Lin-Manuel Miranda discusses why he was not cast inWicked. From writing and starring inHamilton, writing songs forMoanaandEncanto,and having his musicalIn the Heightsmade into a film adaptation,Miranda has been at the forefront of musical theater and musical movies for a while now. TheIn the Heightsmovie was directed by Jon M. Chu, who also directedWickedand its upcoming sequelWicked: For Good. Despite Miranda’s connection to Chu and to musicals, he was not a member ofWicked’s cast.
While onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Miranda revealed that he wanted to play the Munchkin who asks Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera),“Is it true you were her friend?“He discussed how this line kicks off the musical’s story and is often delivered with a great deal of emotion duringWicked’s live productions. Even though he expressed his interest to Chu,Miranda was ultimately not cast because it would have been too distracting. He goes on to compliment Kirsty Anne Shaw, who was instead cast in the role. Check out Miranda’s comments below:
My favorite line in the show is in the opening number of the show, when this one Munchkin runs out and goes, “Is it true you were her friend?” If you’ve seen a live production of Wicked, sometimes they really put some sauce on the ball when they deliver that line. It’s where the story starts. I really wanted to do that line.I was not cast. It would’ve been too distracting. The young woman who does it in the movie is great. She does it very earnestly,
What This Means For Wicked
Lin-Manuel Miranda Could Have Been Among The First Actors To Appear In Wicked
If Miranda had been cast in theWickedmovie as the aforementioned Munchkin, he would have been one of the first characters to be seen.His appearance would have come before Cynthia Erivo’s first scene as Elphabaand before Jonathan Bailey’s first scene as Fiyero. He also would have graced the screen long beforeWicked’s Broadway musical cameosfeaturing Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, and Stephen Schwartz, who do not appear until Elphaba and Glinda are in the Emerald City during the song “One Short Day.”
Wicked Ending Explained & How It Sets Up Wicked Part 2
Wicked: Part 1 builds up Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, leading to a tense ending in The Emerald City that sets the foundation for Wicked: Part 2.
Given how recognizable he is to musical theater enthusiasts and even to general audiences,a Miranda cameo may have been distracting at any point in the movie. However, it would have been particularly distracting to have the cameo at the beginning of the movie and before many of the characters and even the story itself are established. As Miranda noted, Shaw delivers the line well, and helps set the tone of the movie musical adaptation during an importantWickedsong.
Our Take On Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Comments
Wicked Didn’t Need A Cameo From Him
Beyond being distracting,a Miranda cameo would not have made sensebecause he is not directly connected to the original Broadway musical. With Menzel and Chenoweth playing the original Elphaba and Glinda, and Schwartz writing the music and lyrics, they are part of the musical’s legacy, and their cameos are a fun acknowledgment of their invaluable contributions. Miranda has done a great deal for musical theater and musical movies, but he is not part ofWicked’s legacy, and it would have been jarring to have him play a Munchkin at the beginning of the story.
