Cynthia Erivo Skips Interviews at ‘Wicked’ Premiere, Ariana Grande Shows Support

Ariana Grande looked out for Cynthia Erivo at the “Wicked: For Good” premiere in New York on Monday night. Event organizers had already told reporters that neither actor would be doing full interviews because Erivo was dealing with a lost voice. Even with that change, both stars still appeared on the E! livestream for a short moment with host Justin Sylvester.

During their quick stop, Grande was the only one given a microphone. She explained why, saying, “I’m not letting her speak. She has to rest her voice!” Erivo stood beside her smiling as Grande handled the conversation for them.

Grande talked about their Grammy nomination for “Defying Gravity”, which will compete for best pop duo/group performance next year. She also mentioned Erivo’s upcoming album and her book “Simply More,” jokingly turning to her costar and asking, “Am I doing OK?” Erivo nodded and laughed.

Later, when asked about how they felt as the movie’s story comes to an end, Grande said they were both feeling “overwhelming gratitude.” She spoke about how meaningful the project has been and how excited they are for fans to finally see the full journey of their characters.

At one point, Erivo leaned in to tell Grande something quietly, but Grande couldn’t hear her. Erivo then spoke softly into the mic, her voice still rough, saying, “It’s really beautiful that we’re finishing here, where it started.” She was talking about New York, home to the Gershwin Theatre where the stage musical first opened in 2003.

The two stars have been busy promoting the movie, and this premiere was another major stop, even if they kept things low-key to protect Erivo’s voice.

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