💚Holding🤝🏼Space💖
theatre kid or personality disorder?
Before anyone starts yelling, Je Suis Mentally Ill Theatre Kid, ok? …but with the way everyone’s reacted to the Wicked press tour (ESPECIALLY online) I just think it’s kind of why theatre kids end up fiercely sticking together & everyone on the outside points laughing at them saying that they’re weirdo freaks. This will be all about Wicked & a baby example of what can be expected when I start to offer my paid tier! (multiple talking points on ONE topic as opposed to bite sized commentary on multiple topics)
-Credentials🎭
-💚Holding🤝🏼Space💖
-FIGHTING For Your Job
Quick Rec of the Week: Defying Gravity (no not the song, but that too)
Credentials🎭
Despite being a member of SAG-AFTRA as opposed to AEA, Je Suis Mentally Ill Theatre Kid due to my roots being in theatre. No actually- my formal training began just shy of middle school when I started attending (after auditioning for) the Saturday preteen classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. This consisted of months of speech training so that none of us city kids had harsh NY accents to ensure we could be easily molded, weeks spent in rooms of mirrors having to watch, practice & be taught HOW to walk into a room with intention, across a room with intrigue, as well as how to enter a room with confidence. Having to focus & feel all the different parts of our chests to learn HOW to breathe, the mechanics of the mouth & tongue to quickly figure out an accent…that’s just the childhood training. (ICYMI my 1st professional acting credit was in an off-off Broadway show at 13.) So yes, I do feel I have some qualifications to talk about Wicked. I remember excitedly ripping open the cellophane of the 2 CD full show Original Broadway Cast soundtrack & playing Defying Gravity on a loop IMMEDIATELY (I’ve always been an Elphaba). I was a Drama major at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts during the 1st few years of Wicked’s Broadway run, being many a Glinda’s Elphaba for Popular- it’s in my veins. I’ve been holding space for Defying Gravity with Adele Dazeem for 2 DECADES-where the hell have the rest of YOU been???!!!!…OH RIGHT making fun of us who enjoyed it! Lucky for y’all I do have the charity of Galinda & will be using this space to yell about/explain some things.
💚Holding🤝🏼Space💖
If you’ve been within a 10ft radius of anyone who’s seen Wicked, you’ve probably heard the term “holding space” quite a bit. This has sprouted from the Wicked press tour which has been sparking nothing but conversation…aside from the film itself. First off, here is the interview clip that birthed “holding space”
There are SO MANY THINGS to talk about from just this 30sec clip from ONE interview, & BOY has the internet RUN with it. Highlights you may have seen randomly online aside from “holding space” could be the finger rub tap that Ariana gives Cynthia, as well as the 2nd most quoted clip from this interview “I didn’t know that was happening”. MY 1st thought when I saw this clip was “Cynthia PLEASE😫😅” As I said earlier-theatre kids have been holding space for Defying Gravity for over 2 decades & I know for a fact she’s one of us…so for her to immediately say she didn’t know it was happening was absurd to me. While understandable she was probably too busy promoting to be able to see the 1st online reactions, girly…OF COURSE IT WAS HAPPENING YOU’RE CYNTHIA ERIVO! Luckily the girlies have all been in on the joke & having fun with it. The interviewer in question-Tracy Gilchrist, shot a hilarious video with MAC Cosmetics about holding space, and thanks to Evan Ross Katz (writer of Shut Up Evan here on Substack), we’ll hopefully be seeing Ariana & Cynthia in some form of Holding Space shirt soon! Since I started writing this, Ariana & Cynthia have addressed this clip in an interview with Variety where they essentially admit to not really knowing what was happening & being a little too present. Cheers to being in queer media & what I’ve found to be one of Ariana Grande’s most relatable quotes, “I remember in the moment asking myself…am I ok?”
FIGHTING For Your Job
What many seem to not realize is that while Cynthia may be predominantly known for her work in theatre, Ariana has also been a theatre kid. She was on Broadway before she was on Nickelodeon & discovered self tanner. Not only that, but she’s cited Wicked as being her dream project for YEARS. Many may not realize how many times a Wicked movie has been in the works with various big names attached and/or “in talks” over the years (including one that had Lady Gaga as Elphaba…I’d still love to hear her Defying Gravity), but it’s been something theatre kids have been anticipating for YEARS-with Ariana being one of the girlies consistently at the forefront openly campaigning for a role saying for years she was ready to beg Ben Platt’s dad for an audition if need be.
Her headshot has still not changed on Playbill-what a bebe! While there’ve been many who doubted Ariana’s ability to do a musical, I found a bit absurd considering she’s more than proven her vocal ability despite not having a long list of musical theatre credits. I wasn’t a viewer of her time on Nickelodeon, but I couldn’t help shedding a tear as she danced through the halls of Shiz for her last few bars of “Popular” with her joy bursting through the screen. Despite the obvious Kristin Chenoweth nods & inspo, her little subtleties such as her exclamation of “RIGHT!” as she slams the book closed after letting Elphaba know that it doesn’t take brains or knowledge to get ahead, it’s popularity, was such a fun little moment! As for Cynthia-it’s been very surprising to see so many call her a newcomer when as opposed to Ariana, she’s BEEN blowing away theatre audiences for years! It’s not surprising to me at all considering the circumstances how much these 2 have ended up caring so much about not only this project, but each other. There’s been so much analyzation online about “what happened on the Wicked set” to make Ariana & Cynthia so close…well, they fought for jobs they really wanted and filmed at a time when COVID numbers were still pretty high & people (especially film sets) were not only encouraging, but at times enforcing, actors & crew staying in their bubbles. There’s an odd kind of bond that can form with actors, especially if they actually really enjoy what they’re working on, that can form from doing all the prep work necessary to bring characters & stories to life. I was further endeared to their casting & bond after watching the behind the scenes special on Peacock, especially clips of them finding out they’d formally booked their roles. (Yes I went back to take these off my TV in order to make a point.)
Trauma bond, personality disorder, or simply theatre kids, who knows! While I’ve personally gone to see it twice, much like Tracy Gilchrist, I’ve seen quite a few theatre kids going to see the movie multiple times. While I was highly skeptical at 1st when hearing this would be a 2 part movie, (mostly I was worried that I’d have to wait a year to hear Cynthia Erivo sing “Defying Gravity”), it all made more sense after watching despite feeling antsy as hell for part 2.The girlies put in the work, they cared a whole lot & they’ve been pretty open about that on their press tour. Perhaps the answer to all the speculation of their bond, relationship, behavior, etc is simply part of their actor’s secret.
Quick Rec of the Week: Defying Gravity (no not the song, but that too)
While I do believe everyone should listen & hold space for the song Defying Gravity, I also feel the need to recommend watching Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked. While only an hour long available on Peacock, it shows so much of the process, dedication & care taken to give these characters life. If you’ve never thought of yourself as a musical theatre person, or simply have a bias against Ariana Grande, I think this special may help to inform some on how these strong bonds can end up forming.
That’s all for now! Thank you for reading & I’ll do my best to find some light things to share here despite…the everything.🙃