Ariana Grande, the renowned pop superstar, is making a grand entrance into the world of cinema as she takes on the role of Glinda the Good Witch in the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. But there’s a twist: Grande will be using her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera, in the film’s credits, and she has a heartfelt reason for doing so.
Honoring her past and coming full circle In a recent interview, Ariana Grande revealed that her decision to use her full name for the Wicked credits was a deeply personal one. “I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me,” the singer said. “I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways, through what I learned from Glinda and from Elphaba. That was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10-years-old, and it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that. It felt like a complete circle, and it was something I genuinely wanted to do.
Overcoming Initial Skepticism Grande’s casting in the Wicked film adaptation was not without its challenges. The singer acknowledged that she faced some initial skepticism and “preconceived notions” about her ability to do justice to the iconic role. However, Grande was determined to prove herself, saying, “This is something I loved so much about auditioning for Wicked. It has to be earned. Being a part of something of this magnitude doesn’t just come naturally to those who already possess knowledge. Therefore, it’s enjoyable to take on the challenge of redefining people’s perceptions and exerting effort to regain your place in other spaces.
A Homecoming for the Pop Icon The decision to use her full name in the Wicked credits is a testament to Grande’s deep connection to the musical and her personal journey. “I trained every single day to prove to [Wicked producers] that I could handle taking on this other person,” she said. “I had to completely erase Popstar Ari—the person they know so well—because it’s harder to believe someone as someone else when they’re so branded as one thing,” she said. I had to go to great lengths to dismantle that perception.
A highly anticipated release Jon M. Chu’s Wicked film adaptation is a highly anticipated event in the world of musical theater. Two parts of the movie will hit theaters, the first on November 22, 2024, and the second on December 25, 2025. Alongside Ariana Grande, the star-studded cast includes Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, and Peter Dinklage.
As Ariana Grande-Butera takes on the iconic role of Glinda the Good Witch, her decision to embrace her full name in the Wicked credits serves as a powerful symbol of her personal growth, her deep connection to the material, and her unwavering commitment to delivering a performance that will captivate audiences worldwide.