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    Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Perform ‘Defying Gravity’ at Oscars

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    The stars of “Wicked” Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the Oscars with a spirited tribute to the cinematic versions of Oz, culminating in a rendition in “Defying Gravity” from their nominated film.After a montage of classic onscreen Los Angeles moments — a nod to the recent fires — Grande emerged, singing “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” in a sparkling red dress, evoking Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Erivo then took the stage, belting “Home” from “The Wiz.”Grande then returned for “Defying Gravity,” before Erivo brought everything home with her emphatic war cry. The crowd roared and gave them a standing ovation. The camera caught their co-star Michelle Yeoh in tears.While Grande and Erivo have been essentially joined at the hip during the promotional tour for the film and, of course, harmonize onscreen, they have rarely performed live together. They sang a duet at the 2024 Met Gala, singing “When You Believe,” an Oscar winner for the 1998 film “The Prince of Egypt.” That ballad, famously recorded by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, was written by the “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz.“Wicked” — a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” that focuses on the character of the Wicked Witch of the West, otherwise known as Elphaba — has 10 Oscar nominations, including one apiece for Erivo and Grande, nominated in the leading and supporting actress categories, respectively.While the movie is not a best picture front-runner, it is the highest-grossing nominee, coming in fifth at the 2024 worldwide box office, just ahead of fellow nominee “Dune: Part Two.” Including a performance from “Wicked” in the ceremony is likely a draw for audiences who might not have seen, say, “The Brutalist,” which has been relatively difficult to watch as it slowly expanded its theatrical release.“Wicked,” directed by Jon M. Chu, became a phenomenon, in part because of the wave of merchandise it spawned as well as the viral moments it generated. Take, for instance, the interview in which a reporter told Erivo and Grande that people were “holding space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.”Grande and Erivo’s appearance on the telecast is also a reminder that they may be back next year. “Wicked” only covers the first act of the Broadway musical on which it is based. The sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” is due out in November. More

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      How to Watch the Oscars 2025: Date, Time and Streaming

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      Conan O’Brien will host the annual awards, which will be available to watch live on a streaming service for the first time.It seems like a lifetime ago that Sean Baker’s screwball comedy “Anora” first emerged as the favorite in the best picture race (no one was yet even thinking about holding space for “Wicked”).But we’re now right back where we started in the fall with both math and our Projectionist columnist, Kyle Buchanan, predicting that “Anora” will emerge triumphant. It’s by no means a sure thing — last weekend’s big Screen Actors Guild Awards winner, the papal thriller “Conclave,” could play spoiler.In the acting races, Demi Moore appears to be the one to beat after notching another win at the SAGs (though Buchanan says not to count out Fernanda Torres, who delivers a tour de force performance in the quiet Brazilian drama “I’m Still Here”).But could Adrien Brody, who plays a Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust in “The Brutalist,” be in for an upset from the 29-year-old Timothée Chalamet, who has embarked on a decidedly unconventional — and very online — Oscar campaign for his lead role in the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown”?Here’s everything you need to know.What time does the show start and where can I watch?This year’s show is again one for the early birds: The ceremony is set to begin at 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. Pacific, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.On TV, ABC is the official broadcaster. Online, you can watch the show live on the ABC app, which is free to download, or at abc.com, though you’ll need to sign in using the credentials from your cable provider. There are also a number of live TV streaming services that offer access to ABC, including Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV and FuboTV, which all require subscriptions.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Oscar Nominees Makeup Got Real in 2025: “The Substance,” “Wicked” and More

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      This year’s Oscar nominees for makeup and hairstyling, for movies such as “The Substance,” “Wicked” and “A Different Man,” showcased prosthetics and special effects.Actors may deliver impassioned speeches about achieving their “childhood dreams,” but we don’t often hear about how those sculpting wounds with clay and bubbling skin with latex are fulfilling their lifelong fantasies.“Teenager treats” is how Pierre Olivier Persin, the special effects designer nominated for an Oscar for makeup and hairstyling for “The Substance,” described his work on the film, which involved two full-body prosthetics and countless other pieces and puppets. Mike Marino, the makeup designer for Sebastian Stan in “A Different Man,” nominated in the same category, described his childhood bedroom as a sort of cabinet of curiosities, filled with “jars of experiments and screaming Siamese twins.”It’s a particularly exciting year for makeup and hairstyling nominees: buckets of blood and pus-filled injections in “The Substance”; face tumors sloughing off like jelly in “A Different Man”; green witches and blue horses in “Wicked”; a vampire shriveling away in “Nosferatu”; and a menacing drug lord created with facial prosthetics in “Emilia Pérez.”“She wanted to see her hands. She wanted to get that reaction” from the other cast members, said Frances Hannon, the hair and makeup designer for “Wicked” about Cynthia Erivo, who played the green-skinned witch Elphaba in the film and has been vocal about her preference to be physically painted rather than having the hue added in postproduction.Universal Pictures, via Associated PressWhile in years past the category has sometimes leaned toward honoring the subtle transformations of delicately coifed period hairstyles, these nominees reflect a year that relied heavily on the use of makeup to create practical special effects.Once upon a time, most special effects were achieved with makeup. Think “An American Werewolf in London” (1981), “The Fly” (1986), “Beetlejuice” (1988): All the various monsters, mutations and marvels in these films were largely created with latex, foam and human hands. Then, in the early 2000s, studios became more reliant on computers to digitally generate these effects.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘Wicked’ Alumnae Class Notes: What They Learned at Shiz University

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      The graduates of Shiz University are making their alma mater proud.In the 21 years since “Wicked” opened in New York, 43 women have starred full-time as Elphaba or Glinda — frenemies who meet as Shiz undergrads — and many more have taken on the vocally taxing roles in productions across the United States and around the world.Shiz has taught them well. After leaving the show, many have gone on to glittering careers, on Broadway and beyond. Three former Elphabas were nominated for Tony Awards this year, while four former Glindas have appeared in principal roles.As a smash-hit Hollywood adaptation introduces millions more to this revisionist history of Oz, we checked in with alumnae of the stage show to ask what they learned there. These are edited excerpts from our conversations.GlindaKristin ChenowethSara KrulwichChenoweth, who won a Tony Award in 1999 for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” originated Glinda on Broadway in 2003. She is now one of Broadway’s most-loved stars and is planning to return next season in a musical adaptation of “The Queen of Versailles.”How did you first get involved with “Wicked”?I was called by [the composer] Stephen Schwartz himself, and he said, “Look, I’ve got this part I want you to do.” I didn’t know if I could work out the dates, but I went over to his apartment, and listened to “Popular.” I thought it was really cute and I could have some fun with it, so I was involved in a workshop in L.A., and that’s how it started. I remember the producer Marc Platt going, “Kristin, every once in a while a part comes along — maybe once in a lifetime — that is like a hand to a glove, and this is your part.” Glinda was very much the side character, but they started seeing how Idina and I were working together, and it evolved into a much bigger role. That first night we opened in San Francisco, for our out-of-town tryout, I told Idina, “It’s not going to matter what the critics say. There’s something very special here.” I just knew it.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Watch Ariana Grande Swing From a Chandelier in ‘Wicked’

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      The director Jon M. Chu narrates the musical scene, also featuring Cynthia Erivo, where Grande performs the song “Popular.”In “Anatomy of a Scene,” we ask directors to reveal the secrets that go into making key scenes in their movies. See new episodes in the series on Fridays. You can also watch our collection of more than 150 videos on YouTube and subscribe to our YouTube channel.The song “Popular” from “Wicked” has secured a firm place in pop culture in the 21 years since the show opened on Broadway. So how to make the song fresh for the film adaptation?This was one of the major challenges for the film’s director, Jon M. Chu. His formula was a little practical effects, a little razzmatazz and a whole lot of Ariana Grande.The scene has Glinda (Grande) working to improve the image and perception of her roommate, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). In the process, Glinda’s suitcases almost come to life as pop-up closets that she raids for her task.“In each of these devices,” Chu said in his narration, “even though they seem simple, there’s grown men in small spaces pulling it open and shutting it. And the engineering in each took months and months to design right.”The other element involves the timing of Grande’s singing, and the way she works the pink peignoir she’s wearing (designed by Paul Tazewell). She swings on a chandelier in it and slides across the wood floor in it as well, singing live on set throughout.“Ari is just a master of comedy,” Chu said. “You can see it in all her moves, and how she interacts when she acts with Cynthia Erivo. When you actually listen to it, too, her beats and her pauses are just masterful.”Read the “Wicked” review.Read a tearful interview with its stars.Read an interview with the director.Read about the costume design.Sign up for the Movies Update newsletter and get a roundup of reviews, news, Critics’ Picks and more. More

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      ‘Glicked’ Fans Rejoice in Bloodshed and Broadway Songs

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      Swords clashing and blood curdling screams of gladiators emanate from one room. Across the hallway, witches belt out show tunes.That’s the sound of “Glicked.”Last year, moviegoers swarmed to see “Barbenheimer” — the combined name for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” — when the films opened on the same day. Now, there is a push from the casts and fans of “Gladiator II” and “Wicked” — which both opened across the country on Friday — to recreate that energy for another double feature with a blended name.Isabelle Deveaux and Emma Rabuano skipped out of theater six at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Brooklyn at 2:38 p.m. on Friday, after watching “Gladiator II.”At 6:15 p.m., the pair, both 25, planned to return to the Alamo Drafthouse to see “Wicked.” The crossover, Ms. Deveaux said, “felt so specifically catered to our interests.”Diego Gasca of Los Angeles went with friends to the opening day of “Wicked” at AMC Lincoln Square 13 in Manhattan, but he said that he was not interested in seeing “Gladiator II.”Colin Clark for The New York TimesOn the surface, the two films, which have a combined running time of over five hours, appear vastly different. One is a family friendly musical prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” while the other is an R-rated epic sequel about murder, war and the Roman Empire. But Ms. Deveaux and Ms. Rabuano see some common ground in the films.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Singing ‘Wicked’ Fans Are Anything but Popular

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      Some fans who have attended early screenings of the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical have treated it as a singalong. Not everyone is thrilled.Angela Weir went into a screening of “Wicked” on Monday night ready to be transported to the Land of Oz. But when Glinda (Ariana Grande) began to sing “Popular,” one of the musical’s early numbers, she was not the only one singing.“It started slow. Then people heard each other — it was like they encouraged each other,” Weir said on Tuesday. “It was a beautiful scene, and then you’re taken out of it.”As anticipation builds for the film’s release on Friday, some fans who have attended early screenings have ignored theater norms to sing right along with their favorite characters, much to the chagrin and annoyance of other “Wicked” enthusiasts. Many have taken to social media to issue a strict edict: Shush.As a debate grew on TikTok and Reddit, a possible solution emerged this week: For those who want to join in on the duet “What Is This Feeling?” between Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, more than 1,000 theaters across North America will host singalong screenings starting on Christmas Day.A representative for Universal said the company would not comment on the debate, and the off-key serenades have continued in the meantime.Weir, 35, said the singing at a screening in the suburbs of Charlotte, N.C., was particularly distracting during the movie’s finale, when Elphaba belts out the show’s most famous ballad, “Defying Gravity.”

      @arweirr i did like it tho #wicked #pleasedontsing #oscars ♬ original sound – Angela 🙂↔️

      @jordycray Time and place! #fyp #foryou #wicked #wickedmovie #arianagrande #cynthiaerivo #musical #popculture #popculturenews ♬ original sound – jordycray We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Mattel Mistakenly Lists Porn Site on Packaging for ‘Wicked’ Dolls

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      The site has a similar address to one that promotes a film adaptation of the hit musical. The toymaker apologized for the “unfortunate error.”All may be good in the Land of Oz, but the same can’t be said for the world of Mattel.The toy company’s latest dolls for the movie “Wicked” listed a porn website on its packaging instead of a very similar URL that promotes an upcoming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie and Hot Wheels, said in a statement on Sunday that it was aware of a “misprint” on the box for the dolls, which are primarily sold in the United States. The company said it had intended to direct consumers to the movie’s landing page, not to a URL for a website restricted to people 18 years of age and older.The doll is for children four and up.Mattel expressed deep regret, blamed the mix-up on an “unfortunate error” and vowed to take “immediate action.” But the company did not say how the error had occurred or what action it planned to take.It was not immediately clear early Monday how many of the mislabeled boxes had been distributed to stores. Mattel had not announced a recall or offered a refund to affected customers.The film, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is scheduled for release on Nov. 22. Universal Pictures, its distributor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.A doll from the ‘Wicked’ toy collection.MattelMattel isn’t the first company or public figure to publicly confuse one URL with another.Last week, Pope Francis appeared to paint himself as a New Orleans Saints fan by repeatedly using a hashtag that refers to the football team, not to the venerated disciples of the Roman Catholic Church.“We cannot become #Saints with a frown,” he wrote. “We must have joyful hearts to remain open to hope.”When the Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, breaking a seven-game losing streak, some of their fans saw the win as divine providence.The worlds of politics and media have seen their share of URL fumbles, too.In 2019, an Italian cartoonist known as Albo, whose work includes erotic images, said on Twitter that hundreds of people had mistaken him for Anthony Albanese, an Australian politician who was campaigning to be leader of the country’s Labor Party.Mr. Albanese won that election and is now prime minister. But he is still occasionally mistaken for Albo.In April, for example, Michael Rowland, a presenter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, apologized after he mistakenly attributed a comment about Elon Musk to the artist instead of to Mr. Albanese. More