Live concert experiences pairing the Wicked and Wicked: For Good films with a live symphony orchestra are set to premiere next year.
The Jon M. Chu-directed films starred Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, and will be projected on an HD screen while a live orchestra performs its complete soundtrack in sync with the film, featuring songs with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, as well as Schwartz’s and John Powell’s score.
The concerts are a collaboration between Universal Film and Universal Destinations & Experiences, with the former partnering up with Justin Hurwitz’s company Hurwitz Concerts, which has toured La La Land in Concert and Whiplash in Concert since 2023.
“I absolutely love the live-to-film format and think the Wicked films are so perfect for it,” said Hurwitz. “It’s an honor for me to help bring Stephen Schwartz’s masterpiece musical and John Powell’s brilliant, cinematic underscore to concert venues around the world.”
“When I’ve seen live concerts of film scores, I’ve always found it an amazing experience, so I’m delighted that the Wicked movies are now becoming film concerts, especially under the expert direction of Oscar-winner Justin Hurwitz and his talented team,” Schwartz said in a statement, per Deadline.
At the time of writing, the announced tour dates include a San Francisco preview on January 16, a Radio City premiere and Chicago date (January 30), as well as subsequent stops in Mexico City (March 6), Guadalajara (April 17), Monterrey (April 24), Toronto (May 29), Montréal (July 17), and Vancouver (July 24).
More dates and cities are yet to be announced – and you can find more details here.
Wicked: For Good has scored a three-star review from NME, with Nick Levine writing: “The one truly showstopping moment is Elphaba and Glinda’s climactic rendition of ‘For Good’, a big, blustery show tune that sums up their entire relationship. Wicked: For Good doesn’t defy gravity like its predecessor but fans will want to hold space for a sequel with a very poignant payoff.”
Elsewhere, Jeff Goldblum recently spoke to NME about working with “those wonderful, wonderful ladies from Wicked” and how they featured on his recent album ‘Night Blooms’.
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