‘Wicked: One Wonderful Night’: 9 Things You Didn’t See on TV, Including Multiple Takes of ‘Defying Gravity’

Oz may have told us to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, but at the Dolby Theatre taping of “Wicked: One Wonderful Night,” audiences were treated to a rare peek at the magic behind the scenes.

The show was recorded at the Dolby Theater on Sept. 24 with a packed audience of “Wicked” fans dressed for the occasion.

Plenty of standout moments made the broadcast — including a duet of the Judy Garland-Barbra Streisand classic “Happy Days Are Here Again/ Get Happy,” performed by film stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo — but some of the evening’s most delightful off-camera moments didn’t make the final cut. 

Here are a few things you didn’t see on air: 

Audience Participation  

Before cameras rolled, the audience was enlisted to learn choreography for the opening number, “No One Mourns the Wicked.” Those seated in the orchestra section were given faux tulips and taught the flower choreography from the film — tossing them into the air on cue, timed to Grande’s entrance as Glinda the Good. The group rehearsed for several minutes before dancers joined for a final run-through and filming. 

The Show Must Go On 

The sequences were filmed out of order and included full musical numbers along with the scene-to-scene transitions. While most numbers required only a single take, a few — including “The Wizard and I” and “Defying Gravity” — were performed twice to secure a clean version, giving the audience an extra encore. Grande and Erivo’s duet of “Happy Days Are Here Again/ Get Happy” also received an extra run-through — not for technical reasons, but simply because the pair wanted to “do it again.” 

Multiple Choice Moments 

Along with taping alternate versions of musical performances, the production also recorded multiple intros for the show’s packaged segments. At one point, director Jon M. Chu filmed two separate setups: one introducing a segment of unseen audition tapes from actors “who tried out for the film” including Khloe Kardashian, Shaquille O’ Neal and Ludacris, and another teasing a new, exclusive clip. Only the unseen auditions made the broadcast, suggesting the other was ultimately cut. 

The Tease… Without the Payoff 

Throughout the night, Grande, Erivo, and the cast teased exclusive looks at new film clips and musical moments — but the live audience didn’t end up seeing them. At one point, Grande and Erivo introduced the new songs premiering in the film and set up a “first listen,” only for no clip to appear. 
  
“We’re sorry, you won’t actually hear them tonight!” Grande apologized. “Isn’t that evil? We said that!” Erivo chimed in, adding, “That was not our fault. We want to give you everything — we love you!” 
  
Later, Bowen Yang and Ethan Slater teased a performance of “For Good” pre-recorded at the Gershwin Theatre, where “Wicked” lives on Broadway — only to reveal the audience wouldn’t be seeing it. The room responded with playful groans. “Sorry, guys!” Yang said. 

The broadcast version featured a “Wicked” reunion of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who first played the characters in the original Broadway production and made a cameo in the first film. Grande and Erivo were also on stage and the four were accompanied by composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz on piano.

The Emcee  

During downtime, Bill Sindelar was tasked with emcee duties and kept spirits high. He updated the crowd on the run of show, mingled with audience members — even inviting those in elaborate costumes to the front to show them off — and helped guide the taping of audience reaction shots and B-roll.

Fun Between Scenes  

The taping stretched over four hours, with breaks between scenes as production reset for the next setup. During those pauses, music kept the crowd energized — from Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” which sparked a full-blown sing-along, to “Hot to Go!” which resulted in an emcee-led dance session. Later, when “Thank U, Next” began playing, Grande surprised the crowd by popping back onstage, laughing as she shared a quick moment with the audience. 

Marissa’s Moment 

Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose, introduced “Defying Gravity” with a speech about authenticity and resilience. “This song is an ode to authenticity and about believing in yourself — no matter what obstacles the world puts in your way,” she said. The broadcast version cut to her intro; however, Bode added: “Whether it be school bullies… or power-hungry dictators…” which prompted a loud, sustained cheer in the room. Though the line was removed for the broadcast, the ovation lasted nearly 30 seconds live. 

‘Popular’

In a surprising turn of events, Grande picked an audience member to perform opposite with, instead of her usual scene partner Erivo as Elphaba. The lucky audience member happened to be a young 4-year-old boy named Remington. Remington was dressed as Elphaba, complete with a broom prop. Grande placed him down on the bed and danced and sang her way through the song, interacting with him. There were no unexpected surprises there. Grande and her newest co-star performed “Popular” in one take. And yes, she did give him his broom back.

Choreographer Christopher Scott revealed he had stood in for the child during rehearsals. “It was me and Ari, and I’m pretending to be this 4-year-old child. In my mind, I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know what a 4-year-old child is going to do.’” Backstage, Scott was watching the monitors, having mini celebrations every time something worked.

‘Dancing Through Life’

People’s sexiest man alive, Jonathan Bailey, wasn’t available the day the show taped. “They were trying to move mountains to make it happen,” Scott told Variety.

Once the team knew it wasn’t going to happen, the team came up with various ideas to try to represent the number on the show. Scott said, “We wanted to honor Jonathan, and honor the show, and give the fans something fresh and new that was fun for them.”

Enter Bowen Yang as Fiyero. “It opened up this opportunity to see another side of him,” said Scott. And they weren’t done yet — Slater and Bode also got to don Fiyero’s outfit and dance through life.