‘Wicked’ Will Get the Orchestra Treatment on Live-to

After going from the stage to the big screen, Wicked will return in a blend of the two formats with Wicked in Concert, a live concert experience that will pair Wicked: Part One and Wicked: For Good with a live orchestra.

The live-to-film concert will present an orchestral performance of the score from John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, who also helmed music and lyrics. Select screenings will also include a choir to perform backing vocals.

An initial run of shows will begin in January with stops currently scheduled in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver through July. For now, the scheduled events account for screenings of Wicked: Part One only, with additional dates and cities to be announced. Separate showings will be hosted for Wicked: For Good.

No cast members from the Wicked films will be in attendance for these screenings. Cynthia Erivo, the film’s Elphaba, will perform alongside the Oklahoma City Philharmonic at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts later this month in addition to an upcoming show at the Hollywood Bowl, but otherwise does not have any concert appearances scheduled for the next few months. Ariana Grande, on the other hand, recently concluded the Eternal Sunshine tour, which she capped off with Petal (The Complete Live Album), which features live performances from her recently-released album, Petal.

During the London stop on Grande’s tour, Erivo made a surprise appearance to perform “For Good” and a medley of “Get Happy” and “Happy Days Are Here Again” at the O2. “Ari, my sweet sister, my favorite person to sing with. Thank you for inviting me to share your stage, singing 2 songs that represent such a massive part of our lives,” Erivo wrote on Instagram. “This is what we do it for, for the love of the work and for all of the fans. I missed this. We missed this. And I wish I had more words, but to put it simply, I will never forget this night. Like a handprint on my heart.”