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Ariana Grande puts together preparation for ‘Wicked’s role, describing her experience and learning curve.
Playing Glinda in the movie version of two-part musical was all on this pop singer; she elaborated on being forced to know one’s own potential.
The film directed by Jon M. Chu features a budget of $200 million and was on set for a year with more than 500 cast and crew.
Grande trained aggressively for vocals and acting as well as physically prior to the role.
“It is very different vocally from what I usually sing, so I kind of had to train every day with my vocal and acting coaches to really just become Glinda,” Grande says in an interview in HELLO! Magazine.
Ariana Grande’s Journey into Glinda
The role of Glinda, which Kristin Chenoweth first portrayed on Broadway, was a stretch for Grande. “I put everything else in my life on hold to give this role my all. I wanted to earn it,” she said.
With over 200 hours of vocal preparation and months of dance and accent training, Grande made sure she was ready for the high expectations that the beloved musical will set.
“It wasn’t easy, but if I hadn’t poured myself into this, I might have ended up in an insane asylum,” confessed Grande. She learned to be resilient and has a deeper appreciation for musical theater.
Bond with Cynthia Erivo
Much of her ability to navigate her Elphaba journey Grande credits co-star Cynthia Erivo, the actress who plays opposite her. She and Erivo quickly became fast friends, leaning on each other through the rigorous filming process.
Grande says of their first meeting, “We were at her house, talking and giggling. I felt an immediate safety with her.”
The two have promised to stick together, a promise that really came in handy during the hard shoot. “That promise we made to each other is something we’re most proud of,” she shared.
Chemistry has been already praised on early test screenings, which sets the excitement to see the movie on the screen.
Behind the Scenes of the Epic Production
One of the biggest projects from Hollywood, Wicked adaptation, is developed for over 15 years, and it combines the magic of old theater with new cinematic techniques in a unique vision of Oz under the guidance of Chu.
The production is elaborate, having over 1,000 costumes and cutting-edge visual effects on elaborate sets. The adaptation was divided into two parts, which facilitated richer storytelling. Part One has been released in November 2024, and the second part has been scheduled for 2025.
Grande proves commitment to the role by sticking to being excellent. She gets out of her pop-star shoes and plays Glinda, and she is already giving awards buzz notice through this, showing that she is versatile.
