Stephen Schwartz, the composer behind ‘Wicked,’ reveals the specific, artist-driven requests Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo made to shape their new ‘Wicked: For Good’ songs — from vocal placement to lyrical adjustments — proving that even iconic musicals are built on intimate collaboration.
Adding to his beloved Wicked score was never going to be easy, but Stephen Schwartz knew there was one thing he’d never have to worry about when crafting new songs for Wicked: For Good stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande — their extraordinary vocal talents.
“Both Cynthia and Ariana, of course, have extraordinary vocal instruments — and the ability to do just about anything with them that they want,” the lyricist and composer told Entertainment Weekly. “So it was just a matter of what would make each of them most comfortable in doing the songs.”
Erivo’s request for “No Place Like Home” was a technical one — she asked for slight word changes to ease the vocal demands of the song. “She asked if I could find a way to phrase some things a little bit differently, so she could take a breath,” Schwartz explained. The adjustment wasn’t about altering the emotional core, but ensuring her performance could be delivered with full power and precision.
For Grande, the focus was on vocal placement — a critical element for “Girl in the Bubble,” where Glinda’s transformation from private self to public persona demands a seamless shift between chest voice and soprano. “Since this is the moment at which Glinda changes — that both Glindas, both the private self where she sings in chest voice, or whatever you want to call it, and her public persona where she sings in soprano…. She’s going to give up both of those and become her authentic self; And therefore, we needed both of those voices in the song, so we found where would she do the soprano, and how would we do that in a way that was comfortable for her,” Schwartz said.
“The Girl in the Bubble” is more than a musical number — it’s a narrative turning point for Glinda, the moment she shatters her protective shell. “It is a shift that happens for her where she realizes something’s gotta change,” Grande said in a recent video interview exclusive to EW. “It was a really surreal thing to be trusted with an original Stephen Schwartz song — but also to be responsible for showing the audience for the first time this very pivotal, sacred moment in Glinda’s life.”
Erivo echoed that sentiment: “’No place like home’ is originally said by Dorothy [in The Wizard of Oz], and so to take those words and put them into the Wicked Witch of the West’s mouth, it’s a really big responsibility.” She described the song as “a beautiful song of resistance.” “I loved singing it and when we did it on the Yellow Brick Road, which is really iconic and special, it felt really powerful. That home that she’s known and loved this entire time might not want her but it doesn’t mean that it makes it any less like home,” she added.
These details reveal how deeply Schwartz and the creative team respected the performers’ individuality — even as they pushed them to deliver iconic, emotionally resonant performances. The new songs weren’t just additions to the musical; they were collaborative creations born from the artists’ own voices and artistic instincts.
Grande’s performance of “Girl in the Bubble” and Erivo’s rendition of “No Place Like Home” are not just showstoppers — they’re milestones in the evolution of the ‘Wicked’ universe. They demonstrate how the franchise continues to grow, adapting to new voices while honoring its roots.
As fans await the film’s release, these behind-the-scenes insights offer a rare glimpse into the creative process that makes ‘Wicked: For Good’ not just a sequel — but a reimagining of what musical theater can be.
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