Are Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in the new Wicked movie? Cameo explained

Something has changed within Wicked – but maybe not as much as you think. With the new movie hitting theaters, are Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel joining the cast?

When it comes to some of the most famous musical theater songs of all time – not to mention backstory – Wicked is up there with the Old Hollywood classics.

For those who haven’t seen it, the story is based on The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, who’s been reimagined as Elphaba… who turns out to be really caring and nice.

It’s not been off Broadway for the past 20 years, so you might know why Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel are so closely linked to it. But are they in the screen adaptation of Wicked? Warning: spoilers ahead!

Are Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in Wicked?

Yes! Both Chenoweth and Menzel make an appearance during ‘One Short Day,’ which is when Glinda and Elphaba arrive in the Emerald City for the first time.

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Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) has been invited to Oz by the Wizard himself (Jeff Goldblum), with residents immediately bursting into song the moment they step off the train. Think of the Capitol from The Hunger Games, only more green and less death.

The pair get a tour of the town, resulting in the Oz players telling the “very truthful” story of how Oz came to be. We essentially learn the Wizard flew in on a hot air balloon to make the city the dazzling green beauty we know it to be, of course, not all is as it seems.

But before we meet the Wizard, two of our players get a duet during ‘One Short Day’ to tell a section of his story. This is none other than Menzel and Chenoweth – though if you Googled the movie soundtrack, the results gave it away.

There’s a few clear nods to their links with the musical, though. The pair vocally blend as beautifully as they did two decades ago, with Menzel sneaking her iconic final run from ‘Defying Gravity’ in for good measure.

The pair appeared on the red (ahem, green) carpet for the film’s LA premiere, but they’ve been dodging questions about appearing in it for years.

Take this interview clip from seven years ago. Chenoweth told Andy Cohen she “hoped” the pair “could be featured in a crowd somewhere,” but also joked she would be starring as a munchkin.

However, she was spotted in behind-the-scenes clips released by Universal. In a freeze-frame, she’s pictured behind Grande and Erivo during down time between scenes, though Menzel wasn’t pictured. Despite this, Chenoweth’s appearance prompted rumors about Menzel being there too.

Why is it such a big deal?

When Wicked debuted on Broadway in 2003, Chenoweth and Menzel were the first to play Glinda and Elphaba. For musical theater nerds and fellow performers, they are Glinda and Elphaba.

They played their roles until 2004, earning Tony Award nominations and even a Grammy in 2005 for the soundtrack.

They’ve reunited over the years for various anniversaries, performing their classic duet ‘For Good’ for the 15th anniversary in 2016.

Essentially, they’re handing over the baton this time around. You’ll see from the clip below, but each gets their prospective moment on screen with Grande and Erivo – though Chenoweth isn’t to be upstaged by the new Glinda.

As a child, Grande had met Chenoweth around the time she was playing Glinda, stating her as her biggest inspiration for the role.

Chenoweth told People Magazine the then 10-year-old gifted her “a little magical body wash” and “a little wand. I think it was magical because look at where we are now!”

Prior to the film’s release, Chenoweth also confirmed she had “total confidence” in Grande’s portrayal of Glinda.

Wicked Part 1 is out worldwide on November 22. Check out more about its runtime, age rating, and what we know about Wicked Part 2 so far.

You can also catch up with upcoming Disney releases, new movies streaming this month, and the best movies of the year so far.