Michelle Yeoh Teases That Her Madame Morrible Character In ‘Wicked’ Film Took Liberties From The Broadway Show

At Saturday night’s L.A. premiere of Wicked, the Madame Morribles compared notes. Specifically, the musical’s Broadway actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and the film’s Michelle Yeoh who plays the head mistress and high witch of Shiz University.

“We took a little bit of liberty with Madame Morrible for the movie,” Yeoh revealed to Ralph in front of Deadline.

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“You’ll tell me what you think about it,” Yeoh said to Ralph before the screening.

Ralph expounded, “When you do it on Broadway, they take no liberties with the script. Nothing is changed except what people have in their imagination. What I love about Madame Morrible, this is a character who sees talent and looks and says, (singing) “Many years I have waited, for a gift like yours to appear…”

Yeoh expounded on the difference in staging a musical on stage versus the big screen and how “the amazing DP, Alice Brooks, in Wicked captures all the nuances.” Separately, we heard there’s little CGI when it comes to the sets, and when it comes to Cynthia Erivo’s singing and broom flying work.

Yeoh said that Chu’s power as a filmmaker is that he’s “able to draw on the depths of emotions and feelings. When you hear the song, you don’t just hear the lyrics — you feel, you understand what is going through the thought process of the two girls.”

“Cynthia never fails to step up,” says Yeoh about how the actress hits it out of the park as Elphaba. Others coming away from Saturday night’s premiere were also surprised by Ariana Grande’s comedic timing. Erivo also has Oscar pedigree in being a 2x 2020 Oscar nominee for Harriet in Original Song and Best Actress. She’s also a Grammy, Tony and Daytime Emmy Award winner. But don’t count Grande out when it comes to Wicked and the Oscars. One Universal insider compared Grande to Barbra Streisand in regards to her on-screen prowess. We also hear that Wicked–Part 1 doesn’t have any original songs that are being submitted this year for the Oscars.

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