When you got it, you got it – and Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo definitely got it. The two stars of the upcoming Wicked movie adaptation decided they were going to sing live vocals while making the film. Typically, actors in a musical film prerecord their vocals and lip sync to match their vocal performance. In recent years, thanks to musical film adaptations such as Les Miserables, actors performing live vocals on set has become an option. Unlike some actors who perform in musical films, Ariana and Cynthia are performers used to singing live, so although it’s not a common practice in films, if anyone could pull it off, it would be these two.
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They never doubted their ability to sing live.
Jon M. Chu, director of Wicked, told Vanity Fair that it was Ariana and Cynthia who pushed to record the vocals live on the film’s set. "These are live vocals," Chu explained. "When we were shooting it, those girls were like, 'F— the pre-records. We’re going live.'"
He admitted that he was skeptical given the complexity of singing while also doing the complex tasks asked of them. "There’s going to be a lot of wind in your air pipes. Is that okay?" he recalled asking, and they assured him they could handle it, saying, "Yeah. That’s what we do."
Both women had to perform under extraordinary circumstances.
The spectacle of the movie's biggest musical number, "Defying Gravity," had Cynthia rigged up to fly while also singing some big notes. "She had a harness pulling and pushing and yanking and tugging on every nook and cranny that there is," Ariana shared.
Cynthia, in turn, shared that her costar also put in some tricky work. "I’m literally never going to forget you jumping on a chandelier over my head whilst singing," she said.
Ariana and Cynthia have become bonded for life.
The main focus of Wicked is the relationship between Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, before Dorothy shows up in Oz. Much like their characters, Ariana and Cynthia struck up quite a friendship while filming.
"I just need to say that I don’t think people realize that she’s got the chops," Cynthia said of Ari’s acting ability.
Ari had a compliment of her own to give out, saying, "She’s my favorite female voice. When I was watching you sing at the Oscars, I said, 'I hope someday I get to sing with her.'"
Ariana has been preparing for this role for years.
Being in Wicked is something Ariana has been dreaming about and working toward for many years, she revealed during the interview. “It was literally 10 years of being like, 'Knock, knock, any developments? Is there an audition coming this year, or next year? I would like to start preparing today,'" she revealed.
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She was more than ready.
Chu also chimed in about the singer’s dedication to landing the part. "Every time she came in to audition, she’d be there at least 30 minutes early," he explained. "I’d see her car circling. I’d be like, 'Who is that?' 'That’s Ariana Grande.' 'Why is she here so early?'"
Clearly, her hard work and dedication paid off!
