Marissa Bode wasn’t naming any real-life names when she mentioned a “power-hungry dictator” during an appearance in the Wicked: One Wonderful Night special, but NBC curtailed her speech anyway.
Near the end of the two-hour broadcast, Bode, who plays Nessarose in the 2024 film Wicked and its soon-to-be-released sequel, introduces costar Cynthia Erivo’s performance of “Defying Gravity.”
“Wicked is filled with so many incredible songs, but there is one that stands out. It’s connected with so many people from all over the world. I’m talking, of course, about ‘Defying Gravity,’” Bode said in the version of the special that aired on NBC and currently streams on Peacock. “The song is an ode to authenticity and about believing yourself, no matter what obstacles the world puts in your way. Performing ‘Defying Gravity,’ please welcome the incredible Cynthia Erivo.”
But Entertainment Weekly reports Bode’s full introduction, heard by the audience at the live September 24 taping at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, also described “Defying Gravity” as an ode to resisting a “power-hungry dictator.”
In the context of the film, Bode was likely referring to Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard of Oz as that dictator, but her comments also carry real-world insinuations that apparently weren’t lost on the live audience. Deadline corroborates EW’s account of Bode’s speech, saying the mention defying a dictator elicited thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the crowd, leading to a significant pause in the production.
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“Clearly the NBCUniversal team didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, because it’s essentially entirely cut out of the special,” Deadline added.
There were other untelevised moments from the special, Deadline reports. For example, Wicked choreographer Chris Scott taught the live audience how to wave their bouquets of flowers for Ariana Grande’s performance of “No One Mourns the Wicked.” Grande and Erivo sang their “Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again” duet a second time, just for fun. And Erivo actually belted out “Defying Gravity” three times so that NBC had plenty of footage of her singing both on stage and on a wire as she flew around the proscenium.
Wicked: One Wonderful Night, Now Streaming, NBC
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