Spoilers Ahead for NBC’s Wicked: One Wonderful Night
The highly anticipated return to Oz is nearly upon us! Wicked: For Good is premiering on the upcoming 2025 movie schedule in less than one short month, but if you are anything like me, that is still too long to wait. Fortunately, NBC is releasing a splendiferous evening with the stars, including Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in an upcoming television special, Wicked: One Wonderful Night.
I have been a fan of the musical since I was a little kid. I belted out “Defying Gravity”, “No Good Deed,” and “For Good” with the OG ‘evil and witchy’ Elphaba, Idina Menzel, until my CD had scratches and would skip so much that “Dancing Through Life” became ‘Dan Through If’.
I never got to see Idina Menzel or Kristin Chenoweth perform the songs that got me through some very awkward years, but my younger self would be so jealous of me now. I just watched the next generation of musical theatre icons bring some of these songs to life — and the best part is, you get to see it too.
I ‘Couldn’t Be Happier’ To Hear Grande Debut Her Version Of “Thank Goodness”
All I can say is, thank goodness Grande is Glinda. After seeing her float down in a magic bubble and hit one of the highest, most perfectly pitched notes I’ve ever heard in the first film (which, spoiler alert, she does again in this special), it’s still shocking to me that she had to sing four songs just to audition for the role. She’s been worthy of it from day one.
If you were not already convinced that Grande was born to be Glinda the Good, when you hear her sing “Thank Goodness,” any remaining doubts will melt away. It’s not just that she can sing it, of course, she can; it’s that she drops right into the character, and you go on the journey with Glinda from the first syllable.
Grande is not the only perfectly cast character, though. There has never been a better match than Jonathan Bailey and Fiyero.
There Is Only One Jonathan Bailey, But It’s Always Good To Have An Understudy – Or 3
Unfortunately, Jonathan Bailey is a very busy man. During Wicked: Part I, he was filming two other projects, and I assume things have not slowed down for this leading man. We are all going to have to wait a little longer for our next Bailey as Fiyero fix, as he does not make an appearance in this special, but don’t worry, because the comedy delivered by Bowen Yang, Ethan Slater, and Marissa Bode is as funny as Bailey is charming.
They may not be pitch perfect, but they sell the hell out of the number and are a highlight of the evening. However, there is a new star on the rise that will steal the show and your hearts all at the same time.
“Popular” is about to become even more popular than before.
A Wicked special is nothing without “Popular”. From the first time I heard Grande sing it in the original trailer, I was in. However, this rendition of the song has a whole new twist. I do not want to give too much away on this particular point, but let’s just say that Grande sings this to someone other than Erivo, and she definitely made them popular.
This is only a taste of the magic packed into this two-hour event. I haven’t even mentioned Erivo’s flying riff—yes, that one—or the new take on the classic ‘hair toss’. Plus, they’re giving us a sneak peek at the brand-new songs, which are so top secret they didn’t even let us hear them that night.
All I can say is that after seeing the taping of this special, I’ve truly been changed for the better. Don’t miss this wonderful night when it airs Thursday, November 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. But if you do, you can still catch it streaming on Peacock starting November 7. I do believe you will be changed “For Good.”
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