Cynthia Erivo underwent ‘cardiovascular conditioning’ to play Elphaba in ‘Wicked’
22 November 2024, 20:02
Cynthia Erivo on singing, stunts and Defying Gravity in 'Wicked' | Classic FM
British actor and vocal powerhouse Cynthia Erivo has revealed the extreme preparation that went into her role as Elphaba in the new ‘Wicked’ blockbuster.
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Cynthia Erivo has secured quadruple-threat status with her latest appearance as Elphaba in the new blockbuster Wicked: Part One.
Delivering an inimitable performance as the green-hued sorceress in a virtuosic acting, singing, and dancing capacity, the London-born actor added stuntwoman to her expanding list of credentials.
“I loved the feeling of being able to be flown around,” Erivo told Classic FM’s Zeb Soanes. “There’s a harmoniousness that goes with that kind of flight work. It’s amazing, I love it.”
Zeb had asked her about a promotional behind-the-scenes clip for the movie, which saw Erivo suspended from the ceiling by wires and being flung around in a loop-the-loop.
And as if that wasn’t impressive enough, she belted out the final verse of ‘Defying Gravity’ while she did it.
Read more: When Cynthia Erivo serenaded Julie Andrews with stunning rendition of ‘Edelweiss’
How did Cynthia Erivo prepare to sing ‘Defying Gravity’?
The star shared that wearing the harness for flight work in addition to the corsetry of her Elphaba costume meant that she had to retrain her vocal technique and undergo a gruelling regime to meet the vocal demands of her character’s climactic moment, ‘Defying Gravity’.
“Your diaphragm is inhibited, and so are your lungs,” Erivo told Zeb. “But my wonderful vocal coach Antea [Birchett] worked with me to find out where to place the breath.“
Psychological tricks also played a part in her preparation for the scene. She told Zeb: “Often with big sounds you need the ground to push back on, and I don’t have the ground under me. But if I can almost imagine the ground beneath my feet when I am making those sounds, it’s easier to get the force up and out to make the sound.”
Vocal re-training wasn’t the only way she prepared for the role. When Zeb asked her about the ‘cardiovascular conditioning’ she underwent during filming, Erivo responded: “I was up every morning at about 2am doing one to two hours of working out before getting in the [makeup] chair.
“Every morning I would do a long run or a bike ride, and sing at the same time. It wasn’t particular songs, but anything that gave me space to be open.”
The idea, she continued, was for her body to become used to moving and making sound at the same time: “It helps to condition the lungs, to breathe slightly differently than if I was standing still and singing.”
'Wicked' composer Stephen Schwartz breaks down his iconic 'Defying Gravity' | Classic FM
How did it feel to sing ‘Defying Gravity’?
Anyone who has heard Wicked’s musical magnum opus before will know the anthemic ‘Defying Gravity’, and in particular Elphaba’s awe-inspiring wordless outburst at the end, likened by its composer Stephen Schwartz to a ‘war cry’.
“You produce that incredible final note,” Zeb asked Erivo, “which feels, when you’re watching the movie, like an incredible emotional release. Is that how it felt for you?”
“Definitely,” the actor agreed. “I was always looking forward to that moment, just because everything builds to there. Your body and your brain and your mind – and your heart, really – are waiting to be able to release that one final note, because it’s the ultimate moment where she can become herself.”
What was it like to sing with Ariana Grande?
Starring opposite Erivo in Wicked is Ariana Grande, fellow vocal phenomenon and a pop star and actor in her own right, who portrays Glinda the ‘Good Witch’.
The pair share several duets in the film, including ‘What is this Feeling’ and ‘Popular’. From the very first trailer, Wicked fans remarked on the way the two stars’ voices blended in perfect harmony.
“You’re blessed in that your co-star [Grande] has done a bit of singing before,” Zeb joked. “But you have very different voices – how do you manage to blend so spectacularly well?”
“The actual most important thing is listening to what the other person is doing,” Erivo responded. “For me it was just a pleasure and a delight because [Ariana], in order to do that, is being so generous. We both have to give to each other so that we can meet each other in the middle with the sounds of our voices.
“Apart, our voices sound so very, very different. But when we sing together you can’t tell which is which, and that’s because there’s a wonderful, generous listening happening at the same time.”
