Tony winner and Wicked star Cynthia Erivo paid a visit to her old high school earlier this year, and a bevy of surprises were in store.
In the video for the BBC, Erivo surprised the students in choir practice at the La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School, while they were in the middle of rehearsing the song "For Good" from Wicked. Erivo couldn't help but join in, performing a special rendition of the song with the students. Erivo then answered question from students, and provided some advice on getting into the music industry, saying, "I was right where you are, literally ... You start to figure out what you want. Don't be afraid to ask for those things, don't be afraid of dreaming of those things, and then don't be afraid of the hard work that comes from it."
Check out the video from BBC Radio 1 below!
Wicked: For Good will be released in cinemas November 21, with early screenings now widely available. Starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Erivo as Elphaba, the films also feature West End Company Olivier winner and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, SpongeBob SquarePants star Ethan Slater as Boq, Emmy winner Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose, the first wheelchair-using actor in the musical's history to take on the role.
READ: All the Changes Wicked: For Good Made to Act 2 of Wicked
Stage and screen star Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael are also in the cast, with Settle as Miss Coddle, Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, and Yang, James, and Teoh as Shiz students Pfannee, ShenShen, and Avaric, respectively.
The screen adaptation, which includes new songs by Stephen Schwartz, is helmed by In the Heights screen director Jon M. Chu. Wicked book writer Winnie Holzman penned the screenplay with Dana Fox, and Tony winner Paul Tazewell designed the Oscar-winning costumes.
READ: The Wicked Film Features an 80-Member Orchestra—And the Full Overture
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the musical features music and lyrics by Schwartz and a book by Holzman. The original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical is now the fourth longest-running production in Broadway history.
The show won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel), Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee).
READ: Who Is Oscar Diggs? Inside the Wicked Movie's Most Wonderful Easter Egg
Cheryl Porter
Bob the Drag Queen
Trisha Paytas
Kalen Allen
Ethan Slater
Gregory Maguire
Bronwyn James
Megan Hilty and fans at the New York City premiere of Wicked: For Good
Marissa Bode
Noah Galvin and Ben Platt
Matt Rogers
Bowen Yang and Jonathan Bailey
Jonathan Bailey
Bowen Yang
Beanie Feldstein and Bonnie-Chance Roberts
Beanie Feldstein, Bonnie-Chance Roberts, Noah Galvin, and Ben Platt
Phillipa Soo and Andrew Chappelle
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Paul Tazewell
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo
Ariana Grande, Scarlett Spears, Karis Musongole, Cesily Collette Taylor, and Cynthia Erivo
Jimmy Fallon
Paul Tazewell
Marc Platt, Jon M. Chu, and the cast of Wicked: For Good
Marc Platt, Jon M. Chu, and the cast of Wicked: For Good
Colman Domingo
Rachel Zegler and Frankie Grande
Michelle Yeoh
Bowen Yang, Stephen Schwartz, and Michael McCorry Rose
Bowen Yang and Michelle Yeoh
Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston
Michael McCrory Rose, Jeff Goldblum, Stephen Schwartz, Michelle Yeoh, and Emilie Livingston
Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh
