“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo has weighed in on an internet debate about audience conduct: Should fans sing along to the film’s classic showtunes while seeing it at the movie theater?
Erivo, who plays Elphaba, gave the OK to fans who were moved to sing along during an interview at Thursday’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast on NBC. She was asked by Hoda Kotb if it was OK to sing along in the theater since so many fans were doing it, to which Erivo answered, “Good. I’m OK with it. We spent this long singing it ourselves — it’s time for everyone else to join in. It’s wonderful.”
Erivo joins Dwayne Johnson as the latest celeb who encouraged fans to sing along at a musical in the movie theater, with Johnson saying on the carpet of the animated musical “Moana 2” that fans should, “Sing! You’ve paid your hard-earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it. Sing.”
Audience singing at “Wicked” has sparked online debate, as some ticket buyers only care to hear the professionals in the film. AMC Theatres spokesperson Ryan Noonan recently gave an interview where he explained why the chain asked audiences not to sing, saying, “AMC has a long-standing policy that prohibits disruptive behavior. The ‘Wicked’ preshow spot [which includes ‘no singing’] incorporates the themes of the film as a fun, engaging reminder to moviegoers to not disrupt the experience for those around them as they enjoy the show.”
Fans only need to wait a few weeks to warble along with Erivo and Ariana Grande — interactive sing-along screenings of the film are set to premiere on Christmas Day. These showtimes will be set at roughly 1,000 North American cinemas.
Singing along isn’t the only conduct at “Wicked” screenings that has caused debate. Certain fans have taken to filming portions of their movie on their phone and posting them online, which is not only disruptive to other filmgoers, but is also illegal.
Erivo started the interview by presenting Kotb with a bouquet, as the longtime “Today” host is set to depart the show in January and this is her final time presenting the Thanksgiving parade.
