riff from “Defying Gravity,” a welcome reminder of Wicked’s Broadway origins.
Chenoweth also makes a fun allusion to her original Wicked role of Glinda when she places a hand over Grande’s mouth when the new Glinda actress opens her mouth to sing. It’s a perfectly cheeky moment that captures Glinda’s desire to always be the center of attention.
The cameo ends with Menzel and Chenoweth interacting directly with Erivo and Grande-Butera, passing on the torch to the two new witches of Oz. The original actresses are clearly having fun with their cameos and are thrilled with their successors’ performances. Despite their upstaging performance, their appearance perfectly blends respect for Wicked and its original Broadway roots with all the excitement and energy of the new adaptation.