As the first of the two-part Wicked films officially hit theaters, a debate about movie theater etiquette has sparked online.
Social media users have argued over whether or not it’s OK to sing along to the movie musical, which premiered on November 22. For some fans, they are watching the film to hear the cast show off their vocal chops, not their fellow moviegoers.
“Y’all better shut the f— up during that movie. I don’t want to hear a single [note]. None of it,” one TikTok user stated in a September upload. “I’m there to listen to Ariana [Grande] and Cynthia [Erivo]. Please do not sing during the movie.”
However, some thespians have joked that they won’t be able to contain their excitement while watching the beloved Broadway show on the big screen. “I was singing the ensemble parts in the theater for wicked. And I’ll do it again!!!! I know how to stay quiet!” one X user wrote on November 22.
‘Wicked’ Movie Characters vs. the Actors Who Play Them in Real Life: Photos
To satisfy both sides, a sing-along version of the film will be released in theaters on Christmas Day. In the meantime, AMC is encouraging patrons to refrain from belting their hearts out.
“At AMC Theatres, silence is golden,” a voiceover states in a commercial before the film, per multiple outlets. “No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No Flirting. And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies.”
Scroll down to see what the cast and crew of Wicked have said about the movie theater singing debate:
Ariana Grande
Grande, 31, is down for fans singing in the theater — under one condition. “As long as the people around you aren’t becoming upset and causing a discourse,” she told BBC News at the film’s London premiere on November 18. “Live your life.”
In an interview with NBC News the following day, Grande admitted that she and Erivo, 37, understand how singing along is “tempting” for some viewers. “We understand it, if you do and if you don’t. We respect the feelings,” she stated. “If someone throws popcorn at you or their phone or something, maybe stop. … We support whatever makes them happy.”
Cynthia Erivo
“Why not?” she told BBC News at the Wicked London premiere. “If it makes you feel happy. Be considerate, is what we’re asking.”
Erivo also told NBC News that she hopes fans will listen to her and the cast’s renditions of the songs. “I say, if you come the first time and you sing through, sing through,” she told the outlet. “But come a second time and let us sing to you.”
Appearing on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade later that month, Erivo revealed that her opinion had since leaned in the favor of theater singers. “I’m OK with it,” she told Today’s Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker during the November 28 broadcast. “We spent this long singing it ourselves, it’s time for everyone else to join in. It’s wonderful.”
Ethan Slater
“I feel like I’m of two minds,” Slater, 32, said of the debate during a November 22 interview on Today. “It is really fun to be in a theater full of people singing. At the same time, I also think that they’re doing some sing-along showings, right, in December. And maybe that’s the best venue for it.”
Jon M. Chu
The film’s director seemingly addressed the sing-along conflict in a celebratory Instagram post about Wicked’s release, encouraging fans to view the film in the manner of their choosing.
“Check it out. See it in Dolby, in IMAX, in ScreenX whatever way you want, but see it with people. It makes it so much more fun,” he wrote alongside snaps from the Wicked press tour on November 21.
