Viral ‘Wicked’ ‘holding space’ press tour meme gets mimicked by Sutton Foster and Ana Gasteyer in hilarious video
Sutton Foster and Ana Gasteyer are holding space for the weird “Wicked” memes.
The “Wicked” press tour has been full of viral moments but none more so than when an Out reporter told Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that fans have been “taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that.”
The journalist’s observation elicited an emotional response from Erivo as Grande reached over to comfort her, taking hold of just one of her fingers.
The moment quickly spread on social media — even making its way to Broadway.
On Sunday, Foster, Gasteyer and their “Once Upon a Mattress” co-star Michael Urie recreated the moment in a hilarious TikTok.
“I don’t know if you heard this, but people have been taking the lyrics of ‘Shy’ and really holding space with them,” Urie, 44, told the two women backstage, referencing one of the show’s big musical numbers.
The “Saturday Night Live” alum, 57, then turned to Foster, 49, and asked, “Will you pull my finger?”
As Foster grabbed her hand, Gasteyer made a farting sound, prompting the three to burst into laughter.
“Holding space for all the shy girls today,” the comedian captioned her TikTok.
Gasteyer notably played Elphaba in the 2005 Chicago production of “Wicked.” She reprised her role one year later on Broadway, replacing Eden Espinosa.
The original interview was posted on X last week, garnering over 60 million impressions in just four days.
While some people responded with confusion, others embraced the phrase “holding space,” jokingly using it in unrelated instances.
Grande and Erivo — who play Glinda and Elphaba, respectively — have yet to comment on the viral moment.
The Jon M. Chu film also features Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage and Michelle Yeoh.
However, we’re told the early stages of development looked a lot different.
Last week, sources familiar with the project told Page Six that “The Crown” director Stephen Daldry was originally slated to head the film before things fell through.
We’re told Daldry wanted Lady Gaga to play the lead and the pair even met a few times to flesh things out.
Shawn Mendes was also in talks to star as Fiyero in the film, which ultimately went to Bailey.
While Daldry was announced as the movie’s director in 2016, he exited the project four years later, opening the door for Chu.
Everything seemingly worked out in the end as “Wicked” dominated the box office and scored rave reviews following its Nov. 22 release — with both Erivo and Grande in Oscars talks.
However, fans will have to wait until Nov. 21, 2025, for part two.
