Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are set to bring an electrifying performance to Wicked fans in the upcoming NBC concert special, Wicked: One Wonderful Night. The first sneak peek of the event dropped on Monday (Nov. 3), giving fans a thrilling glimpse of what’s to come.
In the 40-second clip, fans of the Broadway musical’s iconic soundtrack are treated to a high-energy performance of the number “What Is This Feeling?”. The song, which features in Jon M. Chu’s two-part Wicked film series, sees Grande and Erivo go head-to-head, showcasing their impressive live vocals while recreating the film’s choreography. Drenched in green and pink lighting, the duo belt out the famous lines, “And I will be loathing for forever/ Loathing truly deeply/ Loathing you,” perfectly capturing the tension between their characters, Elphaba and Glinda.
The clip also features a playful moment when Grande, embodying her character Glinda, sasses Erivo’s Elphaba, delivering a cheeky “Alright, I get it!” in response to Erivo shouting “Boo!” — which causes the Tony Award-winner to break into a laugh.
Set to premiere on Thursday (Nov. 6) on NBC and Peacock, Wicked: One Wonderful Night will mark the first time fans can watch Grande and Erivo perform “What Is This Feeling?” live, along with several other Wicked classics. The two-hour special promises to be a star-studded spectacle, with glamorous costumes, energetic dance routines, and a thrilling celebration of the beloved musical. It’s one of the key events in the promotional push for the Wicked duology, ahead of the release of Wicked: Part Two – The Grimmering on Nov. 21.
In a recent interview with Evan Ross Katz, Grande shared that the concert special’s concept was designed to focus more on the fans this time around, stating that the aim was to “make the promotion of the final film in the duology more about the fans.”