Video: Inside the WICKED NYC Premiere with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande & More

You know the Broadway world so much

It's very, very exciting for us. It's very full circle to be able to bring it back to New York

and have our Broadway family sit down and watch it with us. It's special, very special

It's surreal. I mean, it's so beautiful. And what better place to celebrate than in New York

And we're just really grateful. Every time we get to do this here, it feels like more real

because our Broadway family gets to be here. Yeah. And creating these roles on film together, what's made it so special for the two of you

This. Yeah. Right here. We've been taking care of each other, like, fiercely this entire time, and it makes the most amazing experience even more amazing, you know

It means that we can really, like, be there for each other, and we've been able to help create these parts together because we're in it together

Yeah. And really take care of each other, on screen and off screen, and just kind of have a really true

beautiful friendship and a beautiful sister ship that continues to grow and grow even through this

press store. Something's bothering her. She's going to fix something. I'm so sorry. She's getting the

fixing itch that Cynthia Areva gets. Oh, thank you. Yeah, because the thing is..

The biggest pinch me moment for each of you on the set. Was it a day you arrived out on the set or some

special moment that happened during the filming of this for each of you? What was the biggest pinch me

moment for each of you? This pinch me moment. Every day. one of the most exciting days for you

Oh, my goodness. Defiant Gravity was really exciting. At the very first day

when we did Began in the dorm room That first day when we got to see each other in our costumes in the makeup all of that stuff But really every day Every day been yeah

No day was a small day. No, no. It really was tremendous

Yeah. Very special. It's hard to pick that. Yeah. We were there so long

It's impossible. You've done so many incredible films. What's made this one so special for you

I think there is, one, Wizard of Oz is so true to our American story

for my parents passed to wicked when I saw it for the first time

And I think there's such relevancy now. I hope it empowers people

And we felt empowered making it. We felt like questioning the story of who's it

What does a hero look like? What does a villain look like? What does wickedness and goodness look like? And what do you do when you realize that you are in charge of that story

To me, that's such a message for today. And I can't people, I can't wait for people to go to the theater and get entertained and laugh and cry and come out feel empowered

That they want to go and fight for whatever and walk through that fire. It is, you know, very surreal, very much an out-of-body experience in terms of the phenomenon that's going on, this cultural event

What's not really surreal is the movie itself, because we've all been working together on it for a long time through various stages and cuts and edits and trying this and trying that and, you know, mixing the movie

So that just feels like everybody together doing the best possible work that we are humanly capable of doing

But then what sort of happened to the movie is just mind-boggling

I having difficulty being articulate about just the response that we hearing It was an absolute dream come true getting to walk into an immersive Oz and just be these characters that you know Bach has meant something to me for so long

My addition for the Broadway company of it 10 years ago, and I didn't get it

and I was heartbroken, and now I got a chance, I got a chance to play the role

It was just beautiful. So the first time you saw the film, what went through your mind when you saw yourself in this beautiful musical on the big screen

Oh, I disassociated for sure. It was like weird seeing myself on the screen

It did not feel like me almost because it was just so surreal

But seeing my name and the credits at the very end, I think that's when it kind of hit me a little bit

And it was just because this is really truly something I've always wanted to do

And to actually be here and have that just mind-blowing. Yeah. It feels like we were in Ben-Hur and we were shooting in Oz

I mean, can you imagine anything more like surreal, like for a first, first for a filmmaker

for being someone in film? Like, you're stepping into this like hallowed space

It was wild. I can't even, I still haven't wrapped my head around it. It's such an intense process

And like, you know, and it took, you know, two years, you know, to get it all done

and continue to make it all sound fabulous. And you get to do a lot, you know, as you go, like, later on

It's, you know, you're not like putting up the show and, you know, getting on stage

So, but it's been really beautiful. I mean to get to work on you know it like you know we have like a 23 orchestra on Broadway We have 85 musicians and you know it a whole other you know level And it really beautiful It you know what I like to say is it we scaled it all up for the world that you about to you know witness

It's really, really beautiful. Well, we did in the Heights together before that and then tick, tick, boom

Or then I did tick-to-boom with Lynn. And both of those felt like, oh, my God, this is, I'm dreaming

And then you get to Wicked and you're standing on the size, on a set this size

of four American football fields and you go, oh my goodness. It's just insanely epic

We got to play in Oz and I got to dance on the Yellow Brick Road and dance through Emerald City

And I think that's the most important part about this for me is the history, the culture that I got to be a piece of

I was so emotional. I love her so much. She puts her own stamp on it

She paid homage to me, but she put her own stamp. She put her own stamp and I'm trying not to listen either

I love you. Hi, my girl. I love you. Go ahead. Look

You know, she wanted this. She wanted to take care of Glinda. That's what she kept saying to me

I want to take care of her. And she did more than that. She far surpassed anyone's expectations

We all know she can sing. And Cynthia, too. The acting, they're both giving

The acting performances that they're both giving is what I care about

And that's where they shine. What has amazed you the most about watching this film come to life

That John kept the... Original story, he made it a love letter to our show

And even though it looks like Harry Potter and all the tricks and all the CGIs and all the beautifulness

he kept the story at the heart of the center of the peace, which is why it's going to be a success