Idina Menzel and Cynthia Erivo are defying gravity — and defying the limits of how much star power can fit into one room!
The dynamic duo of Broadway royalty, Menzel, 53, and Erivo, 37, swooped into the 2024 Tony Awards like a couple of fabulous green tornadoes on Sunday, June 16. Their mission? To hand over the night’s crown jewel — the best musical award — to The Outsiders. Before they got down to business, though, they shared a magical moment reminiscing about their shared alter-ego, Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West from Wicked.
“I’m just going to go off-script real quick to say how excited I am to see what I know is going to be an amazing performance in that movie you’re doing,” Menzel gushed, practically glowing green with pride. Erivo, in turn, beamed back, “I love you.” It was a lovefest for the ages.
“I just wanted to say green girl power,” Menzel continued, sprinkling fairy dust on the moment. Erivo, never missing a beat, chimed in, “Green girl power, indeed.”
Now, let’s not forget Menzel’s original Elphaba days, when she defied gravity so hard, she took home the Tony for best actress in a musical in 2004. She enchanted audiences from October 2003 to January 2005, leaving a trail of green sparkles wherever she went.
Erivo, no stranger to snatching trophies herself, won best actress in a musical for the 2015 revival of The Color Purple. Fast forward to today, and she’s about to rock the green face paint as Elphaba in the upcoming Wicked film adaptation, split into two epic parts releasing in November 2024 and 2025.
Back in 2022, Menzel confessed that letting go of Elphaba was a tough pill to swallow. “The answer is, yes, I’m very excited and I know it’s in great hands and I’ve sent so much love to Cynthia and Ariana and I’m there for them if they need me,” she told Broadway.com, her eyes probably misting over with nostalgia. “And yes, I’m a little sad that I’m just older and can’t play the role, you know? And that’s the honest truth.”
But Menzel is a good sport. She joked with People, saying, “If they asked me to do it at the age of 51, I would say, sure — just put a little Vaseline on the lens, throw some green makeup on me, use a little CGI and I’ll look gorgeous.” Hollywood magic, right?
Rumors are flying like monkeys that Menzel and her original Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth, might pop up in the Wicked movie with some cheeky cameos. The pair even took a trip down memory lane last October, celebrating Wicked’s 20th anniversary on Broadway.
Erivo’s Wicked costars are all abuzz with praise, too. Bridgerton’s dashing Jonathan Bailey, playing Fiyero in the films, told People, “Having watched her perform and doing opposite her and just seeing what she’s doing is pretty incredible.”
So, mark your calendars, because Wicked is set to cast its spell on movie theaters on November 27. Prepare for a whirlwind of green, glitter, and girl power!
"Green girl power" – Idina Menzel to Cynthia Erivo at the #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/A5kPkRexTV
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) June 17, 2024
