Editor's note: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from Universal Pictures' Wicked. Read at your own risk!
A sentimental man!
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While audiences are falling in love with Cynthia Erivo's powerful performance as Elphaba and Ariana Grande's hilarious version of Glinda, fans of the stage musical were absolutely gagging upon seeing Idina Menzel (Broadway's original Elphaba) and Kristin Chenoweth (Broadway's original Glinda) making a cameo in the Wicked movie as two "Wiz-O-Mania Superstars" performing in the Emerald City.
However, Menzel and Chenoweth aren't the only cameos seen in the Wicked film. More specifically, there are two others!
The Emerald City in the 'Wicked' movie.
Universal Pictures
First and foremost, playwright and screenwriter Winnie Holzman makes a cameo in the "One Short Day" musical number that begins as soon as Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande) arrive in the Emerald City.
Holzman not only wrote the book for the Tony Award-winning book for the Wicked musical production, but she's also credited as a writer of the Wicked movies alongside Dana Fox. Moreover, Holzman created the cult classic My So-Called Life television series that introduced us to legends such as Wilson Cruz and Claire Danes. Can't get more iconic than that, can you?
But wait! In the words of Yoda in Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, "There is another…"
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in front of the Wizard of Oz's palace in the Emerald City in the 'Wicked' movie.
Universal Pictures
Elphaba and Glinda head toward the Wizard of Oz's palace right after the "One Short Day" musical number concludes.
Upon arrival, they're greeted by a polite doorman who inspects Elphaba's invitation card sent by the Wizard. Before letting them in, however, the doorman signals to another guard, who's inside the Wizard's palace, to verify the legitimacy of this invitation card.
In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, that other guard opens a peephole, looks at invitation card, and verifies that it is legitimate. Elphaba and Glinda are shook by seeing that other guard in the peephole, but the scene just moves on with the doorman letting them in.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in 'Wicked.'
Universal Pictures
You might not have realized it, but that other guard seen through a peephole is Stephen Schwartz!
Yes, you read that right! The man who wrote all the music and lyrics of the Wicked musical, and who convinced Universal Pictures in the late 1990s to turn Gregory Maguire's Wicked novel into a Broadway musical before working on a film adaptation, also makes a cameo in Wicked: Part One in a scene that immediately follows Menzel and Chenoweth's appearances during "One Short Day."
From "Defying Gravity" to "Popular" to "Dancing Through Life" to "For Good" to "The Wizard and I," Schwartz is the legendary man who transformed this origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West into a universally beloved musical.
Stephen Schwartz attending the premiere of the 'Wicked' movie.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Besides writing the music and lyrics to Wicked and turning this Broadway musical into the pop culture juggernaut that it's become, Stephen Schwartz also wrote music for musical theaters productions like Pippin and Godspell. He also worked as a lyricist in Disney movies such as 1995's Pocahontas and 1996's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
As reported by Playbill, Schwartz revealed that he's written two brand-new songs featured in Wicked: Part Two, which is scheduled for a 2025 release.
"The storytelling required it, and therefore they were created," Schwartz told The Messenger in a seemingly deleted interview. "The intention was that they were organic and not imposed on the movie."
Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, and Stephen Schwartz all made cameos in the film, thank Oz!
Wicked: Part One opens Friday, November 22 in theaters.
