Dolby Theatre Transforms into Oz for NBC's WICKED: One Wonderful Night Live Taping with Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and the Cast
WICKED: One Wonderful Night
By Parris Rose
Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre shimmered in green as NBC taped WICKED: One Wonderful Night —a broadcast spectacular set to air November 6. More than a concert, the evening felt like stepping inside Oz itself, with fans in poofy pink gowns and glittering witch hats and crowns joining a celebration that hinted at the excitement for part two of the film adaptation, WICKED.
From the moment the doors opened, the lobby buzzed like a pre-show backstage. Families arrived in matching green and black suits and gowns, friends compared homemade Glinda crowns, and entire rows shimmered with emerald sequins. The crowd arrived ready to defy gravity, and the cast including Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldbum, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater and director Jon Chu met them with warmth and playfulness. Performers reached out from the stage for high-fives, led call-and-response moments, and even invited audience members to join simple choreography during big ensemble numbers. In a surprise highlight, Ariana Grande, radiant as Glinda, performed “Popular” alongside an ultimate fan, turning the Dolby into a massive sing-along.
Erivo’s powerhouse voice soared through “Defying Gravity,” her live rendition sending chills through the theater and earning a thunderous standing ovation. Grande matched that magic with crystalline, live vocals that underscored why fans are eager to see her Glinda on the big screen again. Gasps followed the high notes; while spontaneous standing ovations erupted mid-song. It was proof that, even in an era of streaming and special effects, nothing beats live, high-stakes performance. Jonathan Bailey may have been missing but Prince Fiyero still made his mark, thanks to a hilarious onstage scramble among the cast to claim the role.
The production itself felt like a preview of the upcoming film and lucky viewers will be first to see scenes from WICKED: For Good. Towering sets transported the audience to Shiz University and the Emerald City, while a full live orchestra gave the beloved score a sweeping, cinematic richness. Every glittering backdrop and burst of choreography hinted at the spectacle awaiting moviegoers when WICKED: For Good finally lands in theaters. NBC will bottle that electricity for WICKED: One Wonderful Night on November 6, continuing the network’s tradition of bringing live musical theatre to primetime viewers. And with the highly anticipated Wicked movie soaring into theaters soon, the special doubles as the perfect prelude—a glittering invitation for both lifelong Ozians and newcomers to follow the yellow brick road into the next chapter of this beloved story.
