‘Wicked’ Director Jon M. Chu on Those Surprise Cameos: “We Had One Day to Do It”

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As a die-hard fan of the musical phenomenon that is Wicked, I was absolutely thrilled to witness the magical cameos in the film adaptation. The fact that the original Broadway castmembers Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel graced our screens once more as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, was nothing short of a dream come true.

[The following story includes major spoilers for Wicked.]

Remarkably, just one day was allotted by the creators of the “Wicked” film for recording the cameos appearing in the “One Short Day” sequence from the movie adaptation of the renowned Broadway musical of the same title.

In the movie, as Glinda (played by Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) venture to the Emerald City to encounter the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), they attend a play detailing the past of Oz. At that moment, former Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, who were Glinda and Elphaba in the musical, appear on stage to guide viewers through the lively tale of the city’s history.

According to director Jon M. Chu, there wasn’t any universe where we wouldn’t extend an invitation for them to join this project. The challenge was figuring out the extent of their involvement and how much our story could accommodate it, given their iconic status and the significance of these roles.

He went on to explain, “It felt like an obsession. We decided, ‘Let’s turn them into the most famous stars of Oz. Let’s have them portray iconic legends of Oz on stage, and let them tell the story of Oz. They would be the wise women of Oz.’ It all seemed to fit together perfectly. And according to my recollection, composer Stephen Schwartz may have been the one who suggested, ‘I know just the way to do it,’ because we needed details about the story of Oz’s history, and it would be even more significant with them involved.

Chu shares that they managed to shoot this particular scene within a single day, having secretly brought Menzel and Chenoweth to London. “We had a nighttime slot, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., on a wet, stormy night. … the instant they sang those songs and captured their memorable moments, it was truly magical. Moreover, I believe that day served as a therapeutic experience for everyone. … I told them, ‘This is dedicated to you. The very act of making this movie is our tribute to you because we want you to feel what we felt when we first watched it in the theater before it hit Broadway, the joy of watching Elphaba and Glinda win our hearts. You’ve never had that experience before. Now, we get to give you that experience.’ Both Ari and Cynthia were crying throughout. The set was filled with affection during that day. I am deeply grateful for their presence. I wasn’t part of the negotiations. I have no idea how they managed to come. All I knew is that they were ready and eager. We had only one day to pull it off.

Additionally, two more characters make an appearance in the series. Winnie Holzman, the author of the book for the musical “Wicked”, is depicted as a citizen of Emerald City. Furthermore, Schwartz can be seen at the palace, declaring “The Wizard will see you now!

The musical “Wicked,” now playing in theaters through Universal Pictures, boasts an impressive cast including Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, and Bowen Yang as Pfannee, along with other talented actors.

You can read Chu’s full interview about Wicked here.

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2024-11-23 02:25