Cynthia Erivo says she brought black and queer identity to Wicked: ‘It’s a love letter to those who feel different’

Cynthia Erivowhich interprets Elphaba in the film Wickedshared her perspective on how her identity as a Black, queer woman enriched the musical’s narrative. During the publicity tour for the film, which is already a box office success, the actress revealed that she sees her performance as a way of connecting with those who have felt “left out”.

“I hope it’s a kind of love letter to everyone who feels different, who feels out of place, to every black woman who has ever walked into a room and felt unwelcome.”he said Erivo the Variety.

I’m very happy to be the channel through which this character was introduced to the world.

In the film, directed by Jon M. Chuthe story of Elphaba gains new layers. The production expands on the protagonist’s past, showing episodes of bullying and rejection that she faced at a young age.

I received this incredible gift from a character whose purpose is to show that your differences are what make you special. You can exceed anyone’s expectations and be everything you were meant to be. The process of discovering this can be difficult, but when it happens, it is freeing and beautiful.

The producer Marc Platt also spoke about the subject and said that “It’s hard to separate her journey as a Black queer woman, where she felt like an outsider looking in.”

Erivo also contributed to the aesthetics of Elphabaensuring that the character’s “green” did not erase his blackness. The actress included elements such as microbraids and long nails, to connect your version of Elphaba to black women. The nails also paid homage Margaret Hamiltonwho played the Wicked Witch in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

These little connection points made all the difference for me.