Frances Hannon had big ruby slippers to fill.
Transforming Cynthia Erivo into Elphaba
Elphaba steps into her power.
They also had to ensure those makeup and hair choices wouldnt compete with Elphabas intricate costuming.
Courtesy Universal Pictures
Cynthia’s costumes were always going to be big, Hannon tellsAllureof Erivos all-black wardrobe.
Elphabas braid, shorter nails, and prosthetic ear.
Keeping Erivos face unobstructed also helped to keep the films emotional tone.
Elphaba steps into her power.
One aesthetic choice thats more modern is Elphabas nail art, which wouldnt exist without Erivos insistence.
One thing that was important about this film was to make it timeless, Hannon says.
Elphaba wears two nail looks in the film that demonstrate her growing confidence.
Elphaba’s braid, shorter nails, and prosthetic ear.
Erivos nail artist, Shea Osei, describes them as a natural ombre with a short stiletto shape.
Ariana Grande Gets Glinda-fied
Glinda receives a warm welcome at Shiz.
Hannon says the inspiration for Glindas look stemmed from Grace Kelly: timeless, beautiful, and feminine.
Elphaba’s microbraids.
[Kelly] always kept it very simple, she was never that ornate, she says.
Glindas whimsical look as The Good Witch.
One look we were never going to see Glinda in was, of course, a ponytail.
Glinda receives a warm welcome at Shiz.
I never even considered her having hairdos that were up or princess-like.
The whimsical freedom of her hair makes her far more accessible to her audience as well.
The Prosthetic Hiding in Plain Sight
Glinda is shocked by Elphabas appearance at Shiz.
Glinda’s whimsical look as The Good Witch.
To help disguise the holes in their ears, the makeup team used two approaches.
For Grandes minimally pierced ears, the solution was simple: put a little makeup on them.
Hannon estimates they used more than 155 prosthetic ears during filming.
Glinda is shocked by Elphaba’s appearance at Shiz.
A closer look at Elphaba’s prosthetic ear.
It does make a big difference, Hannon says.
It draws you in a little bit moreit’s a subconscious acceptance.
A closer look at Elphaba’s prosthetic ear.
People don’t register for it.
They don’t necessarily recognize it as a change within.
