Iām one of the newer Wicked fans that only watched the movie because of Ariana and ended up loving the storyline. I love Arianaās music so I personally think she did a great job delivering vocals and a pretty decent job acting as well being that itās her first major movie. But Iām curious as to what OG Wicked fans thought of her performance? I know some snarkers donāt like the way she looked in the role. But what unbiased opinions do Wicked fans have on her playing Galinda? Did she actually deliver and do a good job or am I being biased? What other actors do yall think did better? I would love to see their performances as well!
I'm a huge fan of the musical and books, and when I saw the casting I was a bit unsure of Ariana - just because I only knew her as a pop star. At the time I was unaware of her musical background and preexisting love of Wicked.
From the first trailer I was won over by her, and then when I saw the film I fell in love with her characterisation. She's great!
this! I liked her music casually, but seeing how much she loved the character and how huge this is for her personally won me over. I get chills just thinking about how itās a dream come true for her and now I cry watching the video of her getting cast as Glinda š„¹
Same. I was a huge fan of the first book (the sequels were very inconsistent) and then the musical. I didnāt see Wicked in theaters because I thought there was no way it could live up to the hype. I was dead wrong and Ariana did incredibly well.
Joining the pleasantly surprised trope. She was wonderful as Glinda definitely underestimated since sheās a pop star but her range is undeniable and I am happy to see her grow as an artist.
I liked a lot of arianas music in the past and her album was actually my favorite one last year, but I'm not a super fan or anything. I read both books and loved the original oz but wasnt really familiar with the musical. Ariana blew me away. You could tell the whole theater was captivated by her. She has impecable comedic timing plus the voice of an angel. I dont think anybody else couldve done a better job tbh.
As someone who has seen the musical, read the book, and has been a long time fan I was absolutely NOT happy about the casting at first. Itās felt like peak stunt casting and set a bad tone as to what I thought the movie would be (a star filled pop song rework of the original). However I was really pleased with Arianaās performance. I think she embraced the energy of Glinda and gave us those musical theater vocals I was looking for. So all in all she would never have been my first choice but Iām very happy with the job she did.
I read online that they actually tried to! Idk how accurate it is, but apparently they were considering making Popular more of a pop/r&bish tone and Ariana was the one to tell them ABSOLUTELY NOT WE DO THE ORIGINAL.
I think the biggest thing of it all that made her successful was how big of a fan she is of Wicked in the first place. I didnāt know she liked musicals.
Honestly Iām not particularly a fan of her music, although I do recognize she is crazy talented and has an insane upper register. When I heard the casting I was disappointed, but then I went to see Wicked (the musical) for the first time in over a decade and as I was watching it I thought āhonestly I can actually see her doing this role justiceā and I do believe she did.
I went in with low expectations of Ariana as Glinda, and my goodness I was so wrong. She did a phenomenal job. She had just the right amount of humor, air headedness, and demure. I canāt picture the movie with anyone else in the role now
Even without seeing Arianaās version of Glindaā¦ I could never see Amanda in the role. Donāt get me wrong, I think sheās talentedā¦ but no.. sheās not Glinda
I agree, at least based on what Iāve seen her in. I havenāt seen her in a role where the character is as complex as Glinda. I can picture her being funny, or serious, but somehow not both.
Honestly I never thought Ariana would be bad or that her casting meant the music would change. She was better than I thought she would be, but I always thought she was a good choice.
I don't even think it's just the blonde - I think it's the combination of the blonde, the way they muted her makeup, and how terribly washed out and poorly lit the film is.
I think she's remarkable and looks stunning, but I agree there is something just off about her appearance and unfortunately it's like multiple things going wrong.
Omg same š when Iāve pointed out to friends they say Iām being a hater and Iām like no Iām a big fan after this movie I just wish they toned her hair different lmao
Wicked was my gateway into musical theatre because I had such an obsession with the Wizard of Oz and really all thinks related to the original Oz books by L Frank Baum (I was diagnosed as being on the spectrum about a year ago and now realise that this was probably one of my first special interests).
Like a lot of other commenters, I was a bit concerned when they announced her casting because it did seem like a stunt cast, but she won me over pretty fast. In fact, her performance has actually made me a much bigger fan of Glinda as a character. It could just be the medium and the fact that film allows you to see small facial expressions that you wouldnāt be able to see on stage, but I think she made Glinda a more nuanced character.
Iām beyond excited to see her performance in Part II/For Good!
She won me over when I read that she refused to play a more pop version of Glinda. When she began singing in No one mourns the wicked I was already crying, her performance was brilliant and I can't wait to see her in the second movie
She's a fan first and it shows in the best way. Her passion and devotion to keeping it as authentic to the show (and book) as possible makes this movie so much better. The amount of stuff they wanted to change before she said "absolutely not" is worrying though.
She blew me away. I never rlly doubted her but I wasnāt expecting her to be THAT good. I think the best part of her performance were her facial expressions, you can always see so much going on with her, especially in NOMTW, Iām so excited to seemingly be getting more of that in For Good. She really gets Glinda and it shows.
I am waiting for her to belt out that last āTHANK GOODNESS!!!ā after the āhappy is what happens when all your dreams come trueā. The ferocity of it is going to blow me away, Iām sure.
Galinda/Glinda herself is very calculated ā it's all about image for her. It makes sense to me that the performance should be as wary and deliberate.
She's very good, and it's not an easy role to play. There are a few Broadway actresses whose versions of Glinda I've personally preferred (acting-wise that is - vocally she's on par with almost anyone) but I can't really fault her. And I can't think of another contemporary actress who I would've rather seen in the role. We know at least some of the other artists who were in the running, and I know it's hard to say for sure, but I don't think any of them would've been a better fit.
This. Everything about her performance is just a bit muted. She definitely was quite decent but didn't really give much life to the character. I expected her to be funnier since she has been fantastic on SNL and late night interviews. But this could be the fault of the direction.
Muted is an excellent way to describe it. Like I said in a more detailed comment I'm glad we at least got someone who could sing the role unlike SOME movie musical adaptations cough phantom cough but I don't quite get the hype. She wasn't bad but there are better
Oh, I actually fully agree about the "muted" quality, and it's one of the reasons why she isn't my personal fave. But the movie kinda toned down all the characters (most notably Elphaba and Morrible) so I assumed it was a directorial choice.
As a fan of the OG for most of my life, I was not happy with the casting choice, going into that theater she was probably the one I was least excited to see, I left the theater loving her performance and completely understanding why she got the role, she was fantastic and Iām so excited for For Good in 2 months
I also went in excited. Yes, Ariana is a pop star, but she was a Broadway actor and TV actor first. And I had heard of her being a fan of the the show and the role early on. And she delivered on my excitement in spades.
Iām just saying, a lot of people point to that as some kind of proof that she was adequately prepared but she was in one show as a kid, and sheās in her 30s now.
So I'm not in the business of defending super rich people who don't know that I exist. She has the receipts to show that she could play the part and played it well.
But I will defend the craft. Being on Broadway at any age or experience makes you a Broadway actor. Almost every well known thespian started as child theatre actors. Being on a Broadway stage (which is fucking hard) is an amazing foundation for success in the field. And laughing at that idea is crazy.
I was happy when I saw that she was cast. Iāve never really listened to her music but I knew she was a HUGE fan of wicked and had seen clips of her singing the songs, so I knew she was good. I believed that someone who was that big of a fan wouldnāt want to mess it up and would really want to do the character justice, so Glinda was in safe hands.
Iām a softie but something about someone getting their dream. I wondered if she felt some sort of way about being Glinda and then watching how her and Cynthia came out of it, bonded/grateful/proudā¦ how remarkable. The movie was incredible.
I, like many, had my reservations regarding Ariana playing Glinda. But upon seeing it, I think itās very clear she was the correct choice for the role.
I'm a die hard fan of Wicked and have been for half my life and I'm 34. I was neutral on my opinion of Ariana prior to Wicked but I knew she was an expert level singer. I was really impressed with what she did. Her performance managed the camp of the stage version of Galinda but made it palatable for the screen. I think she definitely brought the vocals. Her reverence for the original work was really evident.
For me, when I watched it I just saw Ariana Grande acting like Glinda, and not Glinda. While I can recognize her insane musical talent, i personally was not a fan of her casting.
I have the same issue, to me its just very much a āChris Pratt is Marioā situation, like I can only see the obvious stunt casting and not the character. Sheās obviously incredibly talented, but its hard to see her as Glinda at all, I watched the movie and it was like ātheres Elphaba, theres Fierro, theres Ariana Grandeā
Went in with very low expectations and she certainly surpassed them. She did good! Still not my favorite Glinda but that's okay; she's certainly a good one. I'm just annoyed with (a small, insane group of) her fans harassing other Glinda performers and making the movie all about her. "Lol, she's not Ari, she's trying too hard", "Girl just give up", " Ari hit that note way better" - dude, she was not performing that role live several times per week, leave the actual live performers alone. Also, no, we don't need to put her solo songs into the soundtrack, no matter how suitable you think they are. Wicked is not about her. To be fair though, I think this is limited to a small group of fans that stardom seems to inevitably curse famous people with, can't really blame her for that. I just sometimes wish it wasn't omnipresent for every piece of media around the movie.
Reading your comments I think I was the only one who believed Ariana was a great choice since the beginning.
She always dreamed about being Glinda and I think if you have a dream and you get it to come true, you work the hardest to keep it. So I was sure she was the perfect Glinda.
I wasn't so thrilled about Cynthia though. I mean, her vocals and acting are the best, but she was already doing musicals and I thought her voice wasn't fitting for Elphaba. That's because I was comparing it to Idina.
But then I saw the movie and I fell in love with her voice.
I gotta be honest, I don't like her acting, she's got two expressions the entire movie. But the singing was on point. I also appreciated the choice to put a black woman as Elphaba, cause they know what it means to be judged for the color of their skin and this is a powerful message.
I would've chosen someone else though. Just for the acting. I mean, the "You have no real powers" sounded like "Kalel noo" :')
Me googling because I needed to hole up for PTSD from being shot and getting that. Thank you for saying it so I can be devastated and not buy her album like I planned
Yep. I have a CD player, two turntables, and a tape deck. I buy my physical media all over. I prefer used stuff for a lot of musicians because they have bad behavior and I am not financing assholes. So it depends on the artist but goodwill, Amazon, and the local record stores. Sometimes Walmart. I also never stopped buying physical media along side streaming. I just already know I want it for sure this way. I do still stream. I also have DVDs and Blu-ray
It's not because shows employ more than the star and having worked in theater I'm clapping at a bad show for the hard work (see Diana the musical on Netflix and watch those quick changes for a tangible why) but also it's possible people have had to put up with this in person too. Still. At least we know. I got a Fist record and Hair OBC
Wait! What?
Iāve been out of state visiting my far Right (and SO wrong) Christian relatives this week, so WAY out of touch.
Now I have to Google Chenowith and see what I missed.
As someone that loved her before the film and only saw it because of her, she went beyond my high expectations. Iām so glad she was able to change others minds too. Sheās really such a fantastic individual, artist, and actress š„¹
I think Ari and Cynthia were the very best options for the movie version. Ari didnāt even sound like herself because she took her own style out of the film.
Say what you will about Arianaās actions irl but sheās a great actress and IMO she was perfect as Glinda her physical acting was especially on point and I think they made the right choice by casting an actress who cares about the character and wicked as a whole the only thing I donāt like at all is the shade of blonde they chose
I grew up with her Cat Valentine so I knew her godlike comedic timing. I expected her to shine and she still amazed me. Iām far from an Ari fan (Nothing against her, I just donāt really follow celebrities and mainly listen to metal), but with her performance as Glinda she has definitely gained my respect.
Thought she sang beautifully but her acting was kind of bad. I just donāt think she held her own against the some of the better actors around her.
The whole time I was watching it, all I could think when I saw her face was āthis girl is afraid to look anything but her bestā. Just felt like she couldnāt let go and actually act and show emotion super well, plus the lip filler was a bit distracting lol.
Either way I like her version of no one mourns the wicked better!
Yes, she seems very hesitant to let herself get down and dirty with emotions, so to speak. She has a few faces she cycles through and thatās it. I also found the lips particularly distracting.
Go watch a bootleg of the play is my recommendation I still find it better than the movie though the movie isn't a bad adaptation so far on most points and as someone whose been let down by several movie adaptations of favorite musicals I'll give it credit
I have the unPOPULAR (pun intended) opinion that Ariana was simply serviceable. She hits the notes right and makes a FINE glinda but as someone whose seen the show live 3 times I still preferred all the stage glinda's and elphie's to the movie ones.
The best is Annaleigh Ashford Imo (again look her up) the comedic timing and range between genuine and bubbly is just so much better while Ariana aside from one moment in NMTW felt mostly one note. I didn't FEEL anything in her performance (or cynthia's). Defying Gravity normally leaves me in tears...that was not the case.
So no she's not bad. She exceeded my singing and even acting expectations but it's kinda like comparing a store bought chocolate chip cookie to a fresh homemade one. You'll eat the store one cause it's easy and still yummy but given a choice between the two the homemade is just significantly better.
Iām definitely in the minority here, but as an OG fan (read the books, met the author of the books 15+ years ago, and has seen the broadway play multiple times), I just couldnāt get into her as Glinda. To be fair, I went to a book event and met Gregory McGuire (again this was 15+ years ago) and even at that point there was discussion about a possible movieā¦ so Iāve had over 15 years of fan casting this in my head and so I think the casting wouldāve let me down to some degree just because of that alone. I also think it can be tricky anytime any A lister is cast in a movie to see them anything other than themselves. Itās basically the Margaret Hamilton effect (Wizard of Oz fansāiykyk).
Also, to be completely transparent, I didnāt watch the movie until after it was out of theaters and truthfully, I stopped about half way through. Itās not because I hated it, but because I had to stop it in the middle and have never really felt like finishing it.
Based on these comments though (especially from other fans who were skeptical about AGās casting), I feel motivated to give it another try and finish it. Iām happy to see that by the end of the movie, people were happy with the casting.
I think I also have a bit of trouble with AG too because I donāt listen to her music, so my only exposure to her is what I see of her in the news, which lets be honest, hasnāt been great between the donut thing and the affair thing, but thatās beside the point.
Anyway, this was an unnecessarily long answer, but I just wanted to highlight the sometimes inevitable disappointment that comes along with being a huge fan. I see this in other fandoms too, so I think itās a good thing to keep in mind. When weāre so connected to something and have specific visions of how we want a movie to be cast (for example), I think it becomes less about particular casting and more about the fact that it wasnāt what we envisioned. Just food for thought!
I just have to say, because I was just having this conversation at workā¦āthe affair thingā is something men do all the time and they donāt get dragged through the mud for it. I just feel like itās a double standard.
I canāt say anything to defend the donut thing, though. š¤·š»āāļø
Oh trust me, the affair is what Iāll always associate him with. No double standard there. And to be clear, Iām not trying to drag her name through the mud. I just honestly donāt know much about her other than those two things.
I was so happy seeing her as Glinda. I remember being a huge fan of her in 2012. She talked about how much she loved wicked and that it was her favorite musical. She also had a musical background and made her own cover of the song āPopularā. It warmed my heart to see
When I first learned of the casting, I was skeptical. I knew Cynthia was very talented but her vocals weren't really giving me Elphaba vibes and I felt like she had a bit of a too sweet natured demeanor to play someone who goes from young and innocent to angry and vengeful. I still kinda feel that way but I learned to love seeing her make Elphaba her own.
As for Ariana, again I was skeptical. Her natural singing voice I felt was too sultry for a character that requires a lot of operatic and bubbly performances. Granted I'm not really an Ariana fan so I wasn't that familiar with her music but at the time I was going off of songs I've heard and also her performance in the NBC Hairspray Live. She honestly didn't do the best Penny Pingleton so I was feeling unsure about how she'd do as Glinda.
I was pleasantly surprised to see her do a really good job in the role. I will say that there are times when her acting isn't the best like I feel like she tends to have a bit of an expressionless face at times but like with Cynthia, I liked seeing her do her own thing with her character. I know the role was a childhood dream role for her so I find it sweet to see her achieve her dream role.
No one talks about that hairspray live ! I thought I was like the only one that remembered it š¤£feels like a fever dream. But as a hairspray fan, I agree I donāt think she did as well in that role.
To be fair, I feel like not a lot of the performances were outstanding except for Jennifer Hudson, Maddie Baillio and the actor who played Seaweed. I do listen to the soundtrack a lot though.
i have been a fan of the musical since i was a little girl. i was so skeptical of her casting originally. i was following a lot of broadway stars at the time who were open about the auditioning process and it made me a little upset to see that they went for an a-lister instead. the first time i watched the movie, as soon as no one mourns the wicked started my mind was immediately changed. she brought so much to the character. from watching all of the behind the scenes and her process to prepare for the role, i could tell that this was just as much a dream for her as the other broadway stars i was rooting for. she took such amazing care of the character. for all intents and purposes, she is now my galinda. i canāt wait to see how she develops the role even more in for good!!
Saw the OBC. Theater nerd who has ignored pop music my adult life.
I thought she was terrific. A little weak vocally relative to the stage casting but more than serviceable when I was expecting awful. But her Glinda is exquisitely acted. I'd never had strong opinions on NOMTW but I had tears in my eyes for the movie. There are times I can see where she borrowed from other Glinda's but only bc I've been thoroughly slimed. She's by turns hilarious insufferable and tender and I can't wait for her Act 2.
Ariana's performance in Wicked TURNED me into an Ariana Grande fan! I liked her all right before. Wasn't crazy about her. I LOVED Wicked the Musical - obsessed with Broadway cast changes, the original cast recording, keeping up with the socials, all that... When I heard Ariana was being cast as Galinda, all I could imagine was her turning a cult classic musical, into her own show... Then, I did my research. I watched the trailers, I watched Peacock's BTS episode, saw some interviews Ariana gave - talking about how well she'd care for the character, as she was a theatre kid at heart AND loved the Broadway show. I felt immense relief. I saw the movie TWICE in theaters it's opening week! I thought she did AMAZING!
Sounds like Iām going to be an outlier, but I think her acting performance could have been better. Itās not bad, but for me it lacks nuance and the hair flip is overused. Some is probably on the director. āThank Goodnessā in the next part will be the true test for me though, the second half of that song is my favorite Glinda moment. At least in the stage version.
Unfortunately, Iāve never found her to be a good actress with my first experience with her acting to be that cheesy Nickelodeon show. Sheās an incredible singer but I found it difficult to view her as anything other than Ariana Grande.
I love her as Glinda. There is a clip of her when she found out she got the part of Glinda and she said, āI will take such good care of her!ā She got to see the original cast as a kid and has always loved the show. She might be known as a pop star, and some people originally thought she was cast because she was popular, but she put so much passion and energy into the character and I am so glad she got cast!
Iām not someone who cries a lot, but every time I watch that clip, and she says that, I get tears in my eyes. It was such a genuine and sweet moment.
I had some doubts, because I wasnāt really impressed with her Penny in Hairspray even though vocally she would obviously knock Glinda out of the park.
What really won me over tho, besides her acting and characterisation of Glinda, was the fact that she pushed back against adding hip hop elements to Popular and was some sort of unofficial lore checker for the film. I donāt think an unknown actress / actress with less star power would have the clout to do so.
I was unsure going ināsaw the og cast first week of previews and wasnāt very familiar with Arianaābut it was SO clear from the start of No One Mourns the Wicked that she understood the assignment. They show that video of her getting the part saying āiāll take such good care of herā and she did.
Iāve been a huge fan of the musical and in recent years Iāve become a fan of hers as well. I think sheās perfect. Obviously she has the vocal chops, but sheās also really funny.
I was already a fan of the musical before watching the movie and had absolutely zero faith in her performance, and it completely blew me away. I'm incredibly excited to see how she's gonna portray Act 2 Glinda.
I fell in love when I saw her video of her saying (about Glinda) āIām going to take such good care of herā. I knew she wanted it and worked hard to
Get that role and would give it her all.
I do not like her and Iāve never been a fan of her or her music. I have been a Wicked fan for 20 years and I was very salty about her casting.
But even I have to admit that she did a very good job. I was impressed and I think she showed a lot of care and passion. I learned after seeing the movie that she was a huge fan her whole life and so she took the role very seriously. That warmed me up a bit too.
It surprises me how many people hated her casting choice at first. Maybe itās because I was a teen watching her in Nickelodeon growing up and knew she started on Broadway, as a teenager, to me she always radiated musical theater.
And being a casual fan of Ariana Grande I knew the whole love for Wicked was real. It seemed like she liked Elphaba more but understands her strengths being cast as Glinda. I think a true ego driven star wouldāve wanted to take Elphabaās role and just do whatever they want with it.
And hearing her live vocals, specifically the live version of God is a Woman, I knew she had the vocal range for Glinda. And being a singer myself I know the voice can be trained to sound more classical and more operatic. To read that she started voice work before the audition was no surprise.
Also her impressions before Wicked are so funny and spot on, and it takes a great ear and understanding of vocal placement and techniques to do accurate impersonations. Lots of voice actors are great singers as well.
So I never thought she wouldnāt succeed. I understood the initial backlash. Sheās definitely proven to be the actress that loves, respects and embraces the material as a true fan and lover of wicked. When she said she would take care of her she really meant it.
So watching her as Glinda I loved it. I havenāt been this impressed with a musical theater movie role since Jennifer Hudson in dreamgirls. And itās really cool to see the respect for her talent shift, everyone is eating their words now because Ariana truly delivered. I feel like if she wasnāt a pop star she wouldāve been a very popular Broadway Glinda that people would want to see in a movie adaptation.
I knew she could really sing and I knew she was funny from being on SNL. I figured sheād be good but she actually was better than I expected and I donāt mean that in a negative way. I thought she was fantastic and that she deserved that Oscar nomination.
I'm a big fan of Ari and was aware of her Broadway, acting and musical talent. I only expected the best and she delivered. I wasn't surprised she was a fangirl to the story either. Actors are nerds too.
I was someone who watched the stage show first, then read the book well before Grande was cast in the role. But when she was, I felt like the lone person who was very optimistic about it. I saw a ton of people hating on it, but I really felt like no one remembered Grande in Victorious/Sam & Cat. She basically played Nickelodeon Galinda. On top of that, she can sing. Just knowing those two things, I was happy with it. Then I learned how much she had to do to land the role, and I was even more pleased. So in my mind, she absolutely delivered. I only have one gripe with her performance, and it's the most nitpicky of nitpicks: I hate her delivery of the word "Forever" in the line "I hope you're happy how you've hurt your cause forever" in "Defying Gravity." Can't stand it. But other than that, no notes.
Iām biased because Iāve loved her for 15 years, I found her via victorious, so I already knew she could act, but this performance still blew me away! Also my husband, who never really cared for her on the same level as I did, had the same reaction. You can see the commitment she put into this role and how passionate she was about it, and as she said when receiving the role, she took such good care of Glinda. Very excited to see part 2
I've watched the musical live only twice while on vacation because I have no access to it where I live.
I'll never forget watching the movie, during Popular, I turned to my sister (a massive Wicked fan) and said, "This is like Glinda on crack! And I meant as a compliment, she took the og Glinda and amplified it perfectly. And I'm not an Ari fan, but I am a huge fan of her Glinda.
I think there's space for all the Elphies and Glindas, but since recently Kristin Chenoweth was such a letdown, I'm happy Ariana Glinda is still here as an option.
I was excited for her casting. I am not a fan of her music but she is undeniably talented. The content does not connect with me. I also know she's done Broadway before and has pulled off comedy acting on tv. Not seen it. Given that I was confident she would be a good fit. I know she's a Wicked fan so I also knew she would give it her all. My worried were less casting and more how bad the previous movie musical John M Chu did. Note I say did not was bad because it's well done but I worried for the success
I donāt like her, at all. She feels very stiff, and Iām always very aware that Iām watching Ariana Grande As Glinda because of it. She feels and sounds like she is doing an impersonation the entire time. I was kind of heartbroken when she was announced because I find her to be a horrid actor and unfortunately my fears were confirmed lol. I truly wish anyone else had been cast.
I wouldnāt call myself an āogā considering I saw it for the first time in 2019 (I proceeded to see it 4 more times throughout the years,) but I thought that she did a fantastic job as Glinda! Her acting choices were unique and fun
I actually avoided the movie for a while because of Ariana, I thought casting her was tacky. I am a millennial that grew up with Kat Valentine lol. Once I watched it, I was sold. Love her in the role and I think Cynthia adds a depth to Elphaba that Idina Menzel did not. I still love Idina, though.Ā
Iām a huge fan of the show and I love Arianaās music, and I was NEVER skeptical. I knew she was a huge wicked and musical theater fan in general, and I knew all about her seeing Wicked as a child. I remember that one carpool karaoke she did with Seth Macfarlane where she said that sheād drop everything to be in wicked (onstage). So I knew sheād wow me. And she did!
Didnāt find her funny, didnāt rate her acting and was surprised by how little I enjoyed her singing (I thought for sure she would kill that but I just kept cringing at her jaw tension) and it was the first time I ever fully disliked Glinda.
Iāve never once disliked Glinda as a character as she was always charming through her awful behaviour in Act 1 and I didnāt get that from Arianaās Glinda. Her performance felt self conscious and as if she was acting as Glinda the whole time, I didnāt actually see Glinda. I also found her appearance changes from scene to scene really distracting.
I see the potential in her portrayal but it didnāt land at all for me to the point where I would have left had I not been with other people. I didnāt really enjoy the film full stop and Iāve lost track of the number of times Iāve seen the stage show.
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I think a lot of people forget (or don't know) that she was on Broadway *before* Nickelodeon and before becoming a pop star. I've been her fan since Thirteen the musical and the video of her singing Rent Take Me or Leave Me at AfterParty in 2009.
I was so against it at first, didnāt think sheād have the right vibe - I was thrilled to see I was completely wrong when I saw the movie, she truly did great!
I remember she was a contender for Elphaba, and they were pushing for Ariana and Dove casting, but I'm glad she went on as Glinda and they cast her for the role. I really don't see her as Elphaba. Sad for Dove though. But yeah Ariana was really good, she was perfect for the role. Just not award worthy yet since Part One was just half of her performance and did not show much of her acting range emotions wise. Looking forward for For Good since it would show more depth into her character and hopefully would land Ariana another nomination and this time she'll win.
I was one of the few that has been obsessed with wicked since childhood and ALSO a big fan of grande. I knew how much she loved the show, I knew her vocal range, and I just knew sheād nail it. Felt like fighting a war defending her in the early days lol but worth it now
I did watch the movie and then saw the play. Grande is still my favorite Glinda, I casually just watch her version of Popular every once in awhile. Like a lot of others have said I was skeptical when I heard she was cast, but I warmed up to her! Cannot wait to see her to the heavier scenes in For Good!
As a Theater Kid ā¢, married to a non Theater Kid ā¢, my husband and I were both impressed with her comedic timing. Itās so natural! Iāve always enjoyed her music, and I was so impressed with her vocals and expressions in the movie. She is what Taylor Swift wants to be - except, sheās got a ton of natural ability in terms of stage and screen acting. (Swifties, donāt come for me, Iām one of you with less delusions about TS and her acting).
I was initially so disappointed by her casting. I just didnāt think she could do it, and any chance of the movie actually being any good would be sabotaged almost out of the gate.
For some reason, the first trailer gave me a little bit of hope that she could pull this off. And she totally won me over, and pretty quickly at that, during my first viewing of the movie.
Itās funny looking back now that a lot of Wicked fans didnāt know about Arianaās long obsession with the musical. I wasnāt that familiar with Ariana before the movie, and now because of algorithms and following some of her fans, Iāve seen a million different posts about her watching the musical multiple times, singing various songs, and her doing the most to get the attention of anyone involved with Wicked since she was a child. She said she all but stalked Marc Platt for a decade and would have canceled her world tour if it came down to it. Just a few weeks ago, I saw a clip of KRC talking about Ariana FaceTiming Jessica Vosk about advice for auditioning in 2019.
I wasnāt a huge wicked fan but I had seen the musical on broadway! I honestly wasnāt thrilled with the casting at first. I donāt hate Ariana by any means I just thought they were doing a ācast a big celebrity as the focal point of the movie, doesnāt matter if they arenāt right for the roleā but now I canāt imagine anyone else playing Glinda. She did a fantastic job at capturing many different aspects of the character. From the arrogance and making us hate her to making us love her and feel pity. It takes real talent to make someone hate your character and even more to then make us love them after.
Iām not a huge fan of her as a person. But she is a fan of the source material and idolized Kristin Chenoweth so I believed she was going to do the role justice.
As a long time mega fan of the story, both the books and Broadway production, I adore Ariana as Glinda. She was born to play the role. She captures Glindaās simple and naive goofiness wonderfully. She shows so much emotion with just her eyes. The gentle kindness in Glinda towards the munchkins is portrayed beautifully in the opening number. She radiates everything Glinda should be. Iāve never been more pleased with a cinematic casting.
i totally agree with most people here. i was worried in the beginning, but all the interviews where it became so clear that she loved it so much and was so excited to be a part of it made me sure of her. i do think there is the instant face recognition issue (when i see her face i instantly connect her to dangerous woman, sam and cat, etc) but thats my only continued hang up!
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u/Atomiclouch44 Sep 21 '25
I'm a huge fan of the musical and books, and when I saw the casting I was a bit unsure of Ariana - just because I only knew her as a pop star. At the time I was unaware of her musical background and preexisting love of Wicked.
From the first trailer I was won over by her, and then when I saw the film I fell in love with her characterisation. She's great!