Wicked director says he can’t wait to “introduce the world to a new Ariana Grande” as he praises the pop star’s “emotional” performance

Prepare to see a new side to Ariana Grande as she makes her debut as Glinda in Wicked. According to director Jon M. Chu, the pop superstar’s performance in the upcoming musical adaptation is “emotional” and “comedic”.

He talks to SFX magazine about why he cast Grande in the new issue, which features Wicked on the cover and hits newsstands on November 1. “From the moment she walked in you could feel that she was the most interesting person for Glinda. It wasn’t Kristin Chenoweth [Broadway’s original Glinda], but it was Glinda. From the moment we started shooting she lived in the bubble of Glinda. I’m not sure she’s even out of the bubble yet! I was always talking to Glinda.”