Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Granda is Glinda in "Wicked," directed by Jon M. Chu.
Author Gregory Maguire re-introduced the world to Elphaba when he published "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" in 1995.

The movie musical “Wicked” may be far tamer than the book it's based on, but author Gregory Maguire is still giving his stamp of approval.

“Wicked: For Good” hits theaters Nov. 21, and the sequel is no child’s play. Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero are done with their school days and under the thumb of the oppressive regime of the Wizard, whom Elphaba defied (with gravity and otherwise) at the end of Part One.

The musical and its movie adaptation are loosely based on Maguire’s novel, which itself is a fresh take on L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz.” Rather than centering Dorothy, "Wicked" gives the Wicked Witch of the West her own tragic backstory, featuring her frenemy and former roommate Glinda.

‘Wicked’ author ‘sobbed’ watching Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande act

Though Maguire wasn’t involved in the production of Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” he did share a memorable moment visiting the set when USA TODAY interviewed him in March. He watched them film the Ozdust ballroom scene, a touching and earnest moment where Glinda, changing her tune, dances with Elphaba.

“I’m living testimony to anybody who wants to know that there is no glycerin drops in Cynthia Erivo’s eyes to propel those tears down her cheeks,” Maguire says. “There were at least five times over the course of several days where I just wanted to break through the set and grab both women by the elbows and rush them to safety. I was devastated to see them perform such excruciating and tender moments of agony, it was devastating to watch. I felt so bad that I'd written anything that brought them to have to do this for a week.”

Maguire also blushes when you bring up Jonathan Bailey, the newly crowned People’s Sexiest Man Alive. Watching him play Fiyero was “some of the most brilliant acting that I'd seen,” he says.

Cynthia Erivo has ‘become a friend’ to Gregory Maguire

The Elphaba that Maguire crafted on the page remains unchanged in his mind, regardless of who is playing the character onstage or onscreen, he says. Like most authors, he put parts of himself into his characters. Elphaba is deeply personal to him.

“I hold Elphaba as portrayed by Idina Menzel, and Elphaba as portrayed by Cynthia Erivo, and Elphaba as portrayed by any other actress I've seen play her or any high school audition tape that's been sent, they're all Elphaba to me. I can embrace them all and I can hold them all because the (original) Elphaba is still in my head and cannot be upgraded by the success of popular entertainment,” he says.

That said, Maguire knew from the start Erivo would be “phenomenal” as Elphaba based on performances he’d seen from her.

“She’s become a friend, she’s somebody I hugely admire,” Maguire says. He has fond memories from past “Wicked” casts too, sharing sweet anecdotes of “Glinda” stage actress Kristin Chenoweth complimenting his daughter’s dress backstage.

“They’ve treated me like a beloved cousin,” he says.

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Wicked' author 'sobbed' watching Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande in this scene

Reporting by Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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