Emerald City Elegance! Inside the High-Energy New York Premiere of Wicked: For Good

Let us be glad, let us be grateful! Finally, after one whole year of anticipation, Wicked: For Good has arrived. And for the cast and crew celebrating at the New York premiere, Monday night marked the end of the (yellow brick) road.

For the occasion, Lincoln Center was given an Oz makeover for the night, complete with a green carpet and sumptuous floral arrangements draping the fountain; its water spouts illuminating green and pink too. The evening’s dress code encouraged Emerald City Elegance and oh, did guests and onlooking fans ace the assignment.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo arrived arm-in-arm. Opting out of interviews due to vocal restrictions, the pair let their eagerly-awaited outfits do the talking instead. Grande donned a custom Schiaparelli ballgown reminiscent of Glinda’s bubble, and Erivo slipped into a Balenciaga look by Pierpaolo Piccioli, complete with fierce and futuristic sunglasses that elicited a loud chant of “Yassss!”

Jonathan Bailey, who was being primped for his closeup by a glam squad of three, raised his eyebrows and giggled. Referring to his recent viral ‘Sexiest Man Alive accolade,’ he said: “You re seeing ‘behind the curtain’ here—this is all the work that really goes into it!”

Clever nods to their respective characters were on display everywhere. Ethan Slater was dressed in a silver and gray Tanner Fletcher number, foreshadowing Boq’s fate, and Marissa Bode wore a ribbon of poppies around her neck while Nessarose’s infamous silver heels poked out from underneath her green gown. The full cast posed underneath billowing posters of their faces against a Wicked backdrop before a slew of fireworks exploded into the Manhattan sky, emanating a warm flash across faces, and signaling showtime.

Inside the marbled halls of the David Geffen Theater, original costumes masterminded by Paul Tazewell were illuminated on display. Audience members marveled at the intricate detailing of Elphaba’s broomstick, Glinda’s sparkly pink frock, and The Wizard’s ornate cloak, before grabbing boxes of popcorn and sliding into their seats.

Producer Marc Platt took the stage to kick things off. “Whatever time we’re living in, whether we’re in echo chambers or we’re talking across the way, or when technology threatens to invade—at the end of the day, Wicked is a story about humans and humanity. And it takes a man of great heart to tell that story.” Platt proceeded to introduce filmmaker Jon M. Chu, who reminisced on days spent dreaming about making movies when working in his parents’ Chinese restaurant, Chef Chu’s. The eatery is still open, he proudly plugged, but his parents had taken the night off to join him in the audience for the milestone moment.

As cast members’ faces flashed across the screen during each introductory scene, the crowd cheered with excitement. The live reactions from the audience mixed with the cries of the townspeople on the screen made the premiere feel like an interactive performance, true to Wicked’s theater roots. The palpable energy between the room and the storyline followed an un-choreographed rhythm: whooping and whistling after the romantic As Long As You’re Mine number, laughter every time Bowen Yang’s character opened his mouth, a long and dramatic “Oooooh” during a certain stage combat scene, and thunderous applause after Erivo’s earth-shattering performance of No Good Deed.

Unsurprisingly, the titular song, For Good, was underscored by sniffles and sobbing throughout the space. As people flooded down the halls and staircases after the emotive screening, one in every few people could be seen with mascara streaks down their face.

Wicked: For Good hits theaters on Friday, November 21.