Wicked took the country by storm last year and the Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth cameos were the icing on that deliciously fun cake. It’s an undeniable megahit musical and everyone seems to have their favorite songs, including the OG Elphaba and Glinda of Broadway. Menzel and Chenoweth unsurprisingly love their respective songs but some of their favorites aren’t the ones they sang.
The Frozen actress and Our Little Secret alum have been regularly included in the cinematic adaptation’s press tour, naturally so, and have been killing it. Menzel tapped in for Ariana Grande to appear with Cynthia Erivo on a carpet and the Elphabas’ coordinated outfits delivered. All four, Menzel, Chenoweth, Grande and Erivo appeared together for an Entertainment Weekly interview. The clip, via their Instagram, has the four stars talking about their favorite Ozian songs.
The present Elphaba and Glinda talked about, prior to the movie, they had only ever sang the other’s songs publicly. Chenoweth shares that she was so pleased to hear Cynthia Erivo’s version of a classic Glinda song.
I’m so glad you sang Thank Goodness. It’s my favorite song.
As someone who is unfamiliar with the original Broadway show and only has Wicked context through the movie, I’m really looking forward to experiencing the song in full. Idina Menzel then revealed it was her favorite song from the show, too.
That’s my favorite song. Don’t tell anybody. You know it is. I mean I love all the Elphaba songs. But, you know, when you’re doing it eight shows a week.
I can’t blame her for it. Broadway dedication is unparalleled, and performing your respective character and their songs night after night can get repetitive. Although, the Elphaba songbook is one of the most exciting ones for modern shows.
Kristin Chenoweth jumped in and confirmed that she knew of her Broadway partner’s favorite song, then added her favorite Elphaba song.
And I love I’m Not That Girl.
It’s a great moment between the four, showing love for their respective counterpoint’s character’s songs. I think it was a smart and natural move to include the OG’s in the movie and for the press. It’s drummed up hype and maybe helped garner some criticisms a la One Million Moms. Chenoweth smartly addressed their critiques head on and kept it very Glinda-like. I don’t know if the movie would have been exactly the same without their presence.
It was interesting to learn about the original plans for the duo’s cameo and how it all changed in the course of a night. How they have them feels just right to me, and it's a fun and theatrical part of a number where they can really shine. Jon M. Chu revealed that the next Wicked movie will bring on another Ozian icon, Dorothy, and it seems like she will have a bigger part than what some may expect.
As for Chenoweth and Menzel, hopefully, they’ll appear again in Wicked: For Good, which is part of the 2025 movie schedule. I also hope they are on the press circuit again and reveal some more of their feelings for Elphaba and Glinda. Wicked is still playing in theaters and available on VOD services.
