Ariana Grande

It was just kind of like this embodiment of like true unconditional love and friendship in a way that I hadn't seen portrayed in a story before. And I think it really spoke to me. Is it true that you auditioned five times? Okay, so I auditioned three times. My first audition, I sang actually for both roles. Even though I came in in all pink, I knew I was Glinda.

I knew that was what I was supposed to be doing. I think they just asked me to sing for both parts. For Elphaba and for... Yes, for both witches. So I was, of course, down to do whatever was asked of me, of course. And

I knew that was what I was supposed to be doing. I think they just asked me to sing for both parts. For Elphaba and for... Yes, for both witches. So I was, of course, down to do whatever was asked of me, of course. And

I knew that was what I was supposed to be doing. I think they just asked me to sing for both parts. For Elphaba and for... Yes, for both witches. So I was, of course, down to do whatever was asked of me, of course. And

I had started training with my vocal coach, Eric Vitro, three months before my first audition to train my voice to sing in a coloratura soprano placement, which is quite different from what I usually do. Even though my voice naturally sits in a high register, it's a totally different style of singing.

I had started training with my vocal coach, Eric Vitro, three months before my first audition to train my voice to sing in a coloratura soprano placement, which is quite different from what I usually do. Even though my voice naturally sits in a high register, it's a totally different style of singing.

I had started training with my vocal coach, Eric Vitro, three months before my first audition to train my voice to sing in a coloratura soprano placement, which is quite different from what I usually do. Even though my voice naturally sits in a high register, it's a totally different style of singing.

And, you know, though I do use my falsetto quite often in pop music, it's just a completely different style, tone, vibrato, sound. And usually I'm using in pop music either my like mixy belt or my whistle register.

And, you know, though I do use my falsetto quite often in pop music, it's just a completely different style, tone, vibrato, sound. And usually I'm using in pop music either my like mixy belt or my whistle register.

And, you know, though I do use my falsetto quite often in pop music, it's just a completely different style, tone, vibrato, sound. And usually I'm using in pop music either my like mixy belt or my whistle register.

So there's this big gap in between those two, which is where Glinda kind of lives and where that operatic sound needed to be strengthened and found in my voice and trained to become powerful. authentic sounding. It really required a lot of work.

So there's this big gap in between those two, which is where Glinda kind of lives and where that operatic sound needed to be strengthened and found in my voice and trained to become powerful. authentic sounding. It really required a lot of work.

So there's this big gap in between those two, which is where Glinda kind of lives and where that operatic sound needed to be strengthened and found in my voice and trained to become powerful. authentic sounding. It really required a lot of work.

And what was really fun and interesting about that was that I went to get my vocal cords checked at the beginning of my training process to see if I could see a difference in the muscles, just how the shape is. You can actually track the cords changing shape while I was training and stuff like that. I'm a nerd for that kind of stuff, but...

And what was really fun and interesting about that was that I went to get my vocal cords checked at the beginning of my training process to see if I could see a difference in the muscles, just how the shape is. You can actually track the cords changing shape while I was training and stuff like that. I'm a nerd for that kind of stuff, but...

And what was really fun and interesting about that was that I went to get my vocal cords checked at the beginning of my training process to see if I could see a difference in the muscles, just how the shape is. You can actually track the cords changing shape while I was training and stuff like that. I'm a nerd for that kind of stuff, but...

And the training was extensive and it was really thrilling to follow the progress. And so for my first audition, I sang No One Mourns the Wicked and Popular, but I also sang The Wizard of Nine Defying Gravity. But it was very clear what I was meant for. That you were there for, right? Yes.

And the training was extensive and it was really thrilling to follow the progress. And so for my first audition, I sang No One Mourns the Wicked and Popular, but I also sang The Wizard of Nine Defying Gravity. But it was very clear what I was meant for. That you were there for, right? Yes.

And the training was extensive and it was really thrilling to follow the progress. And so for my first audition, I sang No One Mourns the Wicked and Popular, but I also sang The Wizard of Nine Defying Gravity. But it was very clear what I was meant for. That you were there for, right? Yes.

And in case it wasn't clear, I was in all pink and I had a pink mug and I had a pink... Everything was very Glinda-fied, just sending the subliminal message. And then I was called back for Glinda, and I sang more Glinda songs. So that was my second audition, and that was really thrilling. And I got to do my scenes with the casting associate, Tiffany Little, from Bernie Telsey's office.