“The hate she would have gotten”: Ariana Grande Saved ‘Wicked’ From Making a Mistake So Horrific, It Would’ve Tanked Her Acting Career
- Ariana Grande convinced 'Wicked's composer-lyricist to abandon a hip-hop reimagination of the film's iconic songs.
- Fans praised Grande for protecting 'Wicked's musical authenticity as well as her reputation for her acting career.
- Grande transformed her voice along with the mannerisms to embody Glinda fully.
Small events in movie plots can have massive consequences at times. Sometimes, actors face challenges that require them to make a decision that has the potential to significantly transform their careers and brand images.
Ariana Grande’s transformation into the land of Oz had one such moment. Although popular as a pop star worldwide, Grande is much more than that. Wicked has been a calculated risk for her, as her transformation had the potential to either establish her versatility or ruin her career graph.
How Ariana Grande Preserved Wicked‘s Musical Soul
Based on the successful Broadway musical, Wicked is presented as a two-part film telling the story of the witches of Oz and their background. The film focuses on the friendship and conflicts of the characters of Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, and Glinda, played by Ariana Grande.
Talking about the musical aspects of the movie, the songs, and the score have been well-appreciated by both fans and critics. However, there was a possibility that could have changed the entire feel of the musical.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Stephen Schwartz, the original composer-lyricist of Wicked, said that initially, he thought of giving a hip-hop touch to the songs. But it was Grande who firmly opposed his idea. Schwartz said,
In the spirit of being open to new things for the movie, my music team and I thought, let’s refresh the rhythm. Let’s, maybe, I don’t know, hip-hop it up a little bit. Ariana said, “Absolutely not, don’t do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda.
Fans also realized that could have been a complete disaster for Wicked as well as Grande, as she would be the one performing the songs and all criticisms would be directed towards her. Many netizens thanked Grande for not following Schwartz’s initial idea.
The hate she would have gotten if they did this pic.twitter.com/BhBU8kyQkI
— 🙂↕️ (@arixabeI) November 26, 2024
Thank God. Ariana had a vision for this character and she truly delivered something for the fans of the musical to love and cherish. I give her a lot of props as a performer for what she did in this film.
— beefy_vibes🇺🇸 (@realitybites555) November 26, 2024
Ariana knows her vision! She nailed the Glinda essence perfectly.
— tanzeela (@tanzeela4890) November 26, 2024
Ariana shutting down a hip-hop remix of 'Popular' is the level of respect this musical deserves. Glinda is in good hands! 💕
— B (@night_ladylover) November 26, 2024
I think this is a thoughtful decision that not only preserves the artistic value of the classic musical but also demonstrates Ariana's dedication to fully embodying the character of Glinda, rather than letting her own persona overshadow the role 😍
— Liz (@VapeGodParker) November 26, 2024
The songs of Wicked have been around for more than two decades since the debut of the Broadway show in 2003. Popular tunes such as No One Mourns the Wicked, One Short Day, and Defying Gravity have been translated into the film carefully.
Ariana Grande Changed Her Voice for Wicked
Ariana Grande was not only worried about the musical authenticity of her character in Wicked, but her approach was also about the total embodiment of Glinda. In interviews, she talked about her preparation for the role, which even required changes in her natural vocal pitch. She told The New York Times,
It was really important to erase as much of myself as possible so that they could just be looking at Glinda.
Her commitment was so deep that the higher pitch of her voice stayed with her even after the shoot was over. When some critics questioned the decisions she made with her voice, Grande did not back down. She told Vanity Fair,
There is a part of the world that isn’t familiar with what it takes to transform your voice, whether it’s singing or taking on a different dialect for a role or doing a character voice for something.
She further addressed how many would have taken it differently if it had been done by a male actor. Grande’s understanding went beyond merely protecting the musical’s substance. She knew that each song represented about 20 years of people’s emotions and made sure that Wicked did not divert from the original essence.
Wicked is now running in theaters.
