Definitely check out "Come From Away" it's so emotional! It's about the passenger flight that had to do a detour landing in Gander, Newfoundland during the 9/11 attacks.
Something the album doesn't bring out, when she hits that "and NOBODY in all of Oz..." the theatre mix has it reverberate a on all sides to give the impression that her voice is carrying across all the city. Until then she's singing solo to Glinda, and then the soldiers. But at that moment she's daring the whole city to come and try.
The “opera” you’ve probably seen people mentioning is gonna be in the song “No One Mourns the Wicked”. The Glinda character, played by Ariana Grande here, was originated by Kristin Chenoweth, who was trained as a classical soprano so the character’s vocal aesthetic does have a lot of that in there. If you’re gonna do more Wicked please react to “No One Mourns the Wicked”!
Yesss! Kristen (and Ari) also sing in operatic styles in Dear Old Shiz, and What Is This Feeling! I think Ariana did a great job, and trained a lot, to bring some of those elements into those songs and pay homage to Kristen. Glinda is a tough role because whoever plays her needs to know how to sing in pop, opera, and musical theater styles!
Yes. There is another reviewer that does musical theatre and opera. He was doing a comparison between Kristin Chenoweth and Ariana Grande, explaining how you could note the operatic style during certain songs, and why it worked better especially for theatre. But why Ariana was mixing between the two, and why that worked better for theatre movie. He said in the theatre you cannot do Glindas role properly, unless you have a reasonable operatic background, as your voice would be wrecked within a couple of weeks, as it isn’t sustainable for multiple shows.
Singing was done live on set for most of it! Especially the end , Cynthia was flying around the set in a corset singing those perfect belts & high notes. There’s a clip of it from behind the scenes. Absolutely incredible.
Cynthia said that the first time she sang Defying Gravity for Steven Schwartz, she sang it by-the-book and did the ending battle cry in a way that was similar to previous Elphabas. She said the composer told her that this was great, but he wanted her to try it another way that would be her signature. She tried it several ways and when she came up with the grittier war cry, he was pleased.
I love that your analysis takes more of a comprehensive approach than merely from the perspective of a classically trained operatic performer. It is ALL very valuable as it contributes to the universal love of music as an art form and as a craft! You sharing your joy in discovering a new phenomenal talent in Cynthia Erivo and the ever increasing versatility of Ariana Grande, while marveling at the genius of Stephen Schwartz as a composer has been such a treat from a fellow music lover!
23:54 "You might be thinking Oh it's a studio recording yada yada" 😂... Even more mind-blowing when you learn it was sung LIVE on set... and Cynthia was harnessed, in a corset, and literally FLYING while doing this 🤯
In the film, they’ve stated in featurettes that most if not all the singing was done live on set. Cynthia has a lot of scenes of her flying in a harness during this number, and she’s still singing every word, it’s astonishing. They also said that most of their live singing made it onto the album.
@@PeterBarber After working on these two films and this soundtrack I learned some amazing facts about this particular piece of work and these two artists. First, they both never stepped foot into the studio. They wanted every note to be recorded as they were acting. They both also had ZERO stunt people performing their stunts, they again wanted to make everything feel real. Cynthia INSISTED this track be recorded as she was being thrown around the room on her broom. She had to retrain herself on how to breathe when her stomach was in her throat and still successfully sing this amazing song. Ariana also performed everything live as well, and INSISTED that she produce her own vocals. So, she is listed as a producer on the Album and both Films. These two women gave us all the best concert everyday from 9 am until 11 pm and then came back and did it again the very next day. There was never ANY background music playing, and at times it was extremely difficult. It never mattered. Zero complaints, zero illnesses, just a look of wonder and love. I have ultimate respect, and pure gratitude towards both of them.
To be fair it was recorded and they took the best take and it seems there were tweaks. The scenes cut and change to much for everything to be 100% live. You can’t start singing at the point that she’s falling and just stop when they move to the next scene and it’s not all patched together because it would sound weird.
@@haileyskog7264 I mean I’ve seen lots of people making it seem like what they’re hearing is them singing exactly in that moment. I’m just clarifying that they are absolutely lip syncing for most of the scenes.
@@Antibeautyguru the director has even said they sing it live over and over again. They have a pianist off to the side taking cues as they put pauses into the scenes. Is everything you hear during the movie 100% live, no. But that doesn’t take away from doing all of that while singing live.
@ Again, I understand that but it is not like a broadway musical which a lot of people thought. There was mixing as well from what I read with the sound engineer which makes it not live. Not saying it isn’t impressive but I am making a distinction that if they sang flat on a note the first round of the song that wasn’t just used regardless which is the definition of live. Even if you watch the video of Ariana grande practicing her book scene in “loathing” she has the backing vocals playing in the dance studio and it’s the same track that is in the movie so it was clearly not live.
Cynthia can sing anything. Her voice and singing technique is a masterclass! Why am I crying? This is so different from how Idina Menzel sings it. Her interpretation of this song is just wow. Amazing vocals!!!
If you want more Cynthia- I would definitely check out I’m Here from the Color Purple. There’s a great bootleg clip that shows her acting it in the show. And her performance of Alfie! I believe that one is a Kennedy Center performance Edit- there’s also an incredible performance of The Color Purple Reprise from the Today show where she goes absolutely insane with the vocals
Keep in mind she is singing toward the end while strapped in a corset AND harnesses and flying in the air! I have seen the movie twice and the visuals are stunning with the long cape flying up high over the city! The power and strength Cynthia showed in every sense is phenomenal. When Cynthia and Ariana signs together, they just blend so well that they truly are in "tandem". I also get very sentimental when Glinda sings in a pleading manner for Alphaba to stay with the wizard 5:45-6;00. The desperate plead and you hear the sadness in knowing they were going to separate soon. It's gut wrenching and heart breaking. 😢
As someone said earlier, Kristen Chenoweth is a classically trained coloratura soprano. You should check out her Glitter and Be Gay performance. Yes, the opening piece, "No One Mourns the Wicked," asks the Glinda character to engage different genres, including an operatic section. I was very impressed with Ariana's range in that opening piece. However, it's Cynthia here who just blows the roof off. I love Idina Menzel who originated Elphaba on Broadway, but Cynthia made me cry in the theater.
One little Easter egg in the melody of this song -- at the end, the word "unlimited," is the same sequence of notes (though a different rhythm) as the opening "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." (This is actually the second time that the audience hears that "unlimited" -- it's used first in "The Wizard and I," earlier in the show -- and it's a little bit more obvious the first time. In this song, it's kind of overwhelmed by everything else going on.) Also, since you'd mentioned Ariana's pre-TV musical theatre career -- she was in the cast of 13: the Musical, back when she was about thirteen years old. That show only lasted a few months on Broadway, and was generally considered a flop, but it's had an interesting afterlife. The entire cast and all the musicians were teenagers, and Ariana is the biggest name to come out of that cast, but there were a lot of other kids who went on to pretty good careers (including Allie Trimm, who was standby Glinda on Broadway for several years.) That show also became really popular for licensing for schools -- there aren't that many shows that are appropriate for middle schoolers in terms of both content and vocal ranges. (There's one song, "What it Means to Be a Friend," that I think every musical theatre girl in that age range has used as an audition song at some point. Ariana was the understudy for the character who sings that song, and there's some video of her singing it at promo events.)
It's Cynthia's ping and clarity UP there that also got me. You should check out her performance of "Alfie" at the Kennedy Honors for Dionne Warwick. Just gorgeous.
I think a lot of Glinda actresses have operatic training, including Ariana. She said it. Maybe you should react to No One Mourns the Wicked to understand that better :) great vid, tho! amazing notes.
Although she doesn't use it in Wicked, Cynthia is Opera trained. I was watching an interview when she said that she would use her Opera training techniques and runs after each musical theater stage performance to "reset" her voice. Ariana does use Opera-stylized singing a few times throughout the movie, just not in this song. I say opera-style as it's not true opera, but I believe Kristen Chenowith who originated the role was opera trained. Originally the Glinda role was a minor role (1 song only) but was expanded AFTER Kristen was brought on board. She had a lot of input to the role, including the musicality. She felt that Glinda would use an opera sounding voice when she was being deceptive, so anyone who takes on the role sings in a similar style during those moments. This is why you'll hear people talking about Opera in Wicked, even although it's not true Opera. That's not to diminish Ariana's capabilities, what she does put out there is super impressive, and she did put herself through Opera training to prepare for those parts.
Now imagine Cynthia doing all that belting while flying around in a harness. Also they filmed this song over 5 days. This is not a studio recording. It’s live
Adding my voice to all the others who say you need to check out "No One Mourns The Wicked" from the same musical. Ariana went through a year of operatic training just to prep for the role.
my favourite moment in 2024 internet world is watching everyone here reacting to this incredible song for the first time. To watch the delight in the faces, i feel like experiencing for the first time too, again and again.
This was such a fun video! I sing choral music, specialty is baroque, oratorio, English style chamber stuff. It's really affecting to listen to Cynthia Erivo sing. You feel she is never doing any work at all, that it all just easily falls out perfectly. But, of course, being a real natural doesn't mean it doesn't take a lot of work. Her range is exceptional and emotionally captivating. I'm glad you discovered her!
My favorite reaction/analysis yet! Great Vid. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and critique. I really enjoyed hearing someone talk about the great vocals WHILE giving props to song construction, instrumentation, production and composition. Totally my vibe, subscribed!
Cynthia sang this LIVE - in a harness while flying! She had to work with both a physical coach and a vocal couch to be able to do that. One of the best singers of our time.
8:52 Just seen you mentioned the resolution there, and Stephen Schwartz has a fascinating video on the classic fm channel about the composition of this track! He’s mentioned quite a lot of what you’ve spoke about in detail and I’m only 8 mins in so far 😂 I think you’d enjoy that a lot! Also you’ve just popped up on my feed today so gonna check out some more of your vids 😅
ALSO this was sung live on set!! ariana and cynthia sang EVERYTHING live. theres a short video behind the scenes , please react to it. “Wicked Singing Live” posted by the wicked channel 💚🩷
When people are comparing Ariana in this movie to Opera, I think they're referring to her in the opening song "No One Mourns the Wicked" where she does (to someone unfamiliar with opera) appear to be singing operatic. I'd definitely recommend doing a reaction to that song. I'm sure we'd all love to hear you talk about it
It's a crazy sign of how media saturated the world is these days that a professional theatrical singer was unfamiliar with another professional theatrical singer who had already won a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy.
I'm a musician who missed the wicked train when it came out when I was in high school so I'm just discovering it. It's fun to hear vocalists talk about singing techniques I don't know about, but I'm obsessed with hearing about the chord progressions and pointing out the instrumentation and what they're doing. I also love watching people enjoying music. First time viewing your channel and I'll have to check out more!
I really enjoyed all your commentary! I've never sung opera, but sang in the chorus of most of the classical requiems. You put me back into the language of being coached with classical lingo. Thanks for that. I loved the term of quillo... or something close....I can't go back to find the correct spelling...sorry. I'd never heard of that term. I loved the concept of that!! One of the best commentaries I've listened to!!
Towards the end of the video you asked for other examples of grit in musical theatre, particularly that high, Amber Riley does it in the Live London Cast Recording for Dreamgirls. ("I Am Changing" for example) Also, Alex Newell singing "Mama Will Provide" in Once on this Island.
I first heard Cynthia sing “I’m Here” from the Color Purple on Broadway and was blown away. I highly recommend checking that song out if you want to hear another amazing vocal performance from her.
@@XanderHarris1023there are moments in those that are operatic range, but I think they intentionally made them not operatic technique for the movie. KC’s version is more operatic but for film I feel like what Ariana did was a nice softening.
You didn’t even know her (Cynthia’s )name until this reaction(11 minutes in) ? LMAO. I would’ve thought that the movie promo made her more famous now. Well, I guess you’ll never forget it now.
Please watch “no one mourns the wicked,” and various other songs, and you will hear more of Ariana‘s operatic sound. She is not operatic like Kristin Chenoweth was, but I think she holds her own. She spent a year working with a drama coach and three months I think training to be a coloratura soprano
An incredible thing is this isn't a studio recording. They sang everything live on set. ...So they sang this while they were acting the scene + doing stunts - including Cynthia being in a flying harness + singing the end of the song while flipping around upside down, etc.
Hey, Peter, that was fun - seeing a pro hearing Cynthia's voice for the first time was an absolute blast! She's extraordinarily good. I do hope you'll give her Broadway performance of I'm Here a listen - as a singing actor, I think you will really appreciate it. Have you seen _Maria_ starring Angelina Jolie? Apparently she went to great lengths to give a convincing performance of Callas singing towards the end of her life. Her voice had long since desserted her by then of course, and she was a near recluse by the time of her death. It was a sad conclusion to one of the most celebrated musical lives of the C20th. Something I've not seen anyone in the UA-cam vocal reaction / analysis community cover is the clip of Maria Callas singing Vissi d'Arte, recorded live at Covent Garden about a million years ago. It's the only extant video of her actually performing on stage, in an opera, in front of an audience. It's absolutely spine-tingling.
If you’re impressed by Cynthia here, you have to check out a live performance of I’m Here from the Color Purple, genuinely one of the best theater performances I’ve ever seen and what she has said to be the hardest song she’s ever performed
Soooooooo if you want something from Broadway, this performance was to introduce the new actor taking over a role, after some members of the original cast for the play moved on to other projects. The girl in this video is 18 and we were all SO excited an actual teenager was cast in a teenage role. Her voice is flawless and the accompaniment is beautiful. Plus I love seeing how all the musicians smiling as she nails it 😁 ua-cam.com/video/Yrl1qEyqfcI/v-deo.htmlsi=OmDwpkzYZD-gb0Cg
No one mourns the wicked is the song people are talking about with the “opera” singing. Although the original Kristen Chenowith is doing a “true” opera, while Ariana still has some larynx movement and is a little breathier. Both are stunning performances!
If you can, and are willing, do "The Wizard and I"...it's the "I Want" song from this musical, and a true underrated gem of the whole show...and it truly showcases Cynthia's vocals (and, well, every Elphaba's who ever performs it)
Absolutely SENSATIONAL! What else from the musical theater world do I need to check out?
Definitely check out "Come From Away" it's so emotional! It's about the passenger flight that had to do a detour landing in Gander, Newfoundland during the 9/11 attacks.
Broadway's Circle of Life from The Lion King, and anything from the musical Into The Woods!
RENT, if you've not seen it. Since you have played both Colline and Schunard you MUST see "I'll cover you" and reprise.
I'd recommend The Outsiders for a modern musical theatre show and R&H's South Pacific for a golden age classic.
Morissette has a musical theater show she did during the pandemic. She covers defying gravity as well. Its phenomenal
You have to hear no one mourns the wicked ! 🫶🏻
I've gotten so many recs for this just in the last couple hours -- will def check it out!
Yes it’s so good!
Cannot wait to see it. Also, Cynthias live version of Im Here (from The Color Purple) is probably her best performance, its absolutely extraordinary
Up
I think if any of the songs have aspects of opera it would probably be that one !
Something the album doesn't bring out, when she hits that "and NOBODY in all of Oz..." the theatre mix has it reverberate a on all sides to give the impression that her voice is carrying across all the city. Until then she's singing solo to Glinda, and then the soldiers. But at that moment she's daring the whole city to come and try.
i noticed that and thought i was just imagining things lmao
Because it was recorded live during the filming so the vocal is much more intense than the OST.
@@csh I was specifically talking about the audio engineering of the movie. Also the OST uses the same recording as the filming.
The best part, in addition to the singing, is that they performed the songs live while filming (dancing, flying around, everything.) Pure talent.
Truly!
True! The album was mixed but all the recodings were made live while filming! So these are not studio recordings which makes it even more spectacular!
The “opera” you’ve probably seen people mentioning is gonna be in the song “No One Mourns the Wicked”. The Glinda character, played by Ariana Grande here, was originated by Kristin Chenoweth, who was trained as a classical soprano so the character’s vocal aesthetic does have a lot of that in there. If you’re gonna do more Wicked please react to “No One Mourns the Wicked”!
!!!!!!! this
yes I was about to say, I believe Ariana did operatic training to prepare for this song!!!
Yes
Yesss! Kristen (and Ari) also sing in operatic styles in Dear Old Shiz, and What Is This Feeling! I think Ariana did a great job, and trained a lot, to bring some of those elements into those songs and pay homage to Kristen. Glinda is a tough role because whoever plays her needs to know how to sing in pop, opera, and musical theater styles!
Yes. There is another reviewer that does musical theatre and opera. He was doing a comparison between Kristin Chenoweth and Ariana Grande, explaining how you could note the operatic style during certain songs, and why it worked better especially for theatre. But why Ariana was mixing between the two, and why that worked better for theatre movie. He said in the theatre you cannot do Glindas role properly, unless you have a reasonable operatic background, as your voice would be wrecked within a couple of weeks, as it isn’t sustainable for multiple shows.
That final battle cry is amazing. Each performer has given it their own spin, and hers is one of the best.
Singing was done live on set for most of it! Especially the end , Cynthia was flying around the set in a corset singing those perfect belts & high notes. There’s a clip of it from behind the scenes. Absolutely incredible.
She's a BOSS
Cynthia said that the first time she sang Defying Gravity for Steven Schwartz, she sang it by-the-book and did the ending battle cry in a way that was similar to previous Elphabas. She said the composer told her that this was great, but he wanted her to try it another way that would be her signature. She tried it several ways and when she came up with the grittier war cry, he was pleased.
Cynthia absolutely deserved her Tony for The Color Purple!
Yes👏she👏did👏 Amazing
Ive been in love with her ever since...
I love that your analysis takes more of a comprehensive approach than merely from the perspective of a classically trained operatic performer. It is ALL very valuable as it contributes to the universal love of music as an art form and as a craft! You sharing your joy in discovering a new phenomenal talent in Cynthia Erivo and the ever increasing versatility of Ariana Grande, while marveling at the genius of Stephen Schwartz as a composer has been such a treat from a fellow music lover!
23:54 "You might be thinking Oh it's a studio recording yada yada" 😂... Even more mind-blowing when you learn it was sung LIVE on set... and Cynthia was harnessed, in a corset, and literally FLYING while doing this 🤯
In the film, they’ve stated in featurettes that most if not all the singing was done live on set. Cynthia has a lot of scenes of her flying in a harness during this number, and she’s still singing every word, it’s astonishing. They also said that most of their live singing made it onto the album.
That's amazing!
@@PeterBarber After working on these two films and this soundtrack I learned some amazing facts about this particular piece of work and these two artists.
First, they both never stepped foot into the studio. They wanted every note to be recorded as they were acting.
They both also had ZERO stunt people performing their stunts, they again wanted to make everything feel real.
Cynthia INSISTED this track be recorded as she was being thrown around the room on her broom. She had to retrain herself on how to breathe when her stomach was in her throat and still successfully sing this amazing song.
Ariana also performed everything live as well, and INSISTED that she produce her own vocals. So, she is listed as a producer on the Album and both Films.
These two women gave us all the best concert everyday from 9 am until 11 pm and then came back and did it again the very next day. There was never ANY background music playing, and at times it was extremely difficult. It never mattered. Zero complaints, zero illnesses, just a look of wonder and love.
I have ultimate respect, and pure gratitude towards both of them.
I will say it has even MORE impact in the theater
Yessss I was waiting for your reaction to this! Now I need to see your reaction to No One Mourns the Wicked please 😢❤
Right?! The one where people really are comparing her to an opera singer. Although others have already said how she did a “pop style opera” lol
@ yesss I can’t even sing I just love seeing vocal coaches thoughts on this song specifically lol 🥹🤣
The fact they sung this live on set, even while Cynthia is literally flying while singing... masterpiece of talent
To be fair it was recorded and they took the best take and it seems there were tweaks. The scenes cut and change to much for everything to be 100% live. You can’t start singing at the point that she’s falling and just stop when they move to the next scene and it’s not all patched together because it would sound weird.
@@Antibeautyguruobviously lol.
@@haileyskog7264 I mean I’ve seen lots of people making it seem like what they’re hearing is them singing exactly in that moment. I’m just clarifying that they are absolutely lip syncing for most of the scenes.
@@Antibeautyguru the director has even said they sing it live over and over again. They have a pianist off to the side taking cues as they put pauses into the scenes. Is everything you hear during the movie 100% live, no. But that doesn’t take away from doing all of that while singing live.
@ Again, I understand that but it is not like a broadway musical which a lot of people thought. There was mixing as well from what I read with the sound engineer which makes it not live. Not saying it isn’t impressive but I am making a distinction that if they sang flat on a note the first round of the song that wasn’t just used regardless which is the definition of live. Even if you watch the video of Ariana grande practicing her book scene in “loathing” she has the backing vocals playing in the dance studio and it’s the same track that is in the movie so it was clearly not live.
I like your commentary! Your explanations are so visual and easy to follow
you’re honestly lucky to have met cynthia for the first time now. you can watch and be amazed and even react at her amazing performances.
This was recording live in set.
You should check out Cynthia when she did The Color Purple on Broadway, she was amazing!
Also her duets with Shoshona Bean.
Also her tribute to Dionne Warwick at the Kennedy Center Honors
Cynthia wrung every bit of emotion out of that song, and us. What an incredible performance!💓💚💓💚
“No One Mourns the Wicked” probably has more of ‘operatic’ influence people may be referring to. Ariana had Opera training for that number.
Cynthia can sing anything. Her voice and singing technique is a masterclass!
Why am I crying? This is so different from how Idina Menzel sings it. Her interpretation of this song is just wow. Amazing vocals!!!
If you want more Cynthia- I would definitely check out I’m Here from the Color Purple. There’s a great bootleg clip that shows her acting it in the show. And her performance of Alfie! I believe that one is a Kennedy Center performance
Edit- there’s also an incredible performance of The Color Purple Reprise from the Today show where she goes absolutely insane with the vocals
Keep in mind she is singing toward the end while strapped in a corset AND harnesses and flying in the air! I have seen the movie twice and the visuals are stunning with the long cape flying up high over the city! The power and strength Cynthia showed in every sense is phenomenal. When Cynthia and Ariana signs together, they just blend so well that they truly are in "tandem". I also get very sentimental when Glinda sings in a pleading manner for Alphaba to stay with the wizard 5:45-6;00. The desperate plead and you hear the sadness in knowing they were going to separate soon. It's gut wrenching and heart breaking. 😢
Cynthia Erivo performing “Alfie” at the Kennedy Center Honors is A++! Definitely worth checking out.
This is the one I was going to suggest myself! He should totally check that one out. spectacular!
As someone said earlier, Kristen Chenoweth is a classically trained coloratura soprano. You should check out her Glitter and Be Gay performance. Yes, the opening piece, "No One Mourns the Wicked," asks the Glinda character to engage different genres, including an operatic section. I was very impressed with Ariana's range in that opening piece. However, it's Cynthia here who just blows the roof off. I love Idina Menzel who originated Elphaba on Broadway, but Cynthia made me cry in the theater.
I was SOOOO waiting for this omggg. Now you need to hear No One Mourns The Wicked and Popular!!!
They sang live during filming and you could really tell in the theater, absolutely incredible work!
No one mourns the wicked now Ari is insane there man 😊u will enjoy it a lot i promise
If this is your first exposure to Cynthia, listen to her in the Color Purple. Fantastic vocals!
Cynthia is an amazing singer! I think she's classically trained... and she knows how to act her characters with her voice too, she's incredible!
One little Easter egg in the melody of this song -- at the end, the word "unlimited," is the same sequence of notes (though a different rhythm) as the opening "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." (This is actually the second time that the audience hears that "unlimited" -- it's used first in "The Wizard and I," earlier in the show -- and it's a little bit more obvious the first time. In this song, it's kind of overwhelmed by everything else going on.)
Also, since you'd mentioned Ariana's pre-TV musical theatre career -- she was in the cast of 13: the Musical, back when she was about thirteen years old. That show only lasted a few months on Broadway, and was generally considered a flop, but it's had an interesting afterlife. The entire cast and all the musicians were teenagers, and Ariana is the biggest name to come out of that cast, but there were a lot of other kids who went on to pretty good careers (including Allie Trimm, who was standby Glinda on Broadway for several years.) That show also became really popular for licensing for schools -- there aren't that many shows that are appropriate for middle schoolers in terms of both content and vocal ranges. (There's one song, "What it Means to Be a Friend," that I think every musical theatre girl in that age range has used as an audition song at some point. Ariana was the understudy for the character who sings that song, and there's some video of her singing it at promo events.)
It's Cynthia's ping and clarity UP there that also got me. You should check out her performance of "Alfie" at the Kennedy Honors for Dionne Warwick. Just gorgeous.
This was the best breakdown of vocal technique for this song :)
24:32 She sang it live while performing his stunt thoo 🥹
I love listening to people who not only love but understand music give people their flowers!! Please do no one mourns the wicked, for your own sake!
I love your insightful reactions! So refreshing ✨
As soon as I heard this song for the first time, I knew you'd go over this version by Christmas.
You should react to Cynthia singing Stand Up from her movie Harriet live at the Oscars! It's incredible
Great in depth analysis and appreciation of this cinematic, powerful rendition! No one mourns the wicked next??? 🤩
I think a lot of Glinda actresses have operatic training, including Ariana. She said it. Maybe you should react to No One Mourns the Wicked to understand that better :) great vid, tho! amazing notes.
She got operatic training for the movie. She didn’t originally have it.
Fav part of the movie but side note… you are stunning. Beautiful man.
Another amazing video, Peter!
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers from Brazil!
You should check Cynthia singing “I’m Here” from the Color Purple! 🤩🤩🤩
Although she doesn't use it in Wicked, Cynthia is Opera trained. I was watching an interview when she said that she would use her Opera training techniques and runs after each musical theater stage performance to "reset" her voice. Ariana does use Opera-stylized singing a few times throughout the movie, just not in this song. I say opera-style as it's not true opera, but I believe Kristen Chenowith who originated the role was opera trained. Originally the Glinda role was a minor role (1 song only) but was expanded AFTER Kristen was brought on board. She had a lot of input to the role, including the musicality. She felt that Glinda would use an opera sounding voice when she was being deceptive, so anyone who takes on the role sings in a similar style during those moments. This is why you'll hear people talking about Opera in Wicked, even although it's not true Opera. That's not to diminish Ariana's capabilities, what she does put out there is super impressive, and she did put herself through Opera training to prepare for those parts.
Thanks so much for producing this commentary! So fun!😊
Now imagine Cynthia doing all that belting while flying around in a harness.
Also they filmed this song over 5 days. This is not a studio recording. It’s live
Adding my voice to all the others who say you need to check out "No One Mourns The Wicked" from the same musical. Ariana went through a year of operatic training just to prep for the role.
No one mourns the Wicked is very operatic!! & I'm Not That Girl is just beautiful.
my favourite moment in 2024 internet world is watching everyone here reacting to this incredible song for the first time. To watch the delight in the faces, i feel like experiencing for the first time too, again and again.
I hope people went back to hear Cynthia sing in Bad Time At El Royale. Especially the acapella section in her room.
This was such a fun video! I sing choral music, specialty is baroque, oratorio, English style chamber stuff. It's really affecting to listen to Cynthia Erivo sing. You feel she is never doing any work at all, that it all just easily falls out perfectly. But, of course, being a real natural doesn't mean it doesn't take a lot of work. Her range is exceptional and emotionally captivating. I'm glad you discovered her!
My favorite reaction/analysis yet! Great Vid. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and critique. I really enjoyed hearing someone talk about the great vocals WHILE giving props to song construction, instrumentation, production and composition. Totally my vibe, subscribed!
Cynthia sang this LIVE - in a harness while flying! She had to work with both a physical coach and a vocal couch to be able to do that. One of the best singers of our time.
Loved this, Peter! Thanks! I have to go see the movie, too!
It's LIVE singing. There is a fascinating behind the scenes vid about it
8:52
Just seen you mentioned the resolution there, and Stephen Schwartz has a fascinating video on the classic fm channel about the composition of this track! He’s mentioned quite a lot of what you’ve spoke about in detail and I’m only 8 mins in so far 😂 I think you’d enjoy that a lot!
Also you’ve just popped up on my feed today so gonna check out some more of your vids 😅
Cynthia’s live of “Alfie”! Cynthia is phenomenal.
I do love me some Cynthany too. 😭🥰🤍
ALSO this was sung live on set!! ariana and cynthia sang EVERYTHING live. theres a short video behind the scenes , please react to it. “Wicked Singing Live” posted by the wicked channel 💚🩷
When people are comparing Ariana in this movie to Opera, I think they're referring to her in the opening song "No One Mourns the Wicked" where she does (to someone unfamiliar with opera) appear to be singing operatic. I'd definitely recommend doing a reaction to that song. I'm sure we'd all love to hear you talk about it
It's a crazy sign of how media saturated the world is these days that a professional theatrical singer was unfamiliar with another professional theatrical singer who had already won a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy.
All the singing happened during the scenes live. Essentially the filming scene was also the recording studio 🎉.
I would love to see more R&A videos from your for musical theater 🎭 because you have performance experience as well!! ❤❤
I'm a musician who missed the wicked train when it came out when I was in high school so I'm just discovering it. It's fun to hear vocalists talk about singing techniques I don't know about, but I'm obsessed with hearing about the chord progressions and pointing out the instrumentation and what they're doing. I also love watching people enjoying music.
First time viewing your channel and I'll have to check out more!
This was awesome! Thanks for your reaction & analysis! Really enjoyed it!💜💜💜
They sang all of these songs live while filming and it’s freaking awesome! ❤😊
The reason why that grit worked in that last belt is because it aligns with the context of song. No more seen and not heard. She found her voice
I really enjoyed all your commentary! I've never sung opera, but sang in the chorus of most of the classical requiems. You put me back into the language of being coached with classical lingo. Thanks for that. I loved the term of quillo... or something close....I can't go back to find the correct spelling...sorry. I'd never heard of that term. I loved the concept of that!! One of the best commentaries I've listened to!!
Towards the end of the video you asked for other examples of grit in musical theatre, particularly that high, Amber Riley does it in the Live London Cast Recording for Dreamgirls. ("I Am Changing" for example)
Also, Alex Newell singing "Mama Will Provide" in Once on this Island.
Love your high-flying songs! Thank you for going into this one.
The wizard and I is where Cynthia shines bright ❤🥹
I first heard Cynthia sing “I’m Here” from the Color Purple on Broadway and was blown away. I highly recommend checking that song out if you want to hear another amazing vocal performance from her.
There are great interviews with the composer where he brakes it down a bit. So interesting 🎉
All I can think of is Mitch and Scott singing this, 😂. This was absolutely phenomenal.
4:07 I definitely wouldn’t consider this song Opera but there is definitely some Operatic singing happening on the full soundtrack for the film
Parts of "No one Mourns the Wicked" and that one line in "What is this Feeling?" I think are the best examples.
@@XanderHarris1023there are moments in those that are operatic range, but I think they intentionally made them not operatic technique for the movie. KC’s version is more operatic but for film I feel like what Ariana did was a nice softening.
It was recorded live on set, makes it 100% more impressive! Enjoyed the reaction!
This was a great reaction. Thank you so much!
Are you an opera singer? Baby... go for me, your line is One Mourns The Wicked! React.
The gag of it all is that it’s not a studio recording, she was singing live during the stunt flying ❤
You didn’t even know her (Cynthia’s )name until this reaction(11 minutes in) ? LMAO. I would’ve thought that the movie promo made her more famous now. Well, I guess you’ll never forget it now.
watch no one morns the wicked its the most operatic style of song in the musical
Can you please make audiobooks? Thanks in advance! 🥹
Did you catch Ariana’s “can’t I make you understand” line? It’s the same melody as Follow the Yellow Brick Road.
Please watch “no one mourns the wicked,” and various other songs, and you will hear more of Ariana‘s operatic sound. She is not operatic like Kristin Chenoweth was, but I think she holds her own.
She spent a year working with a drama coach and three months I think training to be a coloratura soprano
An incredible thing is this isn't a studio recording. They sang everything live on set. ...So they sang this while they were acting the scene + doing stunts - including Cynthia being in a flying harness + singing the end of the song while flipping around upside down, etc.
I absolutely loved this reaction. And glad that you focused on the chord progressions. I listen to music just the same
Hey, Peter, that was fun - seeing a pro hearing Cynthia's voice for the first time was an absolute blast! She's extraordinarily good. I do hope you'll give her Broadway performance of I'm Here a listen - as a singing actor, I think you will really appreciate it.
Have you seen _Maria_ starring Angelina Jolie? Apparently she went to great lengths to give a convincing performance of Callas singing towards the end of her life. Her voice had long since desserted her by then of course, and she was a near recluse by the time of her death. It was a sad conclusion to one of the most celebrated musical lives of the C20th. Something I've not seen anyone in the UA-cam vocal reaction / analysis community cover is the clip of Maria Callas singing Vissi d'Arte, recorded live at Covent Garden about a million years ago. It's the only extant video of her actually performing on stage, in an opera, in front of an audience. It's absolutely spine-tingling.
If you’re impressed by Cynthia here, you have to check out a live performance of I’m Here from the Color Purple, genuinely one of the best theater performances I’ve ever seen and what she has said to be the hardest song she’s ever performed
I love her stand up song too im so addicted.. i just know her too because of wicked and i love her so much.. until now i cant move on lol haha
Soooooooo if you want something from Broadway, this performance was to introduce the new actor taking over a role, after some members of the original cast for the play moved on to other projects. The girl in this video is 18 and we were all SO excited an actual teenager was cast in a teenage role. Her voice is flawless and the accompaniment is beautiful. Plus I love seeing how all the musicians smiling as she nails it 😁
ua-cam.com/video/Yrl1qEyqfcI/v-deo.htmlsi=OmDwpkzYZD-gb0Cg
No one mourns the wicked is the song people are talking about with the “opera” singing. Although the original Kristen Chenowith is doing a “true” opera, while Ariana still has some larynx movement and is a little breathier. Both are stunning performances!
You have to listen to her sing "I'm Here" from The Color Purple.
i think you will like the wizard and I song
If you can, and are willing, do "The Wizard and I"...it's the "I Want" song from this musical, and a true underrated gem of the whole show...and it truly showcases Cynthia's vocals (and, well, every Elphaba's who ever performs it)
"Cynthia, hell yeah!" LOVED how that rhymed.
I frist heard Cynthia in a movie titled Bad Times At The El Royale, where she played a jazz singer. I was very impressed, to say the least.
Cynthia said in an interview that she sings opera to help her voice realign.
Now watch Cynthia in I'm Here from the color purple !!! A literal award winning performance.
React to “no one morns the wicked” from wicked. Ariana is just woww, she is amazing