‘It’s Time For Everyone Else To Join In,’ Wicked Star Cynthia Erivo On Debate Of Audience Singalongs

Cynthia Erivo, star of Wicked, has weighed in on the ongoing debate about whether it’s acceptable for audiences to sing along during screenings of the musical adaptation in cinemas—and she’s all for it.

It’s time for everyone else to join in

In an interview with NBC during New York’s traditional Thanksgiving Day parade on Thursday, Erivo addressed the divisive topic, expressing her support. “I’m OK with it,” she said. “We spent this long singing it ourselves – it’s time for everyone else to join in. It’s wonderful.”

Erivo portrays the green-skinned witch Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in the highly anticipated film adaptation of Wicked. Based on the musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which itself is an adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s novel, the movie serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz.

Cynthia Erivo starred Wicked shatters box office records

Released in North America over the same weekend as Gladiator II, Wicked shattered box office records for Broadway musical adaptations and significantly outperformed the historical epic, both films becoming a cultural phenomenon under the hashtag #Glicked.

The question of whether fans should sing along to the movie’s iconic numbers has sparked heated debate. Erivo’s comments align with those of Dwayne Johnson, the voice of Disney’s Moana 2, who recently told the BBC: “Sing! You’ve paid your hard-earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it. Sing!”

Singin along is insult to musical prowess of likes of Cynthia Erivo?

However, not everyone agrees. U.S. cinema chain AMC has cited its policy against audience disruption, issuing a statement warning viewers: “No singing. No wailing.” Similarly, Australian author Patrick Lenton argued in  that singing in theaters is unfair to others and disrespectful to the professionals on screen, writing, “Who do you think you are to compete with the trained musical prowess of Cynthia Erivo [and] Ariana Grande?”

The controversy may soon subside, as interactive “singalong” screenings of Wicked are set to begin in North America on Christmas Day, offering fans an official outlet for their enthusiasm.

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