Cynthia Erivo is returning to Oz.
The actor will narrate a new audiobook edition of Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Variety reports.
Maguire’s novel, published in 1995, follows Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, and her college roommate, Glinda, as they go from enemies to friends.
The novel was adapted into a Broadway musical written by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which won three Tony Awards. The musical formed the basis for a two-part film, directed by Jon M. Chu, and starring Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. The first film was released last November and was a box office hit; it also earned 10 Oscar nominations, including a best actress nod for Erivo. The second installment of the movie, Wicked: For Good, is scheduled for release this November.
A previous audiobook edition of Wicked was narrated by John McDonough, who has also lent his voice to works by John Steinbeck, Jan Karon, and John Grisham.
In a statement, Erivo said, “I feel deeply connected to Elphaba. We have been on quite the journey together, and now I’m eager to begin an adventure with her whilst exploring the full world of Wicked and its myriad of other characters in the audiobook. I’m looking forward to bringing this incredible story to life in a new way for listeners, and I hope it resonates as deeply with them as I know it will with me.”
The new audiobook edition of Wicked is scheduled for release on July 1.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
