* A four-year-old fan named Remington joined Grande for her performance of “Popular,” and we got to know him a little better, thanks to an interview conducted in between numbers. When the warm-up comic asked him, “How old are you?” Remington responded: “Good.” And when he was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” he fired back immediately: “Elphaba!” (Well, duh.)
* The broadcast avoided an explicitly political moment, with cast member Marissa Bode introducing “Defying Gravity” by saying the song is “an ode to authenticity” and added that it’s also about toppling “power-hungry dictators.” That jab drew a strong ovation from the crowd at the taping… but NBC cut the reference to “power-hungry dictators” from the version that aired.
* There was one downside to being in the crowd that night: Though the special featured advance clips from the upcoming sequel “Wicked: For Good” and snippets of new songs from the movie, we didn’t get to actually see or hear those in the theater. That includes the showstopping number where original “Wicked” stage stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth joined Grande and Erivo to sing “For Good”; that was taped separately at New York City’s Gershwin Theatre, the home of “Wicked” on Broadway.
* Nobody’s perfect, and various technical snafus meant that the performers needed multiple takes of several songs to get it right for the cameras, including “The Wizard and I,” “Thank Goodness,” “What Is This Feeling?” and “Defying Gravity.” But when Cynthia Erivo is singing “Defying Gravity” in front of you two and a half times, no one is really complaining.
* Speaking of “Defying Gravity”: The collective gasp in the room when Erivo first took flight on wires and soared through the theater was just incredible. We’re not sure if that level of awe really came through on TV, but it was an absolute showstopper, with more than a few audience members moved to tears.
* To kill time between performances, pop music was played in the theater, with the crowd happily singing along to Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” and “Hot to Go!”… and yes, Grande’s own hit “Thank U, Next.” Grande even popped her head out as the song was playing and gave the crowd a smile, earning wild applause… but no, she didn’t sing along.
How’d you like NBC’s “Wicked” concert special? Let us know in a comment below!
