How Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth Big name within the Film

SPOILER ALERT: This tale comprises spoilers for “Depraved,” now enjoying in theaters.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth have discovered their as far back as Oz.. Broadway’s authentic witches make a wonder look in director Jon M. Chu’s “Depraved,” however now not as Elphaba and Glinda.

The duo, who originated the main roles in 2003, sing a brand new verse in “One Brief Day,” telling the tale at the back of the fantastic Wizard of Oz.. Their characters combat for the highlight within the Emerald Town, prompting Menzel’s persona to close down the contest by means of belting out her well-known “Defying Gravity” riff.

Composer Stephen Schwartz additionally cameos because the Ozsoldier who lets in Elphaba and Glinda into the Wizard’s palace, whilst the musical’s e-book author Winnie Holzman in a similar way seems within the Emerald Town, touting the Wizard’s skill to learn the Grimmerie.

Clad in over-the-top purple and red poofy attire, Menzel and Chenoweth each and every percentage a candy second with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who take at the roles they made well-known.

“It used to be so surreal. It used to be in point of fact unusual,” Grande tells Selection of sharing the display screen with the Broadway legends. “I imply, to have the ladies who helped write and create and beginning those characters embody us and embody our variations of them, used to be simply so extremely surreal. I imply, that they had been texting us, and so they were supportive folks previously, however I don’t suppose they ever were given to look or listen our variations of the characters till on set. So it used to be in point of fact emotional.”

Grande up to now starred in NBC’s 2016 “Hairspray Reside!” with Chenoweth, who has praised her casting as Glinda the Just right in a large number of interviews. “I’m now not certain if I’ve ever been this proud,” Chenoweth posted on social media on the time of Grande’s casting in 2021. “From the first actual day I met you … you have been destined for this function.”

Menzel has been in a similar way effusive of Erivo, telling ET, “She’s simply improbable. I think like she’s the only at hand the torch off to. You’re gonna love her.” Menzel and Erivo additionally offered an award in combination on the 2024 Tony Awards previous this yr. “I’m simply gonna pass off script actual fast to mention how excited I’m to look what I do know goes to be an ideal efficiency in that film you’re doing,” Menzel mentioned on degree. “Inexperienced woman energy!”

Marc Platt, who produced each degree musical and the movie diversifications, says he’ll by no means overlook the day the duo filmed their cameos. “I feel when Kristin and Idina got here onto the set, there used to be such a lot love and recognize from the film solid, in particular Ari and Cynthia and Jon Chu — virtually like they have been royalty! They’d grown up taking note of those two girls sing, and also you felt that sense of awe, and in addition legacy,” he says. “After which Kristin and Idina, the place similarly, in awe of those two more youthful girls making those roles their very own.”

“There’s a second the place Idina fixes my hat and sends me on my approach. Attempting to not be cliche, it used to be just like the passing of the broom virtually,” Erivo says. “So that you could have virtually just like the blessing from the queen herself, felt in point of fact, in point of fact stunning.”

Platt says that Menzel and Chenoweth to start with had reservations about showing within the film for worry of stealing Grande and Erivo’s thunder. “Each the women, Kristin and Idina, have been a bit of bit frightened about it. Kristin jumped in beautiful fast, as a result of she and Ari had had a dating and she or he used to be excited,” he says, including that Menzel “didn’t wish to rain on anything else that needed to do with Cynthia. She idea, ‘That is her second. I would like her to have her second.’”

A little bit convincing from Platt used to be all it took to switch their minds, regardless that. “I mentioned, ‘Either one of you’ll wish to contact the movie. You’re a part of the “Depraved” lore endlessly.’ And since we discovered an natural approach which Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman wrote to have them within the movie as a part of the storytelling, ‘You’re going to wish to be a part of one thing that’s larger than you, and so for the remainder of your lives, you’ll all the time be a part of “Depraved,” even within the movie.’ They usually each mentioned, ‘K, you’re proper.’”

“I used to be so commemorated that they sought after to incorporate us,” Chenoweth tells Selection. “I assumed, ‘Must we? Is i it bizarre, as it’s [Ariana and Cynthia’s] now?’ And Mark Platt mentioned, ‘You must. What do you imply? It wouldn’t occur with out you!’”

“Idina and I had such a lot amusing,” she provides concerning the emotional day she and Menzel filmed their cameos. “Our costumes have been superb, and we simply made up our factor. We simply had the most efficient time ever. We did it in in the future, and to be reunited with my with my sister used to be very, very particular.” Chenoweth says she and Menzel arrived to the set early and were given dinner to catch up: “We had fun there. Elphie and Glinda grew up!”

Chenoweth additionally says she’s delighted the honored musical has after all made its method to the massive display screen so a broader target market can uncover the mystical tale. “I’m so glad they made the film, as a result of I grew up in Oklahoma, and it wasn’t like we can have afforded to head see a Broadway display: dinner, resort, all that stuff. And now we have now the film, and it’ll be dropped at new generations of people who perhaps are in the similar boat as I used to be. I’m in point of fact proud.” 

“Kristin and I’ve observed each and every different repeatedly within the remaining two decades, however it used to be glorious,” Menzel says of the reunion. “It used to be glorious to be there, to get all of the feels, to rehearse in combination, to quite echo our characters a bit of bit, to be with Cynthia and Ari and simply roughly benefit from the set in a unconditionally other approach. It used to be the entirety.”

For Erivo, Menzel and Chenoweth’s enhance (off and on set) has been a supply of convenience and inspiration as she’s put her personal spin at the iconic function of Elphaba. “They’ve been in point of fact glorious with us, and we’ve had probably the most improbable phrases of encouragement from either one of them,” she says. “The ones issues in point of fact imply so much to us, as a result of they don’t must. It’s theirs from all this time, however for them to spare the ones excellent phrases and to present us the distance to additionally do what we wish to do with them as neatly, is in point of fact significant, in point of fact touching.”

Platt hopes that Menzel and Chenoweth’s involvement speaks to the iconic legacy of “Depraved” as a brand new fanbase discovers the cherished musical. “I feel all folks becoming a member of becoming a member of hands felt like there’s one thing larger than all folks, and that we’re a part of one thing that can survive past all folks,” he says. “The facility to sign up for the ones two worlds, the degree global of the unique and the movie global, in particular for the ones 4 ladies, used to be one thing nobody will ever overlook who witnessed that night time of capturing. It used to be in point of fact stunning.”