If you’re still feeling changed “for good” after seeing Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in the “Wicked” movie franchise, you might ought to savor that feeling for awhile. Why…? That’s because we won’t be seeing the talented songstress play that role again soon — not even on Broadway.
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Before you go crying, shaking and throwing up about it, we’ll have you know that Erivo’s reasoning for not wanting to become Elphie on Broadway is actually legitimate and, if we’re honest, completely selfless. Sitting down for a recent interview on “The View,” the talented actress told the hosts that she didn’t want to reprise her role in “Wicked” so that other women could have a shot of donning the signature black cape and hat.
“I feel like it would be a little selfish,” Erivo explained. “We’ve been given such a gift with this [film] version, and everyone is seeing it. It’s in everybody’s houses right now, and people can go to the cinema and see it.”
She continued: “What’s wonderful about this particular film now is that I think it provides more room for other women to go do [the role on Broadway].”
And she’s exactly right. To be specific, her role as Elphaba may have indirectly led to the current woman who’s playing her on Broadway — Lencia Kebede — who just so happens to be the first Black actress to ever play the role full-time on Broadway. Kebede made her debut in March and masterfully took on “Wicked,” with the musical still taking place at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City right now. (And there’s no apparent end in sight as the show’s been on Broadway ever since 2003.)
Reflecting on being chosen for the monumental character, Kebede told Parade in October 2025: “I was in such shock and in that point of the process, I had been so clear with myself that no matter what the outcome was — I was gonna be OK. So for this childhood dream of being on Broadway to come through just like, in front of my eyes, in that moment. It was just like me seeing my childhood self being like ‘you were right, bro. You did it! It was an out of body experience.”
Kebede is a 2016 graduate of Occidental College and was a double major of diplomacy and world affairs and politics with the intent in pursuing work in either of those fields. However, we’re glad that didn’t exactly pan out as she’s completely killing it on stage. Check out her singing “Defying Gravity” below!
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