November 18, 2025 | 11:38am
MANILA, Philippines — Young artists Andrea Brillantes and Darren Espanto had a quick trip to Oz to meet the stars of “Wicked: For Good,” Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
The two stars were among the select few flown out to Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore for the Asia premiere of the much-anticipated “Wicked” sequel.
Ariana and Cynthia reprise their roles as Glinda and Elphaba in the enchanting finale that wraps up a retelling of “The Wizard of the Oz” seen through the eyes of the two main characters.
Joining Ariana and Cynthia on the yellow carpet — a reference to the yellow brick road — were the film’s director Jon M. Chu and co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum.
Filipinos Ai Dela Cruz and Markki Stroem, also representing the Filipino contingent, hosted the event.
Channeling Glinda and Elphaba, Andrea and Darren wore pink and green, respectively, on the yellow carpet and had their photo opportunity with Ariana and Cynthia.
It was twice a full-circle moment for Andrea, who met Ariana a decade ago when the artist visited the Philippines for her “Honeymoon” tour. She watched her first-ever musical, “Wicked,” on Broadway three years ago.
“I watched the movie, and it changed something in me,” Andrea said on Instagram. “Life is so wild sometimes. I’m beyond grateful.”
The Singapore premiere was marred by an incident where an individual rushed toward Ariana just moments after the cast hit the yellow carpet. The fan jumped over the barricade and put his arm around the artist.
Video clips, which have gone viral online, show the man wrapping his arm around a shocked Ariana before jumping up and down and smilingly waving to the crowd.
Cynthia rushed to her co-star’s defense and the man is grabbed by security guards and put back over the barricade. The individual was arrested hours later and charged with “being a public nuisance.”
A district judge called the man “attention seeking” before handing him a nine-day sentence, far below the maximum penalty afforded by law: three months in jail, a fine of $1,500 (P88,000), or both.
“Wicked: For Good” screens in Philippine cinemas beginning November 19. — with reports from Colin Pereira for Agence France-Presse
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