For many who are unaware, “Defying Gravity” is the Act 1 conclusion of the beloved musical “Depraved,” an anthem of empowerment and freedom that’s grow to be one in all theater’s biggest ballads and possibly some of the difficult songs for any actress to sing. Cynthia Erivo, who performs Elphaba and sings the track within the long-awaited movie adaptation, knew, on a technical degree, this might be probably the most troublesome a part of taking over the position, however nonetheless knew how necessary it could be to get it proper.
Whereas talking at a current Q&A on the Administrators Guild of America in Los Angeles on Friday night time, Erivo mentioned the method of constructing her character in direction of “Defying Gravity,” however how her efforts have been delayed by the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
“‘Defying Gravity’ was like a large journey for me,” stated Erivo. “I feel from the very starting, I form of knew that I needed Elphaba’s voice to develop. I prefer to make an enormous sound — Cynthia likes to make that sound. I knew that Elphaba needed to earn it. I knew that she didn’t know what that sound was but and so it takes her a second to get to that time. It takes her a second to get to ‘Defying Gravity.’ She has to study lots. She has to undergo lots earlier than she will get to singing, ‘It’s me’ and telling folks, ‘So should you care to search out me, look to the western sky,’ it takes her a second earlier than she will get to that. However the journey to get to the precise track was lengthy and sophisticated as a result of it was paused by a six month wait of a strike.”
Erivo went on to elucidate how when the strikes began, that they had filmed all the things up till “Defying Gravity,” so for the method to swiftly be halted, it felt like an enormous message from the universe and one she was comfortable to just accept.
“We’re at our bones at this level. Pores and skin rubbed to the bone. And I felt like that six months gave me time to course of the entire issues that had occurred in order that I might use the issues that I had skilled to lastly actually inform the story of what it’s to defy gravity,” Erivo stated to the gang on the DGA. “So after we received there, I used to be actually prepared and the universe stated, ‘No, , sit down, have a chilly, have a fever, and I used to be out for per week after we got here again.”
Erivo managed to get sick on her birthday of all days, forcing yet one more delay in her performing and taking pictures the “Defying Gravity” sequence. By the point she lastly was in a position to get in entrance of the digicam, she was greater than able to tackle not solely the track, however the feelings that include it.
“I used to be so able to rule these phrases and imply them, as a result of I used to be in a position to put collectively the issues I had skilled within the movie and the issues I had skilled in my life to have the ability to say, ‘I’m defying gravity,’” stated Erivo. “As a result of it’s a extremely particular factor to have the ability to proclaim these phrases and I used to be so wanting ahead to being the conduit to which I might convey that to folks and hopefully have a bunch of individuals in a position to say, ‘I’m defying gravity,’ not simply by precise flight, however by defying the chances that individuals would possibly set towards you. As a result of I do know what that seems like when folks look and go, ‘Oh, you may’t do this.’”
Extra reporting by Anne Thompson.
Common Footage releases “Depraved” in theaters on Friday, November 22.