Cynthia Erivo Has Shut Down Speculation That She And Ariana Grande Will Star In A Limited Broadway Production Of “Wicked” — And Said That It’d Be “Selfish” Of Them To Do So
“Love people who understand others need their chance to shine, and graciously allow them to,” one person tweeted in response to Cynthia’s comments.
Cynthia Erivo has shut down speculation that she and Ariana Grande are gearing up to take on the lead roles in the Broadway production of Wicked for a limited season next year.
© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
As I am sure you are aware, Cynthia and Ariana have won critical acclaim for their leading performances as Elphaba and Glinda in the movie adaptation of the beloved stage show, which premiered last month.
For context, the stage show — which originated back in 2003 — is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which was inspired by the 1900 L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation.
Wicked has been a staple in both New York’s Broadway and London’s West End for decades, and following Cynthia and Ari’s starring roles in the movie, rumors began to circulate that they will be taking their versions of Elphaba and Glinda to the theater world.
Santiago Felipe / Getty Images for Universal Pictures
This wouldn’t even be a particularly far-fetched venture, with both stars having roots in stage shows.
Ariana made her professional debut in the 2008 Broadway production of 13: The Musical when she was just 13 years old, before going on to find global fame as a Nickelodeon star and then music sensation.
Cynthia, meanwhile, is renowned for her theater prowess, and has been a leading lady in both Broadway and West End productions — even winning a prestigious Tony award in 2016.
But when asked about the growing Wicked whispers in a recent interview, Cynthia said that it would be “selfish” of her and her costar to take the roles away from other hopefuls.
Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival
The star also pointed out that they are both booked and busy, and simply wouldn’t have the time in their 2025 calendar to do a theater run — even if they wanted to.
This is partially due to the fact that the second part of the Wicked movie is due for release next November.
The recent movie only takes us up to what would be the interval in the theater production, and part two will pick up where the first movie left off — which is the second act of the stage show.
“That’s not going to happen,” Cynthia bluntly told Deadline when asked about the Broadway rumor. “Neither one of us has time. We have another film [Wicked: Part Two] to put out.”
Dave Benett / Max Cisotti/Dave Benett / WireImage
“And also, there are other ladies who need the chance,” she added. “We’ve had our chance. I’ve had my chance, and I’m very grateful for it. Doing that would feel a little bit selfish. I understand where the idea comes from, but we’ve done it. We had this [the film].”
© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
And Cynthia has won high praise for this considerate response, with one person sharing her quotes on X and adding: “I would have loved to see them on Broadway but I respect the heck out of that. Cynthia Erivo is such a Queen.”
“She stated it so well and it would be selfish. They have their own entity of wicked, and that’s the film!” somebody else wrote.
Another added: “Love people who understand others need their chance to shine and graciously allow them to. Real QUEEN shit!”
“Ugh …. Cynthia Erivo cleared here,” one more concluded. “Very professional and very selfless response.”
