It goes without saying, but the women at the heart of the story, Elphaba and Glinda, require dynamic performers. The original Broadway run more than fit that criteria with Idina Menzel starring as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, and their pairing created an iconic experience for theater fans. However, they won't be reprising their on-stage roles here. Instead, musical superstar Ariana Grande and the Tony-winning Cynthia Erivo will be stepping into their shoes. Erivo will play the future Wicked Witch, Elphaba, and Grande takes on the role of Glinda.
They'll be surrounded by an equally talented cast for this two-part musical journey. The Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh has been announced as Madame Morrible, the Shiz University headmistress who plays an important part in the lives of young witches. This marks another collaboration between Yeoh and director Chu, previously working together on 2018's "Crazy Rich Asians." Jeff Goldblum is another addition to the cast, and he'll play the Wizard of Oz himself.
We can also expect to see Jonathan Bailey, who's best known for his portrayal of Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton on Netflix's beloved "Bridgerton" series. Here, he'll be playing Fiyero, the prince caught in a love triangle between Grande and Erivo's witches. Then there's Ethan Slater, who earned a Tony nod for playing the lead character in the stage adaptation of "SpongeBob SquarePants," and in "Wicked," he'll play Boq, who's majorly into Glinda. Bowen Yang of "Saturday Night Live" fame and Bronwyn James of "Harlots" will play Shiz classmates of Glinda and Elphaba, while newcomer Marissa Bode will play Elphaba's wheelchair-using sister, Nessarose. Plus, we can expect to see Keala Settle of "The Greatest Showman," newcomer Aaron Teoh, and character actor Colin Michael Carmichael.
