One short day in New York City, the cast of Wicked joined Vogue for a thrillifying special screening of the film at the Museum of Modern Art. Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, and Bowen Yang took to the red carpet in their press tour finest; Erivo swapped her statement green hue for a black Dior gown and ASMR-worthy intricate nails. Grande wore a Louis Vuitton hot pink dress, gaining a boost of confidence as her co-star hyped her up on the carpet, “Yes! Come on, shoulders!” shouted Erivo. The pair sauntered down the red carpet until a familiar bob and sunglasses approached them, to which they turned and sang, “Annaaa!” That could only mean one thing: the show was about to begin.
Guests, donning various shades of green and pink, snagged boxes of Red Vines and water before heading to their seats. Producer Marc Platt warmed up the crowd, giving special thanks to the person who helped make his 20-year dream of a Wicked movie a reality or, in his words, how its director Jon M. Chu brought this project “over the rainbow.”
Chu introduced each cast member like the proud coach of a team; one by one, they ran down the aisle before standing in a line in front of the screen, locking hands. When they had all assembled, they screamed in unison, “Enjoy the show!”
For the next two hours and forty-one minutes, a full house experienced the movie; clapping after each song like it was a live theatre performance. The energy was palpable, especially since there were several Wicked superfans in the theatre—but the film is equally delicious for someone who has not yet seen the Broadway show. It offers an homage to the original score with sprinkles of novelty, and the cameos are not to be missed. As the movie neared its last moments and Erivo took her breath before Elphaba’s iconic riff, a small blonde in a white tuxedo dress jolted to her feet in the audience. It was Kristin Chenoweth, and she started a full theatre standing ovation.
It was quiet for a nanosecond and then an eruption of conversation. The best place to debrief? The MoMA lobby over an Ozmopolitan, of course! (The Ozmopolitan’s special addition was a nitrogen bubble atop the glass, reminiscent of Glinda’s “entrance vehicle”). Gnocchi stations, taco stands, and passed hors d’oeuvres sustained a crowd hungry for more than just Part Two of the film. It was, that night, the most swankified place in town, as the party lingered on until guests followed the yellow taxi road home.