After Dwayne Johnson’s comments about audiences singing in theaters, Cynthia Erivo backed him up during her interview at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The debate has been buzzing since Wicked hit theaters, with most people speaking out against the idea. The cast, though, seems to feel differently. Erivo shared her thoughts, encouraging fans to have fun and express themselves this way, but her latest response is stirring up even more controversy.
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“Good! I’m OK with it. We’ve spent this long singing it ourselves, it’s time for everyone else to join in,” Erivo said (via TVLine).
Her co-star Ariana Grande isn’t against singing in theaters either. Both she and Erivo have, in previous interviews, been clear in saying they supported singing along if it made viewers happy while watching the movie. However, even with the support of both Wicked stars, theaters are still asking fans to refrain from singing along.
AMC Theatres in particular have taken measures to remind fans to be quiet during screenings, displaying two types of silence warnings for its customers – one sign before they enter the theater and another themed ad shown right before the movie starts. Ryan Noonan, the company’s spokesperson, said that the warning is already standard, but knowing that the musical could spark conflicts, they decided to get ahead of it.
“The Wicked preshow spot incorporates the themes of the film as a fun, engaging reminder to moviegoers to not disrupt the experience for those around them as they enjoy the show,” he said.
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As for why fans are singing along to Wicked in theaters, some of that comes from social media. On TikTok, songs like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” have become hits among Wicked fans and have made their way into trends on the plaform. However, there are also people on social media speaking out against disturbing the film experience. Lewberger Music, a comedy band, even posted a video discussing theater etiquette, arguing that the audience bought tickets to watch the cast sing, not the other moviegoers whie others have taken to different platforms to speak out.
“To the insufferable singers ruining everyone’s Wicked experience from day one; You wouldn’t sing in the theatre, why are you singing in the cinema?,” wrote one user on X. Even Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper shared his thoughts, saying it’d be better to wait for Wicked to hit streaming before singing along. “They’re paying to hear Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, not you.”
Luckily, for those still pumped and eager to get the full experience, some sing-along screenings will be available in around 1,000 theaters across North America during the Christmas season, starting on December 25th.
Wicked is now playing in theaters worldwide, with Part 2 set to drop on November 21, 2025.
