Fans finally got their first glimpse of Ariana Grande singing in Wicked after months of the production keeping things under wraps, bringing in both praise and debate about her performance.
While the stars of the film have kept busy attending premieres globally and doing extensive press over the last few weeks, the official Wicked social media account shared a clip this week of Grande as her beloved character Glinda singing “Popular.” The video was a singalong style with the lyrics on the screen, and it turns out the official account got the words wrong. Instead of “I'll teach you the proper ploys/ when you talk to boys,” the lyrics were written as “I'll teach you the proper poise/ when you talk to boys.” Grande kindly corrected them in the comments.
But the lyric debacle wasn't the only thing that received a lot of chatter. Grande's performance from the short clip in general already drew in criticism — despite the movie not yet being out.
Some people on X, formerly Twitter, reshared the clip with comments saying that it sounded like autotune was added and that it seemed “fan-made.” Another user said the song sounded “flat and uncanny” like a “skit from snl." The criticism likely comes from Broadway lovers who have held the stage performance dear to their hearts and are used to a certain sound.
While Grande's full performance as Glinda has not been seen by the masses in its entirety, she did receive praise from fan accounts and from past Broadway legends who have played Glinda on stage. The very first Glinda — Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role — gushed over both Grande's and Erivo's performances in an Instagram reel after she attended a New York City screening at the end of October.
“Oh my gosh I just saw the movie and I'm dying. I'm deceased, I'm actually dead, I'm not here,” Chenoweth said in the Reel. “People are not going to be well when they see this film. It is so good, it is so special.” She also wrote in another post, “I am beyond proud of my precious angel, @arianagrande. She was born to play this role.”
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While attending another premiere, Chenoweth got emotional on the red carpet after speaking with Grande. “I love [Ariana] so much. She puts her own stamp on it. She pays homage to me, but she put her own stamp on it,” Chenoweth said.
Other actors who have played Glinda also attended the premiere of the film, and gave it and both Grande and Erivo's performance glowing reviews. Ginna Claire Mason, who played Glinda on the Wicked tour, shared a photo with the other Glindas, writing in the caption that the movie “exceeded my wildest expectations.”
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McKenzie Kurtz, who played Glinda on Broadway from 2023-2024, also shared her sweet thoughts on the film: “[Ariana Grande] I can’t quite describe what it felt like to watch you live your dream on the screen and to play her so flawlessly with so much heart and hilarity. I felt like I was watching it again for the first time. You are pure genius and such a light.”
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Another Broadway Glinda, Amanda Jane Cooper, praised Grande, writing on Instagram, “Ari, your purity, effervescence, nuanced hilarity (guys I can’t even) and truth filled gutsy commitment to the heart of Glinda is…well, I just can’t wait for the world to see. And hear. That voice!”
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A current Broadway Glinda, Jennafer Newberry Peery, also fawned over the film: “And these women— quite frankly, I don’t think anyone is ready for the absolute revelation of @arianagrande as Glinda and @cynthiaerivo as Elphaba. These women filled my heart to capacity and my eyes with tears over and over again as they embodied these beloved characters we all know and love.”
Wicked is going to be split into two movies, with the first part premiering on November 22, and the second part coming almost exactly a year later.
