feature image photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images
In an interview with Gay Times during the never-ending and increasingly nonsensical Wicked press tour (I’ve been obsessively consuming every. damn. second of it.), Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were asked about “Gelphie,” the ever-popular Wicked femmeslash ship that positions Elphaba and Glinda as distinctly more than friends. “Glinda might be a little in the closet,” Grande, who plays Glinda in the film, said. And she’s not the only Glinda portrayer who thinks so. When E News posted the “little bit in the closet” snippet on Instagram, Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role on Broadway, chimed in in the comments to say: “I thought so too way back when…”
It’s official: Two out of two Glindas agree that Glinda might be a little bit in the closet. (For some reason, Cheno’s ellipses usage in the comment really gets me. Gen Xers and their love of dot dot dot drama!)
When asked if Gelphie could ever become explicit canon, Grande replied: “You never know, give it a little more time. It is just a true love, and I think that transcends sexuality.”
The Gay Times interview is full of ambiguous language about Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship and sexualities, but I’m honestly pretty into that ambiguity! Their relationship is hard to describe, and being vague about it doesn’t amount to “queerbaiting.” One could argue they are holding space for the complexity of the relationship. But in all seriousness, I do think the Elphaba/Glinda dynamic defies conventional definition. It is not a stretch to say they canonically have a relationship beyond friendship, and if Chenoweth and Grande are both feeling un petit queerness in the character they’re playing, then there’s obviously something there!
Erivo added about Elphaba that “she goes wherever the wind goes.” She continues: “I think she loves Glinda, I think she loves love. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection the both of them have.”
“They do have a real relationship,” Erivo also tells Gay Times. “It is true love, which is probably why people are shipping it. What they build with each other is an unbreakable bond and love.”
Elphaba is coming out as loving Glinda and loving LOVE. Glinda is a little bit in the closet. The Wicked press tour continues to be For The Theater Gays. Stay tuned for an upcoming Autostraddle deep dive on the queer history and origins of Wicked!
Someone get a ouija board we need Billie Burke’s opinion
Heck yes, I am here for this!
On a related note, does anyone have some good Elphaba/Glinda fanfiction to recommend?
As someone who was very much in the closet, when I read the book in 2005 it (figuratively) screamed GAY GAY GAY at me. I’ve skimmed it since and have deduced that my gaydar was very active at that point.