Composer Stephen Schwartz has lifted the curtain on the creative process behind Wicked: For Good, offering rare insight into how two brand-new songs for the long-awaited film sequel were developed — and how Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo helped bring them to life.
Speaking in a new interview, the legendary composer and lyricist, alongside executive music producer Stephen Oremus, walked audiences through the evolution of the original tracks No Place Like Home and Girl in the Bubble, both written specifically for the second instalment of the Wicked film adaptation. The sequel follows 2024’s hugely successful Wicked: Part One, which introduced cinema audiences to the world of Oz through a lavish, song-packed spectacle.
Schwartz revealed that No Place Like Home went through significant changes before reaching its final form on screen. ‘No place like home went through many paths in terms of what content was going to end up in the movie – there was a whole intro and tag that didn’t make it into the movie. This, we discovered over time. We went through a bunch of different stages.’ In contrast, he explained that Girl in the Bubble was largely set from the outset. ‘Girl In The Bubble was pretty defined from the beginning. All that changed from the demo that I sent in, is there was an intro that we shot and recorded and then ultimately found the song played better without it. There was a lyric change too. But ultimately the demo I recorded is what we used.’
The composer also offered a glimpse into his famously low-tech songwriting process, despite working on one of the biggest film musicals of the decade. ‘This is how I work. I write songs out of my little music room up in Connecticut. Then I literally put my phone in front of me, play and sing it flat. Then we work from that.’ It’s a striking contrast to the scale of Wicked, a production involving massive soundstages, full orchestras and global stars.
A major focus of the discussion was the performances of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who play Glinda and Elphaba respectively. Schwartz was clear that their vocal power is matched by their commitment to character. ‘They’re world-class singers, but they’re also world-class actresses. I think Ariana is always Glinda. Ariana found a way to internalize that character.’
Demonstrating this point, Schwartz played a snippet of Girl in the Bubble and reflected on how seamlessly Grande inhabits the role. ‘It just sounds like the character of Glinda that I wrote. I don’t hear the sudden presence of Ariana Grande in this.’ He recalled her insistence on honouring the original musical’s tone during recording sessions for the first film. ‘In fact, when we recorded Popular for the first film and presented her with a more upbeat version of the song, she said “No. I want to be much closer to the original because I don’t want people to feel this is Ariana Grande playing Glinda.” She was very strict and very protective of the character, trying very consciously not to inject her own persona into the character.’
With Wicked: For Good set to deepen the emotional fallout of Elphaba and Glinda’s fractured friendship, Schwartz’s comments underline just how carefully the film’s new music has been crafted — not to overshadow the original stage musical, but to expand its legacy for a new generation of audiences.
