Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Meticulously Rehearse “Popular” Years Before “Wicked” Brought It to Life

Even veterans polish their performances. With Wicked: For Good approaching its theatrical release, Ariana Grande has given fans a behind-the-scenes look at an early rehearsal with Cynthia Erivo, sharing a clip that demonstrates how they shaped the movie version of the fan-favorite number “Popular.”

The Instagram video, posted Monday (Oct. 6), opens with Grande and Erivo seated together on a prop bed. Grande — slipping into Glinda’s rosy wardrobe — addresses the camera with a rehearsal cue: “Locked timing, take 1.”

In the clip, Grande sings a few bars of her rendition of “Popular” (the same arrangement heard in the first Wicked film) while practicing choreography and playful staging with Erivo. At one point Grande loops a pink sash around her co-star, then lightly pushes Erivo onto the bed when she rises — a small, precisely timed moment that drew an enthusiastic reaction from director Jon M. Chu, who calls out, “That is the timing, locked in!” from behind the camera.

Grande captioned the reel to announce that tickets would go on sale in two days for @wickedmovie: “tickets on sale in two days @wickedmovie for good,” and she noted the clip’s origins: “(rehearsal, september 2022).” The footage illustrates how carefully the creative team mapped out each musical beat and movement — many of the rehearsal gestures are reproduced exactly in the finished sequence from Wicked.

The Wicked saga concludes this November when For Good opens in theaters, arriving roughly a year after the release of Wicked in 2024. Grande has previously described the intense preparation she committed to for the role, including sustained vocal and acting training to arrive on set fully prepared to inhabit Glinda.

Watch Grande and Erivo rehearsing “Popular” in the embedded clip below.

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