Cynthia Erivo felt a “huge responsibility” to give a perfect performance of ‘Defying Gravity’ in ‘Wicked‘.
The 37-year-old star finishes the first instalment of the two-part musical adaptation with a rendition of the popular number in her role as Elphaba and had to overcome physical challenges to nail the song. The role of Elphaba has been portrayed by more than 20 actresses in various productions worldwide.
Speaking to ‘Maria’ star Angelina Jolie for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Cynthia said: “There was this huge responsibility, because it’s such a well-known song. And people know it; people love it. I really wanted to mean it.” Her interpretation has already garnered praise from early test audiences.
“The physical work of it was hard, because I’m in a harness: I’m flying and I’m singing at the same time – so many things are happening. That was new for me, to figure out how my body, my brain, my voice, would all come together to work as one. I felt really proud of being able to figure that physical, practical side of it.” The complex harness system required months of specialized training to master.
Cynthia channelled her previous frustrations into the performance in order to give her performance of the song more power. Her emotional delivery draws from her extensive theater background, including her acclaimed performances on Broadway.
“I think in order to get to a point where I could rule the words, I really thought of all the journey of getting to that moment,” she said. “Not just in the making of this particular project, but the journey I’ve taken to get here: being at drama school at 20, putting myself through, finishing at 23, not getting jobs and not really being seen and not really feeling accepted – feeling very odd, very different.”
“And having to figure out how to make my own way through this, because this business is hard, and this business is very hard when you’re a Black girl who’s singing.” Her casting represents a groundbreaking moment in the musical’s history as the first woman of color to play Elphaba in a major production.
The ‘Defying Gravity’ performance was the last sequence of the film to be shot and Cynthia was aware how eagerly the crew had been awaiting her take on the song. The scene involved over 200 crew members and required three full days of filming to perfect.
She explained: “There’s this other thing that’s playing in my head, like, ‘There are so many people on this set right now, also, who have been waiting for this moment in this film and this project, and we’ve all worked towards this one part.’ It’s how we finished; it was the last thing we shot.”
Erivo has forged a close bond with her co-star Ariana Grande – who plays Galinda – during the making of ‘Wicked’ and revealed how the pair made a promise to protect each other when they met following the audition process. Their on-screen chemistry has become one of the most anticipated aspects of the film.
“We didn’t audition together. We met after the roles, and we spent some time together just before we started rehearsals. And within all that, we sort of decided between each other that we were going to make sure we protected each other, that we were kind to one another, that we were going to work with each other in honesty and build a relationship from that.” Their partnership has been praised by the production team and early viewers.
The film adaptation marks a significant milestone in musical theater history, with a budget exceeding $100 million and featuring state-of-the-art visual effects. Industry experts predict the movie could redefine how Broadway musicals are adapted for the screen, with its innovative approach to storytelling and technical achievements. The decision to split the story into two parts allows for a more comprehensive telling of the beloved tale, with the second installment already generating buzz among fans worldwide.
