Can you join in on the songs from the Wicked show while watching a movie? According to whom you ask.
Devoted fans are debating whether it’s appropriate to belt out along with the on-screen cast while at the movies in response to the film adaptation of the well-known Broadway musical.
According to moviegoers who talked to NBC News, they want enthusiastic theatergoers to understand the proper way to avoid singing over the performers throughout the performance. Many stated that while they intend to lip sync, they will postpone the singing part until later.
One of the numerous people who shared his thoughts on the issue on TikTok was Alex Lewis, a lifelong off-Broadway community member who remarked, “You would never sing in a Broadway theater.” Last month, he and his band, Lewberger, shared a little tune that made fun of the debate.
In reference to the actors who play the film’s protagonists, Elphaba, the ultimate Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda/Glinda, who is subsequently referred to as Glinda the Good, respectively, Lewis remarked, “I want to hear Cynthia Erivo singing, I want to hear Ariana Grande singing.” I’d rather not listen to you sing.
The discussion over Wicked is similar to other recent discussions concerning public gathering etiquette. Many people have observed an increase in what they perceive to be undesirable behavior, such as throwing objects at players or performers, at sporting events and concerts. However, people utilizing their smartphones while watching a movie has been the main topic of discussion when it comes to movie theater etiquette.
Singing aloud has been accepted by certain moviegoers in the past. After the rush for pricey tickets prevented some people from seeing the concert in person, singing and dancing seemed to be encouraged when the Taylor Swift: The Eras concert movie came out.
In a similar vein, some Wicked fans who had never seen the musical perform live said that the film adaptation would allow them to witness the Wicked Witch of the West’s first flight.
The odd friendship between Elphaba and Glinda is the focus of the musical, which is set before, during, and after The Wizard of Oz.
“It was just so popular that it was always way too expensive to go,” said 30-year-old Lexi Williams, who listened to the Wicked soundtrack religiously as a teenager. I haven’t seen it yet. I thought, “Oh, that’s going to be great,” when they announced the release of the film.
Michelle Yeoh plays Madame Morrible, the headmaster of Shiz University, and Jonathan Bailey plays Fiyero, the love interest in the first part of the Jon Chu-directed movie. On November 21, 2025, the second installment of the feature film adaptation will be released.
Williams is one of the many Wicked fans who believe that singing along in a theater wouldn’t be the worst thing to do. She is still unsure, though, if she will be the first to sing.
She joked in her TikTok video that she would have to use all of her self-control not to belt out when the song “Defying Gravity” started.
Some theaters, like as Alamo Drafthouse, have already sold out interactive showings of the musical because they understand how passionate the fans are about it. In fact, they encourage fans to go all out. The well-known brand regularly offers interactive, prop-filled events it calls Movie Parties.
No trip to Oz would be complete without the props for Wicked, the theater chain said on its website, along with singing, green-tinted glasses, pink bubbles, glitter, Shiz University notebooks, and even broom pens.
A request for comment regarding its showings was not immediately answered by an Alamo Drafthouse representative.
A representative for Wicked’s distributor, Universal Pictures, verified Variety’s claim on Monday that the studio intends to start showing the film interactively in about 1,000 North American theaters on December 25.
(Comcast is a parent company of Universal Pictures and NBC News.)
Grande and Erivo admitted to the temptation to join in on the song in the theater during an interview with NBC News.
“I advise you to sing through if it’s your first time,” Erivo remarked. But allow us to sing to you a second time.
If you do, we get it; if not, we don’t,” Grande continued. Whatever makes them [the fans] happy is what we support.
But maybe stop if someone throws popcorn, their phone, or anything else at you, Grande joked.
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