Cynthia Erivo shared her point of view on the ongoing internet debate on whether audiences should maintain conduct or feel free to sing along to Wicked’s classic musicals. The actress who portrayed the anomaly green-skinned witch Elphaba in the latest movie adaptation spoke to NBC about the topic at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28.
“Good. I’m OK with it. We spent this long singing it ourselves — it’s time for everyone else to join in. It’s wonderful,” Erivo told the outlet. By sharing her encouraging stance in support of the audience, she has joined Dwayne Johnson as the latest celeb to have done that.
The Jumanji actor encouraged the viewers to do the same thing while watching his latest film, Moana 2. “Sing! You’ve paid your hard-earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it. Sing,” he said.
Audience singing in theaters while watching Wicked sparked debate online as some moviegoers had a problem with noise. In an interview with Variety, AMC Theatre spokesperson Ryan Noonan explained why they asked its audience not to sing along during film screenings. “AMC has a long-standing policy that prohibits disruptive behavior,” he said.
He also spoke about the Wicked pre-show, which reminds moviegoers in a fun and engaging way to not “disrupt the experience for those around them as they enjoy the show.” Many people agreed with this point of view and called out people who created a nuisance and disturbed viewer experience by sharing videos from inside the theaters.
Another Wicked theater misconduct that recently created a buzz was that of fans filming the movie on their phones. It was opposed by theater owners, deeming it as illegal.
Nevertheless, Erivo and Ariana Grande have found a solution to this problem by hosting interactive sing-along screenings of Wicked, set to premiere on Christmas Day. The shows will reportedly be set at roughly 1,000 North American cinemas.
Wicked, directed by John M. Chu, follows the story of a misunderstood witch, Elphaba (Erivo), who’s treated as an anomaly because of her green skin and her evolving friendship with the popular and “good” witch, Glinda (Grande). “After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads,” per the synopsis.
Wicked is available in theaters.
