As a kid, Ariana Grande loved singing karaoke with her family. "I looked up to Whitney and Mariah and Celine endlessly," she says. "I think that's a large part of the reason why I learned to sing." She spoke with Tonya Mosley about auditioning for and landing the role of Glinda in Wicked, her signature whistle register, and how she quiets the voice of self-doubt.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley. The musical Wicked is a top contender at this year's Academy Awards, with 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for my guest today, Ariana Grande.
Wicked has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, introducing new layers of the story of Oz that really challenge audiences to look beyond surface appearances and question preconceived notions of good and evil. Ariana Grande stars as the privileged and popular Galinda, who develops a friendship with Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, born with green skin and ostracized by society.
As a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, the film is set years before Dorothy arrives in Oz, and it charts the transformations of Elphaba into the Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda into Glinda the Good. Here's Grande, as Galinda, singing Popular, a song that gives insights into her character.
Elfie, now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project. Oh, you really don't have to do that. I know.
That's what makes me so nice. Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I And let's face it, right? Who isn't? Less fortunate than I My tender heart tends to start to bleed And when someone needs a makeover I simply have to take over I know, I know Exactly
What they need And even in your case Though it's the toughest case I've yet to face Don't worry, I'm determined to succeed Follow my lead And yes, indeed, you I'll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix your hair, everything that really counts to be popular. I'll help you be popular. You'll hang with the right cohorts. You'll be good at sports. Know the slang you've got to know.
So let's start, cause you've got an awfully long way to go.
Ariana Grande says that from the moment she first saw the musical on Broadway at 10 years old, her life was divided into two chapters, before Wicked and after. True. This is true.
This is very true.
Ariana Grande, welcome to Fresh Air.
Thank you, Tanya, for having me. Thank you so much.
You know, this movie has become a cultural phenomenon. And it's so interesting how the subtext really speaks to the time period that we're in. It's a timeless story, but it also is very timely. Yeah, very timely. You first saw Wicked on Broadway at 10?
Yes, I was 10 years old and I got to see the original Broadway cast with Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel and Norbert Leo Butz and Chris Fitzgerald. And it was very life changing.
What was it about Wicked? Because I know that you were somewhat of a theater kid. You were seeing lots of musicals, but this one in particular really spoke to you.
Yes. I mean, I think, you know, I was so young. Of course, I loved the music. I loved the comedy. I remember Glinda's impact on the audience and that infectious laughter and how it made me feel and everyone around me feel. I think that was just like so impactful, but also the themes of sisterhood.
I don't think I ever saw a show or anything at that point that revolved around these two women who are so different, learning each other and really falling in love with each other through their differences and kind of Learning how to protect and accept and celebrate each other, even when it meant that they disagreed.
It was just kind of like this embodiment of true unconditional love and friendship in a way that I hadn't seen portrayed in a story before. And I think it really spoke to me.
When you received word that you got the role, you reached out to Chynoweth, right? Yes.
Yeah, so we had worked together before on Hairspray Live. So I knew her a little bit from working together and she was one of my first phone calls. I was very excited to tell her and it was a very special and tearful exchange. She was very supportive of me throughout the course of my audition process as well because I went through quite an extensive process.
I was so excited to have the chance to even be seen at all. But I wanted to tell her right away when I got the audition. And she was a big cheerleader. Did she give you any advice? No. You know what? It was kind of like she was just really supportive of me finding my own Glinda. And that was kind of just the exact green light or pink light that I needed.
It was really special to hear that from her because, of course, we have this tremendous responsibility to find Glinda. That balance between paying homage to this source material that is beloved and has been iconic and has been a part of people's lives for 22 years at this point, while also bringing our own truths and our own selves to these women.
And finding that balance, so getting the green light from her to kind of play and improv and put my own spin on her was such a helpful and beautiful gift to receive, even from the very beginning. And I, yeah, I'm so grateful for the ways in which she and Adina have championed us and embraced Cynthia and me throughout this journey. It's been very special. Is it true that you auditioned five times?
Oh! Okay, so I auditioned three times. My first audition, I sang actually for both roles. Even though I came in in all pink, I knew I was Glinda. I knew that was what I was supposed to be doing. I think they just asked me to sing for both parts. For Elphaba and for... Yes, for both witches. So I was, of course, down to do whatever was asked of me, of course. And...
I had started training with my vocal coach, Eric Vitro, three months before my first audition to train my voice to sing in a coloratura soprano placement, which is quite different from what I usually do, even though my... voice naturally sits in a high register, it's a totally different style of singing.
And, you know, though I do use my falsetto quite often in pop music, it's just a completely different style, tone, vibrato, sound. And usually I'm using in pop music either my like mixy belt or my whistle register. So there's this big gap in between those two, which is where Glinda kind of lives.
And where that operatic sound needed to be strengthened and found in my voice and trained to become authentic sounding, it really required a lot of work. And what was really fun and interesting about that was that I went to get my vocal cords checked at the beginning of my training process to see if I could see a difference in the muscles, just how the shape is.
Yes.
you can actually track the chord's changing shape while I was training and stuff like that. It's really, I'm a nerd for that kind of stuff, but the training was extensive, and it was really thrilling to follow the progress. So for my first audition, I sang No One Mourns the Wicked and Popular, but I also sang The Wizard of Nine Defying Gravity. But it was very clear what I was meant for.
That you were there for, right? Yes. For Galinda.
And in case it wasn't clear, I was in all pink, and I had a pink mug, and I had a pink. Everything was very Glinda-fied, just sending the subliminal message. And then I was called back for Glinda, and I sang more Glinda songs. So that was my second audition, and that was really thrilling. And I got to do my scenes with the casting associate, Tiffany Little, from Bernie Telsey's office. And
She was masked because this was during COVID. Like kind of a little wave of it at the tail end of COVID. But the best thing was feeling that I could tell under her mask that she was giggling because her eyes were smiling.
You could see the smile in her eyes. And I could feel it.
And it was just really special. Yes. And then my final callback was a chemistry test with two different Elphabas. It was three hours long. Mm-hmm. And they were so beautiful and wonderful, but surprisingly, neither one of them was Cynthia, so we didn't actually get to chemistry test together at all.
Oh, my gosh.
Isn't that insane?
That is, because you all have so much chemistry. We're going to talk about that a little bit later.
Oh, I can't wait.
I want to play a little bit from the film so that folks can get an idea of your voice training that you're talking about. Oh, sure. I mean, you are known for your four-octave range, but... Your acting is on full display in the film, but as you mentioned, like you really had to get your voice in shape for this. And so let's play a little bit of No One Mourns the Wicked.
Look! It's Glinda! Let us be glad. Let us be grateful. Let us rejoice if I thought goodness could subdue the wicked workings of your new home. Isn't it nice to know that good will conquer evil? The truth we all believe are one and one.
You mentioned all of the practice and the preparation for your voice to be able to take on the music. I'm always interested when folks have such a special voice like yours, this four octave range, when you discover that you actually had that range.
Oh, my goodness. Thank you. But I don't know. I mean, I was always singing. I don't remember a time in my life when I wasn't singing. Like, as soon as I could speak, I was singing. I grew up in a really musical household. Neither one of my parents did music, but they loved music and they loved to sing. We had a karaoke machine. You all did karaoke at home?
Yes.
Yes. We had one. We had a karaoke machine in the living room. It was like kind of an obstruction. It was like in the way of the furniture. There was no... Because they're always bulky.
I did too. I grew up that way too, by the way.
But wasn't it the best?
Yeah. I mean, all the time. Yeah. So so you all would would you all just a special occasions or just sometimes just get up there? Oh, every day.
It was quite a thing. Like as soon as I got home from school, I was singing. And as soon as my mom and dad got home from work, they were singing. And my brother was in musical theater at schools. And so I would I would go see him in his shows. And I looked up to him so much. I just thought, oh, my goodness, I want to be on stage. I want to be like Frankie and be doing musical theater.
And we just loved singing so much.
I want to know what types of songs you and your dad would sing on karaoke.
My dad?
Yeah, you too. Would you sing together ever?
Sometimes. I mean, yes, we all sang together. But my dad was super into the Beatles. We did a lot of that stuff. Bee Gees, maybe. Beach Boys. How Deep Is Your Love and that kind of stuff. Yeah, Beach Boys too. Lots of Beatles. I love the Beatles. My mom was a total diva, like Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion. Frankie was a mix of everything.
Got some Madonna, some Spice Girls in there, Judy Garland, all of it. And my grandparents loved to sing as well. My grandpa more than anyone.
Really? Yes.
Lots of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, belting from the top of his voice.
Right. Yeah, it was an expression of love.
Yes. Did you have favorites? Because I know that when you decided and knew that you wanted to be a singer, I read that you actually sent demos with you singing lots of different folks music like Whitney Houston and Celine Dion and those folks.
Yes, I loved a good cover, you know, back in the day.
But yeah, I always loved the divas, the big, big voices. I looked up to Whitney and Mariah and Celine endlessly. And I think that's a large part of the reason why I learned to sing was just because that's who I was singing along with, you know, growing up.
Yes. How often do you take your voice to that whistle octave range?
Not too often. I feel like it has to be, you know, not without emotional intention, you know. It's a fun trick, but it has to serve a purpose. I try not to abuse it.
It has to serve a purpose in a song, in a moment where you're wanting to take the listener to a place. Is that what you're saying?
Yeah. Yeah, I think so. I try to be very discerning with the ways I use my voice. And sometimes you don't need to just do it because it's there. You know, I kind of try to find the right places and moments and make sure that it's kind of with an emotional attachment or serving a purpose.
Yes. What is the whistle register for those who don't know?
So the whistle register is the incredibly, incredibly high notes made most famous by Mariah Carey. The whistle, whistle, whistle register notes, they're in Emotions, they're in Vision of Love, they're in a lot of her most famous records. And a lot of opera singers as well use the whistle register too.
I want to play another pivotal scene from the film. It's when your character, Galinda, and Elphaba first meet. And Elphaba has arrived at school and everyone reacts. They're really startled by the color of her skin, which is green. The interaction the two of you have showcases your differences because Elphaba is strong and smart and you're kind of silly and a little bit superficial. Let's listen.
What? What are you staring at? Do I have something in my teeth? No, it's just... you're green. I am. Fine. Let's get this over with. No, I am not seasick. No, I did not eat grass as a child. And yes, I've always been green.
Well, I for one am so sorry that you have been forced to live with this. Is that so? Yes. And it is my intention to major in sorcery. So if at some point you wanted to address the, um, problem. Problem. Perhaps I could help.
Offering to help someone that you don't know with skills that you don't have. I'm sure everyone is duly impressed. I could care less what others think. Couldn't. What? You couldn't care less what other people think. Though, I doubt that.
That was my guest, Ariana Grande, starring as Galinda in the musical film Wicked. Ariana, Galinda is kind of like the foil for Elphaba. She represents conformity and societal expectations, while Elphaba embodies this rebellious thing. You know, she's trying to be an individual. She's kind of forced to be because she is seen as such. Are there elements of both of them?
It's so interesting that you came prepared to audition for both of them, knowing that you were there for one. But do you see elements of yourself in both characters or either of the characters?
It's funny because I feel like that is why Wicked is what it is. I think that's why people respond to it the way that they do because I think pieces of both of these women exist within all of us. And I think that's what makes it hit home the way that it does and touch people the way that it does because I think everyone can –
identify a time in their life where they felt like Elphaba at the center of the dance floor at the Asda's ballroom. While everyone is circled around her laughing or making her feel othered, everyone, I think, has felt that at least once. And simultaneously, I think everyone can also acknowledge a time in their life where they felt like Linda in that moment as well.
where they know that the mirror is being held up and they have an opportunity to change and to become better, where their bubble of privilege or of circumstance that is specific to them is popped for the first time. A life-changing moment where we learn to see something a different way. And I think because of the incredible nuance and
humanness that lives within both of them, that's why they both live in all of us, kind of. And I think that's why it feels the way it does for so many people.
Our guest today is Oscar-nominated actress and performer Ariana Grande. We'll be right back after a short break. I'm Tanya Mosley, and this is Fresh Air.
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Hi, this is Molly C.V. Nusberg, digital producer at Fresh Air. And this is Terry Gross, host of the show. One of the things I do is write the weekly newsletter. And I'm a newsletter fan. I read it every Saturday after breakfast. The newsletter includes all the week's shows, staff recommendations, and Molly picks timely highlights from the archive. It's a fun read.
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Is it true that the two of you insisted on, because Cynthia is also an amazing vocalist as well.
She's the best in the whole world. She really is, I swear. And as incredible, I'm sorry, I promise I'll let you ask your question. But as beautiful as she sounds in the film and in the end result and whatever it is, it's even more stunning face to face, just in person, in the thin air. It's just such a spectacular gift that she has. I'm sorry, what was the question?
Well, the two of you all, is it true that you insisted on singing on set? Yes. Which doesn't always happen when there's a musical movie happening.
Yeah. Well, it kind of demands it. The material demands that because the emotional context of what we're singing about sometimes can evoke the performance to be different take to take. Sometimes it's more emotional. Sometimes it's It's different. Sometimes it's stronger. And also with the comedic elements, I love to improv. I love to surprise people.
So I also, as Glinda, kind of required that freedom to be able to do whatever felt most honest and Glinda in the moment. So the material demands it from both of us. Also, we are singers. We love to sing. We love to sing so much. And it would have felt dishonest to not sing live for this.
And also, there's even more, you know, there are so many beautiful Glindas and Elphabas who have done this on Broadway and the West End on tour eight shows a week. So in solidarity with them, if we have to do something 28 takes in a row live, we will do it.
Yeah.
We're a part of a beautiful coven. Right. And we had to do that with our sister witches. But also it really just comes back to allowing the performances to be as honest as possible. If we are married to a track that's prerecorded, there's less room for like honesty to pour out. Mm hmm.
And when you're emotional, your voice cracks and you have things seep through that, you know, are beautiful in their own way. So that was a really extraordinary gift. And Simon Hayes, our incredible head of sound, turned the set into a recording studio.
I mean, everywhere you looked, there was a microphone in Cynthia's hat and both of my little peaks of my bubble dress, the pink bubble dress in the bubble itself and the wig and the thing and everything. That required a lot of work to be able to protect the quality and make sure that we were covered from every angle.
Because if a gust of wind came or if, which there was so much wind and everything and rain and flying.
Just all the elements that were part of the production.
Yes. And somehow Simon was able to figure it out so that it was protected. And also you can hear in the background. You're so excited. I'm so excited. I'm a nerd when it comes to this stuff, can you tell? But I was helping with the vocal production, which was really a cool part of this. And I was helping comp through the live takes of Defying Gravity.
And I called Cynthia on FaceTime because I was so excited. You could hear her little, when you solo the vocal for the second verse, I'm through accepting limits. You hear her little feet going up the stairs in the background when you solo the vocal. And I'm a nerd, so I love that. You could hear the little stairs creaking and her shoes going up. And it was so cool.
You're like a... A savant when it comes to sound, huh? Would you say that?
I think that's such a nice, that's such a generous way of putting it.
Well, I think it's interesting. I have met a few people, but not a lot of people who comment on all of the sounds around it. I do love sound. Not just the vocals.
I love sound. I love voices and different tones and different textures. And I think that's why when I was younger, I learned impersonations at a young age, like Judy Garland might have actually been my first with The Wizard of Oz being on TV.
I remember just sort of looking at her posture and also like her vibrato and her tone and finding that so interesting, noticing how voices can be so different at a young age.
I'm just imagining a young little Ariana in front of the television looking at Judy Garland. Was there a particular line of hers or any part of the film that comes to you that you used to impersonate?
Well, Somewhere Over the Rainbow was a big one. I loved Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I used to wear my little gingham dress in front of the TV, but I used to do a weird thing where I would wear it with like a scary movie mask on.
Like the movie Scream.
Or a Jason mask. I had that as well, the one with the hockey thing. It was quite strange, but I needed to put my twist on it.
What was that?
Oh, I don't know. I wish I could tell you. But it makes sense. I don't know. My mom loved Halloween, and we all loved Halloween.
It all made sense back then.
Yes, it did. It's hard to put a finger on it now, but I just feel like it helps set up the visual. Yeah.
When did you and Cynthia realize that you all were friends? I think that any of us who watch the press tour, we can see clearly the connection that you all have. But when did you understand that you're more than colleagues, that you all were friends, too?
Well, I think it's something that was important to us from the very beginning, was to build something real and to know that we could have a safe space in each other for this journey. Because it was going to be tremendous. We knew it was going to be years and years of some of the hardest work of our lives. And... It's something that we started building from the day we were cast.
You know, we FaceTimed and congratulated each other and the announcement happened and the celebratory dinner happened. And, you know, I was a fan of hers, but it got very real very quickly. You know, I reached out and I said, OK, as we're digging into the contracts now. Let's say in touch. Let's call each other. I want to be there for you and help make sure you're getting everything you need.
And I want us to go at everything together because there's going to be so much that is very high stakes about this production that we're jumping into. You know, this is... 160 plus shoot days with however many months of rehearsal beforehand. This is a lot of time with these characters, with these women, but with each other and in this high stakes environment.
This project is so much bigger than us and than anything. And I want us to be able to give ourselves over to it in the healthiest way possible. And I want you to know that I've got your back. Whatever comes up, it's always going to be us against the thing. I want it to always be us against whatever arises, if anything.
So that was a really beautiful, open and beautiful conversation that we had together. And we shared any sort of little concerns and things that were important to us. And that sent a loud message, I think, that like we are safe here. And it just kept building and growing from there. I think that's tremendous.
Thank you. In life. In life. In life.
I just think it was so profoundly important to us both to take care of each other in this high stakes, beautiful dream come true project. And then also to gain that friendship in real life is truly a gift. You know, you hear that there are other ways it can go. Yes. And we had to protect this from every angle we could, you know.
I don't want to overspeak, but did you ever feel like people thought of you as a pop star and maybe not hefty enough to take on a role like this?
That possibility, like earn the openness from John, from the casting directors, from the producers to maybe see a possible chance that I could disappear into this person. I thought, oh my goodness, I know what's required of Glinda. I know she's funny. I know it's high notes. And I know that maybe some people who don't know her well enough would think that I'm the perfect fit.
But that's just kind of scratching the surface. And I have to kind of be able to earn this and have every tool in my box available to me to use so that every piece of her... that is emotional, that is dramatized, that is insecure, that is why Glinda is the way she is, so reliant upon external validation and the popularity and how important that is to her.
And that's a real person under there with a real beating heart and where she goes from part one, her arc in act two and what she experiences. And it requires a lot, this role. And I thought that I would really have a lot to prove That's why I took the audition process so seriously, because I knew I wanted to do the work so desperately to earn a chance.
How do you push away self-doubt?
I think you kind of have to... This is something that my acting coach Nancy Banks and I talked about so much. She is one of the most goodly good witches on this earth, I have to say. But, you know, it's just befriending those monsters in a way. You kind of look at them and say, hey... The monsters being self-doubt. Yeah, self-doubt or fear or whatever it is, or nerves or whatever.
And you have to kind of realize... Nerves are great. It means you care so much and that your ego can be left far, far, far behind in a faraway land so that you can do beautiful work and so that you know you care.
You're acknowledging this and using those nerves as positive carbonation for the performance and also being able to put a little flashlight on your little fears or monsters in your head and say like, hi, thank you for protecting me. They're totally valid, your fears of, you know, the ways in which this might, you know, could possibly whatever. Thank you for caring the way that you do.
However, I have work to do. It would be beautiful if you could please step outside and get me a coffee, maybe come back later. You know, you're totally going to come back later.
I know that.
So thank you for stepping away for a little. Right. Because I have to get to know Glinda for now. And I have to do this work. I have to give myself over to this person for a little bit. And then I'll get to know her monsters in the meantime so that she can have real monsters in her head and those can be present. And it's just kind of learning how to do that dance. It's all a mental dance.
So it's important to learn how to navigate those guys and be able to embrace and also keep them where they're supposed to be.
Let's take a short break. If you're just joining us, my guest is Oscar-nominated actress and performer Ariana Grande. We'll continue our conversation after a short break. This is Fresh Air.
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You arrived in L.A. at 14 years old? Yes. Yeah, from Florida, because that's where you were raised. Yes.
I was born and raised in Florida, and then I moved to New York to do 13, the musical on Broadway, written by Jason Robert Brown and Robert Horn. And I was in that show for quite some time. I did the reading, and then I did the out-of-town run in Connecticut, Goodspeed Theater. And then came to Broadway with the show. And then after that, went to L.A. for my callback for Victorious.
And then I've been kind of an L.A., New York person ever since then.
Yeah, and Victoria's just to let folks know that's a Nickelodeon show. There are lots of parents who listen to this show who are like, oh yeah, I know Victoria's. Yes, for sure.
I'm very sorry for the ways in which my voice has probably ricocheted off the walls in your house.
As well as Sam and Kat, yes, including my home. But do you remember... Who you were back then when you were telling folks, I want to sing and I want to do soulful music, right? I want to do R&B music. Take us to that decision.
Yes. So I was sort of navigating both at the same time because I loved comedy. I loved acting, but I also loved music. And so towards the very beginning of Victorious, I was writing songs that could be used for the character on the show because it was a musical show. So we sang a little bit on the show together. And that just sort of transformed at some point into, I want to make a solo album.
And I started realizing that I could be myself in the music and like dyeing my hair brown on the weekends and then...
You dyeing your hair brown.
No, no, no. Like temporarily spraying it. Like crazy things I was doing to be able to sort of jump back and forth between like being an artist and being me and, you know, doing little cover videos and little performances here and there. And it was a slow but steady start. But I was doing both at the same time. So I would be filming the show and then going to the studio in the evenings.
And I worked on my first album for three years while I was simultaneously shooting the show. And then it kind of happened, I guess. Yeah.
What was it about R&B music in those early days that really spoke to you?
The voices, the singing. I love, I love, I love, I love singers. I remember... I'm loving pop music, too. I do love pop music. But there was just something about Whitney and Mariah and Aretha and just sort of like these gorgeous R&B soulful powerhouse vocals just being my favorite. And I was super inspired by Whitney and Mariah.
And also that was kind of where I felt like there was this crossover with musical theater because there are so many big voices in musical theater, too. You know, my favorite songs to sing when I was younger growing up were like the most vocal ones I could find.
Yeah, like the ballads. Yes.
Yes. Or like Here I Am from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels or Gimme Gimme from Thoroughly Modern Millie. Yeah. Or Whitney and Mariah. You know, those were my favorite songs to sing growing up. And I just remember being so inspired by divas.
Yeah. You know, there's a dichotomy in your persona because some of your music is sweet. Some of it is soulful. And some of it, Ariana, is pretty raunchy. Yeah. Like, I mean, I was listening to 3435 and I was like, oh my gosh, can I blush? If I could, I think I am.
That is hilarious. It started as a, I mean, it started and ended as a total joke just because. The song, 3435. I just found the strings so lush and so majestic and like Disney princess sounding. I fell in love with those strings and that was like what I knew I wanted to write over forever. But I just thought how funny would it be?
I love when comedy can exist within like a sense of humor can exist within songwriting too. That's important to me. But I thought it would be so funny if maybe the dirtiest song we ever wrote would be over these like Disney princess sounding like lush strings. How fun would that be?
You kind of sit in a very rare space. That song, okay, it's really interesting to know that it was kind of a joke. But when you do sit in that space, it's very Meg Thee Stallion, Lil' Kim. Like it's a nod back to that type of lyricism, which some feel like is a feminist cry. You know, like it's ownership of one's body, of one's persona. Okay, is that how you see it?
Oh, of course. I think it's always so beautiful when female artists celebrate and embrace sexual expression or their bodies or themselves, their truth or whatever through music, even when it is naughty sometimes. You know, I think it's a beautiful thing. And even when it's done with humor or not, you know, boys do it.
They do.
Yeah. So why can't we? Yeah. So many brilliant women are writing such spectacular music right now. It's such an amazing time for women in music. I feel like there are so many beautiful new young up and coming artists that I've loved listening to this year. Like I it's been just a cool thing to watch. I love it.
We talked a little bit about your talent for impersonations from Shakira to Celine Dion. And I was wondering, when did you know you had that talent to do impersonations? You mentioned Judy Garland. But when you knew like, oh, no, I actually have this skill to impersonate others.
Oh, I don't know. I mean, I think my parents probably pointed it out to me. I was a big fan of like all of the Christopher Guest movies. So I was doing Jennifer Coolidge and Eugene Levy. And I also am such a big fan of Jim Carrey. So I was doing a lot of his sort of facial expressions and stuff when I was very young. And I don't know.
It was always just kind of something I loved because I loved making people laugh, and that always worked.
Do you have a favorite impersonation?
I don't know. I love doing Jennifer. Coolidge. Jennifer Coolidge, yes. I love doing Jennifer. I also like doing my friends and people. Oh, my gosh. My best friend Erin has a very specific speaking voice. I don't know. It's fun.
Yeah?
Mm-hmm.
You know what I want to ask you.
Wait, what are you going to ask me? I'm scared. No, I want to ask you if you do one for us.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, my gosh. I don't know. What would you... Which one? Well, I think Jennifer Coolidge is one that... This is my new party trick.
I'm being asked this a lot recently.
Oh, people are asking you this. Yes.
You're going to make me do it, aren't you? Why do I have to do it again? I don't want to do it. I'm tired. I'm kidding. Yes.
Our guest today is Oscar-nominated actress and performer Ariana Grande. We'll continue our conversation after a short break. This is Fresh Air.
One of the things about a movie like Wicked, I mentioned right off the top that it's a cultural phenomenon, is that it has now become for young people like the same thing that the Broadway play was for you at a young age, but in a more accessible way because it's a movie. So kids of all walks of life who won't ever be able to see a theater production can now be a part of this in a real way.
Mm-hmm. You've had firsthand experiences with people who shared with you how much this movie means to them. Can you share some of that with me?
I mean, it's an incredible privilege to be a part of this version of it and to have it be so accessible to so many people and to see the response be what it's been, I think. so many new theater kids have been born, you know? And that's such a beautiful gift because it's such an extraordinary community and a beautiful community to grow up in. It's a safe place.
You feel less alone when you find a fellow theater kid, when you find someone who loves the same musicals as you. So it's really moving and really special because I remember what it was for me. The soundtrack over the course of my life has been such a safe haven.
Even when I was warming up to go on stage and opening night of one of my tours or whatever it was, like I was warming up listening to Wicked. I was getting ready, listening to Wicked and So it was always with me, and now it's so beautiful to know that it'll be with so many other new or returning theater kids.
Can you talk a little bit about why it's a safe haven? Because, you know, growing up, I always would see the theater kids and I would feel a little bit of envy because I thought like they have something special going on there.
You're like those nerds. But not in a nerdy way.
Yes, those nerds. But also like there was something that they were tapping into with each other that kind of was a barrier to the world. Right.
Right. Like we're on our own planet. We are aliens. We are the best kind of nerd, by the way. But no, I mean, it's really kind of hard to articulate because it's just a connection that is felt instantly when you hear that right song or see that right film or whatever it is that is a musical. And it flips a switch. And some of us are so lucky to have it and to find each other through having it.
So many kids have said it's also saved their lives.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's such an emotional, moving thing. When music and art can do that.
Ariana Grande, thank you so much for this conversation. It's been such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you, Tanya. And congratulations on your Oscar nomination.
Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
Ariana Grande has been nominated for her role in the movie musical Wicked. The film has received 10 Oscar nominations. It's now available on demand and can still be found in theaters. Tomorrow on Fresh Air, one of Pete Hexeth's first actions as defense secretary was to declare the end of the DEI era. A serious problem, though, is that the military is facing a severe shortage of recruits.
We'll talk about why, how the military is attempting to reverse the trend, and how vulnerable to attack we've become with Dexter Filkins of The New Yorker. I hope you can join us. To keep up with what's on the show and get highlights of our interviews, follow us on Instagram at NPR Fresh Air. Fresh Air's executive producer is Danny Miller. Our managing producer is Sam Brigger.
Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Phyllis Myers, Anne-Marie Baldonado, Lauren Krenzel, Teresa Madden, Monique Nazareth, Thea Chaloner, Susan Nakundi, Anna Bauman, and Joel Wolfram. Our digital media producer is Molly C.V. Nesper. Roberta Shorrock directs the show. With Terry Gross, I'm Tanya Mosley.
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