7 Moments NBC Cut From the Wicked: One Wonderful Night Special
Not all memorable moments from NBC's Wicked: One Wonderful Night special aired on television. The two-hour event, which premiered on November 6, was recorded live at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood during September. The filming lasted around four hours, resulting in many performances, cast interviews, and previews being edited out.
Cut Moments From the Special
- The special opened with “No One Mourns the Wicked,” featuring audience members as citizens of Oz shouting, “Good news! She’s dead!” and throwing bouquets of flowers.
- Choreographer Chris Scott gave the audience a brief rehearsal of the choreography before Ariana Grande's performance as Glinda, a scene not shown on TV.
- According to Deadline, multiple attempts were needed to perfect the flower toss during the opening number, with Scott urging, “Put your body into it!”
- In the televised version, Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose, introduced “Defying Gravity” saying, “Wicked is filled with so many incredible songs, but there is one that stands out.”
“Put your body into it!” – Chris Scott, choreographer, encouraging the audience during rehearsal.
“Wicked is filled with so many incredible songs, but there is one that stands out.” – Marissa Bode, introducing “Defying Gravity.”
These edits reveal how much extra preparation and audience involvement shaped the live event beyond what viewers saw on screen.
Author’s summary: Behind-the-scenes rehearsal moments and audience interactions were cut from NBC's live recording of Wicked, highlighting the complexity of producing a smooth televised musical event.