Kristin Chenoweth CelebratesWickedon Broadway’s 21st Anniversary: ‘Still Spellbound’

Mar. 15, 2025

Kristin Chenoweth (left) and Idina Menzel during a ‘Wicked’ curtain call in 2003.Photo:Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

She couldn’t be happier!

On Wednesday, Oct. 30,Kristin Chenowethposted some throwback photos from her time inWickedin honor of the show’s 21st anniversary. The actress, 56, was the first person to portray Glinda in the Broadway show alongsideIdina Menzelas Elphaba, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West.

Idina Menzel (left) and Kristin Chenoweth performing ‘Wicked’ during the 2004 Tony Awards.Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty

Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty

Then she turned her attention to the upcoming film adaptation, which starsAriana Grande as GlindaandCynthia Erivo as Elphaba. She wrote, “Counting down the days until the world sees@cynthiaerivoand@arianagrandein@jonmchu’s film…” Alluding to one of the show’s most popular songs, “For Good,” she added, “You will all be changed for the good when you see it.#NationalWickedDay”

Chenoweth wasn’t the onlyWickedalum celebrating the anniversary on Wednesday.Abbott Elementarystar Sheryl Lee Ralph — who playedWicked’s Madame Morrible on Broadway beginning in 2016 — also noted the milestone on social media. The 67-year-old actress shared photos from her time in the show onXand wrote, “It’s National ⁦@WICkED_Musical⁩ Day!”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Kristin Chenoweth (left) and Idina Menzel during a ‘Wicked’ curtain call in the early 2000s.Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Wicked’s 21 years on Broadway make it the fourth-longest-tenured Broadway show of all time afterThe Phantom of the Opera,ChicagoandThe Lion King. The musical — which won three Tony Awards, including best actress in a musical for Menzel — is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novelWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.The Wizard of Ozprequel tells the story of how Elphaba became synonymous with the word “wicked” throughout Oz and her unlikely and complicated friendship with Glinda. In October 2023, Chenoweth and Menzel, 53, reunited at New York City’s Gershwin Theatreto celebrate the 20th anniversaryof the musical.

It’s been a very nostalgic fall for Chenoweth with the imminent arrival of theWickedfilm on Nov. 27. On Oct. 28, theHolidatestar posted aboutwatching theWickedfilm for the first timeat a special screening. “Oh my gosh I just saw the movie and I’m dying. I’m deceased, I’m actually dead, I’m not here,” she gushed inan Instagram Reel. “People are not going to be well when they see this film. It is so good, it is so special.”

Alongside a slideshow of photos from the night, thePushing Daisiesstar wrote, “I’m in so much awe. @wickedmovie is a gift for us all.” She continued, “I am beyond proud of my precious angel, @arianagrande. She was born to play this role. I cried the whole night watching her & @cynthiaerivo. I love them from the bottom of my heart.”

Grande, 31, and Erivo, 37, were both on hand to watch the film with Chenoweth and a group that included the movie’s director Jon M. Chu,Chenoweth’s husband Josh Bryant,Wickedcomposer Stephen Schwartz, Maguire and manyWickedcast alumni, including the Broadway production’s current stars, Mary Kate Morrissey and Alexandra Socha.

source: people.com