“Wicked: One Wonderful Night” drew 3.6 million viewers on NBC.
The thrilling telecast is the network’s second-highest rated special this year behind “SNL50: Anniversary Special.” Ratings also increased by 64% from the 2024 special “Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked.” (In particular, viewership in the 18-49 demographic jumped to 148%.)
“Wicked: One Wonderful Night” was filmed live at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and aired on NBC on November 6th. “Wicked” stars, including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang, were afraid to sing songs from both “Wicked” and its upcoming sequel, “Wicked: For Good.” The setlist included “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” “Dancing Through Life,” “For Good,” and of course, “Defying Gravity.”
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who created the roles of Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway, also appeared. And special guests like Leslie Odom Jr., Ludacris and Shaquille O’Neal will also appear.
The special was released weeks before Wicked: For Good, which concludes the prequel story set in Oz, hits theaters on November 21st. The film depicts the witches Elphaba and Glinda becoming estranged after visiting the Emerald City. According to the logline, “When a girl from Kansas collides into their lives, they will have to come together one last time and truly see each other in order to change themselves, and all of Oz, forever.”
The first “Wicked” movie will air on NBC on Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. ahead of the sequel.
Wicked: One Wonderful Night is produced by Fulwell Entertainment. Ben Winston and Raj Kapoor will serve as executive producers. Wicked: For Good is produced by Marc Platt and David Stone.
