Lea Michele has officially seen Wicked the movie, and spoiler alert: she loved it. But also, you just know she was in the audience like, “I could’ve totally nailed that high note.”
The Glee alum, 38, strutted her way into the New York City premiere of Wicked and reunited with her former co-star Alex Newell, who probably reminded everyone in the room that they’ve already got a Tony, thank you very much. Lea, however, was there with a specific set of emotions—because she once made it very clear she had dreams of painting herself green and belting her heart out as Elphaba.
Flashback to 2019 on Watch What Happens Live: Lea confessed, “That would be incredible. I don’t think they’ve started casting yet, but if they have and I didn’t get a call? Rude.” She even joked about being “backstage painting myself green just waiting.” Honestly, that’s the kind of unhinged enthusiasm we love to see.
Fast-forward to last night: Lea didn’t get to defy gravity, but she did get to fangirl HARD over Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who star as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. Taking to Instagram Stories like a proud mom at a school recital, Lea raved, “What a beautiful evening and so exciting to finally see Wicked! The entire movie was incredible. I was so blown away and cannot wait to see it again.”
She didn’t stop there. Lea practically wrote a love letter to Ariana and Cynthia, calling Ariana a “sensational Glinda” (of course, she’s wickedly talented) and saying Cynthia made her heart stop with her powerhouse performance as Elphaba. Translation: Lea was crying into her popcorn.
But the highlight? A reunion with Alex Newell! Lea shared a cute pic of the two and captioned it, “Love you Alex,” which is basically Glee fans’ cue to burst into tears.
So, while Lea may not be Elphaba, at least she’s still out here living her best life—cheering on her friends, serving looks at premieres, and reminding us all that she could still hit those notes, green face paint or not.
