The 2-hour special featured some must-see performances from Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and the rest of the cast, a surprise appearance from OG Wicked stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth … and the omission of comments Bode made while introducing “Defying Gravity.”
NBC pulled off a wickedly impressive feat on Thursday night with its Wicked: One Wonderful Night special, but even at two hours, one moment was left on the cutting room floor.
Toward the end of the special, star Marissa Bode — who plays Elphaba’s sister Nessarose Thropp in the film adaptation of the musical — came out on stage to introduce Cynthia Erivo’s performance of “Defying Gravity.”
Saying it’s a song that truly “stands out” in a musical “filled with so many incredible songs,” Bode spoke about how it connected with fans all over the world.
“The song is an ode to authenticity and about believing in yourself no matter what obstacles the world puts in your way,” she said on the televised special — which was apparently cut down from what she said during the taping.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the actress also said the song was about “believing in yourself” and standing up to a “power-hungry dictator,” with EW saying her “pointed delivery, and the reaction of the crowd” suggested her comments also reflected the current political climate.
NBC has not commented on the edit.
Erivo’s performance of “Defying Gravity” after that introduction was truly spectacular, however, with the Broadway star literally taking to the air to fly around the Dolby Theatre as she sang one of the show’s most popular songs.
Other highlights from the special included Ariana Grande recruiting an adorable super fan named Remington for her Popular performance, a duet between her and Erivo and original Wicked stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth of “For Good,” and a fun performance of “Dancing Through Life” featuring Bowen Yang, Ethan Slater and Bode. While Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh were also part of the taping in the theater, Jonathan Bailey only appeared in pre-recoded bits with the whole cast. Per EW, he had prior engagements in London at the time.
See some of the best moments released online below — while the full special is streaming now on Peacock.
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