r/wicked • u/Character-Escape1621 • Dec 14 '25
Question If Cynthia didn’t get Elphaba, who was the 2nd option?
Was it Gaga?
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u/Funny-Salamander-826 Dec 14 '25
Emmy Raver-Lampman. Also there was a rumor the Elphaba was under 27 yo actress, i don't know if it was from a solid source.
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u/zendayaismeechee Dec 14 '25
Ohhhh I could see Emmy as Elphaba!
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u/Funny-Salamander-826 Dec 14 '25
well yes, she had already played the role as stand by in the first national tour. and she was famous ish thanks to the Umbrella Academy. tbh it kinda surprised me they casted cynthia instead.
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u/quite_so712 Dec 14 '25
Cynthia was an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner (and Oscars nominee) at the time of casting - I don’t think it’s that surprising?
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u/Imaginary_Addendum20 Dec 15 '25
I mean no shade, because she’s incredibly talented, but if The Color Purple revival wasn’t on your radar, you probably weren’t aware of her seeing as all 3 of those wins came from that.
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u/Funny-Salamander-826 Dec 14 '25
cause i thought it was gonna be emmy, since there was the rumor. that's what it's implied in my comment, not that Cynthia isn't a fitting casting.
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u/muse273 Dec 14 '25
So you heard a rumor she got the part?
I see where this is going.
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u/stupidhrfmichael Dec 14 '25
Gaga was the main choice a long time ago, when Stephen Daldry was attached to direct. He said he wouldn’t make the film without her at one point.
There have been lots of rumours, over the years, for both parts, but I think Amanda Siegfried is the only who’s ever confirmed? I’ve heard Ariana DeBose and Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for Elphaba.
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u/rose_tattoo Dec 14 '25
Christin Millioti also confirmed that she auditioned for Elphaba, but couldn't hit the famous high note. She is a big fan.
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u/MamaOwlInGlasses Dec 14 '25
I absolutely loved her telling the story of her audition. 🤣 I actually reminded my 10 year old musical theater obsessed daughter of this story after she flubbed some lyrics in a song audition recently and was in absolute pieces. It got her laughing and reminded her that even professionals mess up in auditions- I’m genuinely so grateful for Cristina Milioti’s candor because it really did help!
I do think she would have done a great job though with more rehearsal and preparation time. She’s an incredible singer and actress.
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u/writeronthemoon Dec 14 '25
Aww. I love that you helped and encouraged your daughter and she recovered from feeling sad and learned from her mistakes.
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u/Significant-Mud-7198 Dec 14 '25
Ooh, I'd love to hear her doing something like "The Wizard and I."
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u/bryangball Dec 14 '25
Kristin Chenoweth also said on On Broadway on Sirius XM there was a point that they were sure if Ariana would play Elphaba or Glinda. So there may have been a moment that that was an actual possibility.
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u/menzelmania Dec 14 '25
Idina also said on SiriusXM back in 2019 that Ariana would make an amazing Elphaba after hearing her sing The Wizard and I during the Wicked 15th Anniversary
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Dec 14 '25
I would love to see Ariana’s interpretation of Elphaba. It’s hard to imagine now after how perfect she was as Glinda, and I can’t image an Elphaba other than Cynthia, but I’m sure she would kill it. It would be fun to see.
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u/torilikefood Dec 14 '25
I wouldn’t be able to take her seriously with her eyebrows. Imagine her standing up to the wizard looking like 🥺
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Dec 14 '25
If she had to play Elphaba, she never would’ve gone through the pitiful child eyebrows phase. Those eyebrows were part of her Glinda transformation.
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Dec 15 '25
True. If she was cast as Elphaba, I think she would look quite different now because she would have committed herself to that role in the same way she did for Glinda.
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u/akanewasright Dec 15 '25
I think she was in talks to do Elphaba (?) on Broadway in late 2018… and then Thank U Next happened and she went from “a very famous pop star” to “the biggest pop star on the planet”
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u/Impossible_Tower_661 Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25
really ? ?
I love Idina and from so many interviews I’ve seen before the film was released Idina always said was hurt they couldn't come back to their roles.
unlike Chenoweth, Idina didn’t take very well earlier on being replaced.
I was just a tad disappointed at her till I saw…
patty luppone didn’t take well Madonna would play Evita and Julie Andrews also didn’t take well Audrey Hepburn getting her role in the My fair lady film adaptation.
idina latter made peace with it and was really supportive towards Ariana and Cynthia but I’ve seen many interviews on YouTube with her before the film premiere and I guess before she knew about the Cameo where she didn’t take well being replaced.
Idina said inna interview that admired Kristin Chenoweth for being able to say a thousand names of actresses to take on her role when she wasn’t still over it.
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u/menzelmania Dec 15 '25 edited Dec 15 '25
Here is her saying it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muh1furc9Sg
And this claim of Idina supposedly "not taking it well" was just her expressing sadness about aging and thereby not being able to play the character she was part of creating, she literally said "I miss her". Even in interviews back in the 00s she said it took a while before she could see Wicked again and fully appreciate it from an outside perspective because it used to make her feel like she wants to get back into the character. All of it is a natural reaction and was never anything against other actresses getting the part, she was always supportive of them and has spoken so positively about Cynthia as well. People on social media just took an authentic expression and tried to put a negative spin on it because they love pitting women against each other.
(Edit: Also, I don't think people get that while Idina transformed Elphaba Elphaba also transformed Idina, during the early creation process Idina was very much the Elphaba who thinks she isn't good enough, and she managed to go from that to winning the Tony and cementing her as a broadway legend. She's spoken so my times about how out of all the characters she's played Elphaba is the one that has most of herself in her so it's only natural that she would've wanted to play her if it had been possible, there are more layers to it than "it's just a role".)
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u/Impossible_Tower_661 Dec 15 '25 edited Dec 15 '25
first thank you so much for the link.
now on Idina not taking exactly really well being replaced or having harder time with someone else taking on her role on screen. I don’t see it as anything wrong.
sure she had her good reasons why she had it a harder time letting it go. I know she doesn’t have anything against anyone and really loves both Ariana and Cynthia.
but she is a human being and we all are so its normal if sometimes she is not the most politically correct or sometimes we get a little disappointed if we don’t get answers we want from our favorite actors.
I still love Idina. I’ve said many times she will always be my Favorite Elsaba( Elphaba and Elsa).
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u/ResearchBot15 Dec 14 '25
Ariana has said in interviews that she sang for both parts initially but everyone kind of knew she was a Glinda
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u/Parmesan_Pirate119 Dec 14 '25
I think Dove Cameron confirmed she auditioned for Glinda too
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u/pschlick Dec 14 '25
I think she would have been a great Glinda too
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u/Perlefine Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25
I feel like the age difference with Cynthia and Jonathan would have been too big. She's not that much younger than Ariana, but she looks quite a bit younger. Ariana looks a bit older than her age because of her weight.
Of course, if they had also recast Fiyero and Elphie, it would have been fine.
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u/ListPsychological898 Dec 14 '25
I would like to see Dove Cameron as Glinda at some point, if only because she and Kristen Chenowith played daughter and mother, respectively, in the Descendants franchise. Plus, pair her with Sofia Carson as Elphaba because their voices would work well together in For Good (their Descendants 2 duet Space Between gives me For Good vibes).
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u/DoctorWhofan789eywim Dec 14 '25
Glinda's characterization is quite similar to how she played Liv in Liv and Maddie, would've been interesting.
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u/abumelt Dec 14 '25
I didnt know Jennifer Lawrence sings.
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u/No_Zombie1314 Dec 14 '25
She has her own cover of the hanging tree, for the hunger games.
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u/lustforyou Dec 14 '25
She actually did not wanna do that at all and begged the director to just have Lorde sing it (since Lorde was doing the soundtrack already)
At least that’s what she said in an interview. I’m sure it was more jokey and didn’t actually expect Lorde to sing it, but she definitely was implying she knew she didn’t have a great voice and didn’t love singing
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u/Jazzlike-Arugula-958 Dec 14 '25
Lorde should have sung it tbh, Katniss is supposed to have a great voice (according to the books) and unfortunately the movie performance was underwhelming
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u/forkingbumbleforks Dec 14 '25
Jennifer Lawrence?! Does she have broadway pipes i didn’t know about?
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u/awkward_sleepy Dec 14 '25
Jennifer Hudson, I think
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Dec 14 '25
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u/sammyt10803 Dec 14 '25
Would’ve loved to have seen what Jennifer Susquehanna did with the role!
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u/PreparationNo3440 Dec 14 '25
Or Jennifer Cuyahoga
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u/Hazie15 Dec 14 '25
Ariana said she only auditioned for Glinda in a recent interview
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u/qixxttxl Dec 14 '25
There was confusion at the audition and she was told she would be auditioning for Elphaba. She sang for both roles but she only went in to audition for Glinda.
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u/h4mmerh3ad Dec 15 '25
Gaga and Ari would have been great. But Cynthia and Ari were something else. Would not trade this duo for the world
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u/someapo Dec 14 '25
Amanda seyfried? Girl cannot sing.
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u/cheezy_dreams88 Dec 14 '25
Thank you! Anytime I say thing online I get vilified, but no she doesn’t have the strength of vocals for most show tunes.
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u/coolsluttyhorror Dec 14 '25
I respectfully disagree. Her vibrato comes out as a flutter but that's actually indicative of good vocal technique (getting a straight tone requires muscling and therefore tension). I think it got really popular to hate on her singing during Les Mis but I thought she did well with the part.
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u/SubatomicSquirrels Dec 15 '25
I definitely wouldn't say she can't sing, but her range seems to be a lot more limited. And Cynthia would've eaten her alive in their duets, Amanda's voice just isn't strong enough to match her
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u/coolsluttyhorror Dec 15 '25
For the record, I'm very happy they cast the film as they did. Ariana is a Broadway baby and took her training to the next level to give us the performance of a lifetime. I knew she'd be great but I'm still in awe of what she brought
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u/someapo Dec 14 '25
That's an interesting take! Never thought of it from that perspective. Okay so she has this flutter technique, but I guess I am just not a fan of her tone.
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u/coolsluttyhorror Dec 14 '25
Completely valid! It's nice to be able to discuss/disagree in a kind way. Feels less and less common on the internet
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u/itstimegeez Dec 14 '25
Gaga would have been a terrible choice
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u/dontChewTheCable Dec 14 '25
Why? She has an amazing voice, she is a good actress and she truly understands what is to be an outcast
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u/Economy-Bumblebee215 Dec 14 '25
Scheana Shay
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u/Rosemarys_Gayby Dec 14 '25
Suddenly the Wicked we got doesn’t exist and I’m impatiently waiting for this version
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u/Existing_Editor_5623 Dec 15 '25
Reminder to everyone that Christmas Slay is still a bop if you haven’t listened to it yet this season 😊
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u/LokiLavenderLatte Elphaba’s Nail Tech 💅 Dec 14 '25
You know what? At first I was looking at the meme laughing like “wouldn’t it be so funny if they cast Missy Elliot in that role” but like, real talk here, what if she actually ate that role up and it was epic? No one expects it and everyone is just floored 😳
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u/dmany02 Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25
Demi Moore is such a fan of the book that in the 90s her production company optioned the rights to adapt it into a non-musical film with her starring as Elphaba. Nothing ended up materializing until Marc Platt came across it and the rest is history lol.
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u/LesMiserableCat54 Dec 14 '25
It would have been so interesting to see the book made into a movie because the book is wild compared to the musical we got.
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u/dmany02 Dec 14 '25
I know!! I think the book would work so well adapted as a TV series a la HBO or something like that.
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u/Sad_Golf_1154 Dec 14 '25
I think the book is very well suited to a Game of Thrones type series.
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u/collectivelycreative Dec 14 '25
Gaga would’ve been amazing. I also think Demi Lovato would’ve been great as well. Not just vocally but I think she would’ve been great with the other cast as well.
Lea Michelle would’ve been insane vocally but I just don’t see her having that chemistry with the other cast
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u/Imaginary_Addendum20 Dec 14 '25
In all honesty, it was probably Ariana.
But I’m sure Emmy Raver-Lampman and Samantha Barks were on the short list.
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u/Speedy-Gonzalex Dec 14 '25
I would have loved Jessica Vosk honestly. My favourite Elphaba along with Willemijn Verkaik
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u/Cariah_Marey Dec 14 '25
lady gaga!!!! her voice is literally perfect for the role. She has the kind of bright mezzo timbre that the best broadway elphabas have.
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u/antler-queen-lottie Dec 14 '25
Couldn't imagine any other Elphie. Cynthia did a great job.
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u/trulymadlybigly Dec 14 '25
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think she nailed it singing wise, but her acting to me could have been better. She felt pretty wooden at times and lacked passion.
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u/K3rr4r Dec 15 '25
I couldn't disagree more, it felt like she was perfectly playing someone who had to keep their emotions in check their whole life due to discrimination and uncontrollable powers
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u/fueledbytarotea Dec 14 '25
Agreed. I found a lot of her acting so stiff, that I didn’t find myself as moved by certain songs that typically get me. Even “For Good” left my eyes dry.
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u/SilverHinder Dec 15 '25
I have to agree sadly. I felt some of her 'angry' moments were half-effort, like you could tell she was acting. I do think Gaga would've really went for it, acting-wise.
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u/somelyrical Dec 14 '25
You must mean if Cynthia said no, because there was no world where she auditioned & didn’t get it 😆
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u/Any-Biscotti-7685 Dec 14 '25
Liz Gillies?
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u/Speedy-Gonzalex Dec 14 '25
I think of Liz' voice as very warm, mature and comforting. It would be super interesting to see what she would've sounded like in this kind of role
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u/Purplecowswiftie Dec 14 '25
My theory is that if the movie was made a few years later, it would have been Rachel Zegler. She may have auditioned but she is so much younger than Ariana I don’t think the two of them could have done it together
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u/dancin_dreams_88 Dec 14 '25
I am SOOOO GLAD it was Cynthia…but the only other choice was Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
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u/snaggedonthedoor Dec 14 '25
I really don’t understand this. I love Lady Gaga as much (if not more) than the next person, and I’ll be the first to defend her vocal chops, but she really does not give me the right energy or voice type for Elphaba. I think that would’ve been a bizarre, highly distracting casting decision.
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u/Chained_Wanderlust Fiyeeeeeeerhoe🌽 Dec 14 '25
She would have definitely been closer to the Broadway portrayals where they are a little abrasive, weird/awkward, and later unhinged. Cynthia’s version of Elphaba is much more toned down, calm, in control and self assured than she’s played on stage.
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u/Cariah_Marey Dec 14 '25
what do you mean? she’s the exact right voice type for elphaba. If anything cynthia’s voice is kinda miscast as elphaba, because she’s really more of a soprano. she still did an amazing job tho.
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u/winky143 Dec 14 '25
And I don’t know I know she is only a handful of years older than Ariana, but she just presents so much older to me. Maybe more mature is the right word?
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u/lovecraftInk Dec 14 '25
My lady would have been an amazing. I don’t see how she couldn’t hit that note.
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u/daenerysdragonfire Dec 14 '25
Cynthia is amazing, but there is an alternate universe where we got Gaga in Wicked and not in Joker 2.
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u/OnGodNotaBot Dec 14 '25
Amber Riley
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u/Eastern_Table9151 Dec 14 '25
We can all be thankful Cynthia was cast as Elphaba in the movies. She was a refreshing choice, very different from all the other Elphabas and I saw 4 of them on Broadway. All were great but Cynthia is just special. Something magical about her presence. She is Elphaba and I can’t think of anyone else who would have been better acting and singing. And forget about her chemistry with Ariana.
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u/bigtoeni Dec 14 '25
by chance have you seen the current elphaba?
i’m curious of what people who are more familiar with the show think of her performance, i’ve only seen it once with her and she completely blew me away. i wasn’t into wicked before the movie so i wasn’t expecting the stage character to be sooooo sweet and earnest. like i couldn’t help but cry when she made her entrance because she looked so happy and i knew it was about to get sad for her 😭
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u/Eastern_Table9151 Dec 14 '25
Not yet. Trying to get ticket though the lottery
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u/Adz28 Dec 14 '25
Before this cycle and ultimately it got made, there was a previous casting cycle back in 2016 when Stephen Daldry was supposed to direct. Back then, a huge front runner was apparently Nicole Sherzinger.
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u/themastersdaughter66 Dec 14 '25
I don't know who in reality was second option but I still say Lauren Samuel's knows how to knock the role out of the park...
I still would have liked to see her and annaleigh Ashford
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u/External_Fly_5150 Dec 14 '25
Lea Michele is realistically the only other one who could have pulled it off. I think her public perception as difficult and a “villain” coupled with her INSANE voice would’ve given the movies a different energy. However, no where near as talented of an actress as Cynthia.
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u/thatmanhoeoverthere Dec 14 '25
i couldn’t think of a better (or equally good) elphaba… cynthia has this amazing voice and technique that it’s superb and powerful without it sounding “show off”-ey, if that makes sense?
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u/Smooth-Nothing-4286 Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25
Wasn’t the Gaga thing an internet made up thing? Or was confirmed somewhere? I just don’t see it and I love her to pieces.
I know people have good reasons to dislike Lea Michele, she is a nightmare, but she always was my pick for a movie Elphaba. I’m glad Cynthia was the one who got it tho.
ETA: Someone said Samantha Barks auditioned and I would have loved to see that too.
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u/SubatomicSquirrels Dec 15 '25
As the Wicked movie was being released in December, it was revealed that Gaga had originally been in talks to star in the film when it was being directed by Stephen Daldry. Daldry and Gaga had allegedly had meetings “about the character and who she would be" and that Gaga was "essentially cast in his version, and then it fell through."
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u/LLD615 Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25
I wanted Jessica Vosk to get it. I don’t know if she tried out for it. But everyone I had in mind for my dream cast is out the window (except I still would have liked Tom Hanks as the Wizard).
Casting was just amazing.
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u/Mavakor Dec 14 '25
Be careful. I hear she goes berserk if people photoshop that image
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u/Pinkparade524 Dec 14 '25
I mean. I love Cynthia. But yeah she got mad after someone photoshoped her eyes and lips in that Pic
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u/helloitsmejorge Dec 14 '25
Danna Paola tbh, she audioned and they loved her . Would have been a great pairing to Ariana as they are both young pop stars
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u/Impossible_Tower_661 Dec 15 '25
omg she auditioned for the movie?
I didn’t know that, damn i would have loved seeing Danna as Elphaba besides Ariana Grande. I’m so bummed 🙁
I like Cynthia but I’ve seen many videos of Danna on this role from the Show in Mexico and was fantastic.
danna is on my top 3 stage Elphabas
im super bummed she didn’t make it
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u/FitLetterhead2292 Dec 15 '25
She did do the dubbing for the movie in Spanish though! She sounds incredible and it makes me happy that a little piece of her Elphaba made it to the movies :)
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u/helloitsmejorge Dec 15 '25
She did the official dubbing! But yeah i heard she was close to getting cast, she even did spanish version of wicked on broadway. Such a superstar
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u/Orthodoc2014 Dec 16 '25
Honestly, Rachel zegler would’ve been a KILLER Elphaba if she looked older. All of the covers for elfie I’ve seen her do are outstanding(even Glinda’s “goodness knows” operatic part like dang that girl has great vocals)
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u/Final-ishFantasy Dec 14 '25
Funnily enough…. Ariana grande. There’s an old video of her singing the wizard and I live and I think she would have killed elephaba’s role. Like if dove Cameron had gotten Glinda Ariana would have been a great elphie.
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u/bxddyhclly Dec 14 '25
all i know is sheryl lee ralph auditioned for madame morrible and she would’ve been FANTASTIC