NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Eric Wiltz, a 9-year-old from Houston, went viral in September for a video singing \u201cThe Wizard and I\u201d from Wicked<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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The clip caught the attention of Cynthia Erivo and Universal Pictures, who invited him to the New York City premiere of Wicked: For Good later this month<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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The young star chats with PEOPLE about his love of music, the upcoming Wicked premiere and what\u2019s next for him<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When asked how long he\u2019s been singing, 9-year-old Eric Wiltz responds confidently: \u201cSince I was 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
His mom Cherisse, who sits next to her son as they chat with PEOPLE over Zoom, can confirm.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been literally since he could talk,\u201d she says. \u201cA lot of babies start cooing and doing the \u2018goo goos\u2019 and \u2018ga gas\u2019 \u2014 but some of the first things Eric were doing was humming. And when he learned to talk, it was over.\u201d<\/p>\n
By the time he was 2, Eric’s grandma had realized that he could actually hum the pitches of notes he was hearing. Now he’s old enough to binge-watch music videos, and when it\u2019s time to put away the electronics, Eric hums and sings to fill the silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I sing myself to sleep,\u201d he tells PEOPLE. \u201cI always loved anything with music because it gives me this feeling like I can\u2019t hold my body back \u2014\u00a0that I need to dance and sing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naturally, when he saw the blockbuster adaptation of Wicked<\/a> at his friend\u2019s birthday party, it was a pretty pivotal moment. When he and his mom got home, they started streaming the movie-musical as frequently as they possibly could.<\/p>\n![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/47c2Oc28ZVdvCfBNCDSmMQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/5acc57adbb20ae57012f0524a9efb48c\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nCourtesy of Cherisse Cannon<\/p>\n
Eric Wiltz<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve watched it, like, 10 times,\u201d says Eric.<\/p>\n
\u201cWay more than 10,\u201d Cherisse quickly admits.<\/p>\n
\u201c15? 20? 25?\u201d Eric continues.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to lie to you,\u201d says Cherisse. \u201cThere\u2019s been some days where it has run three times in a row. It\u2019s like comfort music in the background \u2014 we just let it play.\u201d<\/p>\n
And Eric was studying: learning the lyrics, the melodies, even the precise inflections of Cynthia Erivo\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n
One day in September, Eric had come home from the bus stop in a sour mood, and his mom suggested they turn on Wicked to lighten his spirits. He was standing at the foot of her bed \u2014\u00a0eyes glued to the screen, belting out a pitch-perfect rendition of \u201cThe Wizard and I\u201d as the movie played \u2014\u00a0when Cherisse had the idea to video her son.<\/p>\n
\u201cI normally don\u2019t record my kids just in their element,\u201d she says. \u201cBut something in me was like, \u2018You should record.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Refined](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/RTOHB7FFstDcvTIw7NN0gw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTkyMDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/b723482218fad3f136415fc04fb87fcd\"\/)
<\/div>\nOn a whim, she uploaded the video to TikTok<\/a>,\u00a0not expecting much to come of it. The post now has over 5 million views, and the comments are even more impressive: Erivo, herself, wrote in to Eric, telling him she \u201ccan\u2019t wait\u201d to see him perform on a stage or screen one day.<\/p>\nNever miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\nCherisse captured her son\u2019s reaction when he learned about that message from Erivo: His grin is enormously wide as he asks his mom if it\u2019s a prank. \u201cI didn\u2019t know that could happen to me,\u201d he says in a clip she uploaded to TikTok<\/a>. \u201cI was not expecting to cry today.\u201d<\/p>\nAnd that was only the beginning of their whirlwind month. Several days later, an agent reached out to sign Eric, and even though he had never taken an acting or singing lesson in his life, he started filming audition tapes for an upcoming movie.<\/p>\n
![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ksQSeVxIL1H4dZWEVe21tQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTQyMDtoPTY0ODtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/c5767f8a0352c5f30fa20cc802563a6a\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nCourtesy of Cherisse Cannon<\/p>\n
Eric Wiltz<\/p><\/div>\n
Celebrity comments \u2014\u00a0from Hamilton\u2019s<\/a> Leslie Odom Jr.<\/a> and Black Panther\u2019s<\/a> Letitia Wright<\/a> \u2014\u00a0kept rolling in, alongside thousands of followers eager to watch Eric\u2019s inevitable journey in show business. Eric officially booked the movie part and jetted off to the set to start filming. And maybe most exciting of all, he received an invite from Universal Pictures to attend the New York City premiere of Wicked: For Good in November.<\/p>\n\u201cI ran upstairs and started bouncing myself on my bed,\u201d recalls Eric. \u201cI thought it wasn\u2019t real. I thought I was dreaming. I was trying to wake myself up \u2014\u00a0smashing pillows across my face.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though the initial shock has now worn off, he can\u2019t stop thinking about the premiere.<\/p>\n
Eric\u2019s already started mulling over his outfit options (\u201cI want it to be 2025, but also classy,\u201d he says, which probably means a suit and maybe some green sparkly shoes). He has plenty of theories about the color of the carpet (\u201cI\u2019ve seen all of the premieres,\u201d he notes, and by his calculations, this year\u2019s will be pink). And he\u2019s anticipating the moment he finally meets Erivo and Ariana Grande in person.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I can talk to them, I will pass out. I won\u2019t even be able to get my words out,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t care how dirty the floor is.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Eric doesn\u2019t yet have his own social media accounts \u2014 his mom is posting him on her own page for now, since he\u2019s only 9 \u2014\u00a0he already has thousands of fans online who were thrilled to find out he had gotten the premiere invite, cheering him on in the comments.<\/p>\n
\u201cSocial media can be a nasty place, but for us, it\u2019s become such a wonderful place,\u201d says Cherisse. \u201cI\u2019m personally, as his mother, very grateful because it can go one of two ways, and it went good. That\u2019s my kid, and I couldn\u2019t ask for anything less than simple kindness for my child.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Refined](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/u4RC.fmv45aDbllP6xR7CA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTkyMDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/9148a313e4ac6d516439dd5bee9fb390\"\/)
<\/div>\nSays Eric: \u201cThey encourage me to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just over a month since Eric\u2019s video first went viral, he and his mom are still pinching themselves. They\u2019re also eternally grateful for all of the opportunities they\u2019ve gotten so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Wicked premiere is where it stops, we are thankful and it\u2019s been a heck of a journey,\u201d says Cherisse.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy agents told me that this is not always going to happen \u2014 that I\u2019m not always going to get the role to the part I want,\u201d adds Eric. \u201cI\u2019ll be fine with that because at least I will get to experience trying to get the role. I\u2019m thankful that we\u2019ve come this far.\u201d<\/p>\n
But, adds Eric at the end of the Zoom call, if his viral moment does mark the beginning of a lucrative career in Hollywood, he has promised his mom he will buy her a pink Barbie Dreamhouse with the money.<\/p>\n
Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Eric Wiltz, a 9-year-old from Houston, went viral in September for a video singing \u201cThe Wizard and I\u201d from Wicked<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The clip caught the attention of Cynthia Erivo and Universal Pictures, who invited him to the New York City premiere of Wicked: For Good later this month<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The young star chats with PEOPLE about his love of music, the upcoming Wicked premiere and what\u2019s next for him<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When asked how long he\u2019s been singing, 9-year-old Eric Wiltz responds confidently: \u201cSince I was 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
His mom Cherisse, who sits next to her son as they chat with PEOPLE over Zoom, can confirm.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been literally since he could talk,\u201d she says. \u201cA lot of babies start cooing and doing the \u2018goo goos\u2019 and \u2018ga gas\u2019 \u2014 but some of the first things Eric were doing was humming. And when he learned to talk, it was over.\u201d<\/p>\n
By the time he was 2, Eric’s grandma had realized that he could actually hum the pitches of notes he was hearing. Now he’s old enough to binge-watch music videos, and when it\u2019s time to put away the electronics, Eric hums and sings to fill the silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I sing myself to sleep,\u201d he tells PEOPLE. \u201cI always loved anything with music because it gives me this feeling like I can\u2019t hold my body back \u2014\u00a0that I need to dance and sing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naturally, when he saw the blockbuster adaptation of Wicked<\/a> at his friend\u2019s birthday party, it was a pretty pivotal moment. When he and his mom got home, they started streaming the movie-musical as frequently as they possibly could.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Cherisse Cannon<\/p>\n Eric Wiltz<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve watched it, like, 10 times,\u201d says Eric.<\/p>\n \u201cWay more than 10,\u201d Cherisse quickly admits.<\/p>\n \u201c15? 20? 25?\u201d Eric continues.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to lie to you,\u201d says Cherisse. \u201cThere\u2019s been some days where it has run three times in a row. It\u2019s like comfort music in the background \u2014 we just let it play.\u201d<\/p>\n And Eric was studying: learning the lyrics, the melodies, even the precise inflections of Cynthia Erivo\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n One day in September, Eric had come home from the bus stop in a sour mood, and his mom suggested they turn on Wicked to lighten his spirits. He was standing at the foot of her bed \u2014\u00a0eyes glued to the screen, belting out a pitch-perfect rendition of \u201cThe Wizard and I\u201d as the movie played \u2014\u00a0when Cherisse had the idea to video her son.<\/p>\n \u201cI normally don\u2019t record my kids just in their element,\u201d she says. \u201cBut something in me was like, \u2018You should record.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n On a whim, she uploaded the video to TikTok<\/a>,\u00a0not expecting much to come of it. The post now has over 5 million views, and the comments are even more impressive: Erivo, herself, wrote in to Eric, telling him she \u201ccan\u2019t wait\u201d to see him perform on a stage or screen one day.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n Cherisse captured her son\u2019s reaction when he learned about that message from Erivo: His grin is enormously wide as he asks his mom if it\u2019s a prank. \u201cI didn\u2019t know that could happen to me,\u201d he says in a clip she uploaded to TikTok<\/a>. \u201cI was not expecting to cry today.\u201d<\/p>\n And that was only the beginning of their whirlwind month. Several days later, an agent reached out to sign Eric, and even though he had never taken an acting or singing lesson in his life, he started filming audition tapes for an upcoming movie.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Cherisse Cannon<\/p>\n Eric Wiltz<\/p><\/div>\n Celebrity comments \u2014\u00a0from Hamilton\u2019s<\/a> Leslie Odom Jr.<\/a> and Black Panther\u2019s<\/a> Letitia Wright<\/a> \u2014\u00a0kept rolling in, alongside thousands of followers eager to watch Eric\u2019s inevitable journey in show business. Eric officially booked the movie part and jetted off to the set to start filming. And maybe most exciting of all, he received an invite from Universal Pictures to attend the New York City premiere of Wicked: For Good in November.<\/p>\n \u201cI ran upstairs and started bouncing myself on my bed,\u201d recalls Eric. \u201cI thought it wasn\u2019t real. I thought I was dreaming. I was trying to wake myself up \u2014\u00a0smashing pillows across my face.\u201d<\/p>\n Even though the initial shock has now worn off, he can\u2019t stop thinking about the premiere.<\/p>\n Eric\u2019s already started mulling over his outfit options (\u201cI want it to be 2025, but also classy,\u201d he says, which probably means a suit and maybe some green sparkly shoes). He has plenty of theories about the color of the carpet (\u201cI\u2019ve seen all of the premieres,\u201d he notes, and by his calculations, this year\u2019s will be pink). And he\u2019s anticipating the moment he finally meets Erivo and Ariana Grande in person.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I can talk to them, I will pass out. I won\u2019t even be able to get my words out,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t care how dirty the floor is.\u201d<\/p>\n While Eric doesn\u2019t yet have his own social media accounts \u2014 his mom is posting him on her own page for now, since he\u2019s only 9 \u2014\u00a0he already has thousands of fans online who were thrilled to find out he had gotten the premiere invite, cheering him on in the comments.<\/p>\n \u201cSocial media can be a nasty place, but for us, it\u2019s become such a wonderful place,\u201d says Cherisse. \u201cI\u2019m personally, as his mother, very grateful because it can go one of two ways, and it went good. That\u2019s my kid, and I couldn\u2019t ask for anything less than simple kindness for my child.\u201d<\/p>\n Says Eric: \u201cThey encourage me to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n Just over a month since Eric\u2019s video first went viral, he and his mom are still pinching themselves. They\u2019re also eternally grateful for all of the opportunities they\u2019ve gotten so far.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Wicked premiere is where it stops, we are thankful and it\u2019s been a heck of a journey,\u201d says Cherisse.<\/p>\n \u201cMy agents told me that this is not always going to happen \u2014 that I\u2019m not always going to get the role to the part I want,\u201d adds Eric. \u201cI\u2019ll be fine with that because at least I will get to experience trying to get the role. I\u2019m thankful that we\u2019ve come this far.\u201d<\/p>\n But, adds Eric at the end of the Zoom call, if his viral moment does mark the beginning of a lucrative career in Hollywood, he has promised his mom he will buy her a pink Barbie Dreamhouse with the money.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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