PEOPLE’s ‘Wicked’ Special Edition Goes Behind the Scenes of the Movie (Exclusive)

There’s no need to go somewhere over the rainbow to get all the scoop Evilthe long-awaited film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical. PEOPLE’s special edition goes behind the scenes of the eye-popping spectacle starring Ariana Grande, 31, and Cynthia Erivo, 37. is available right here starts Friday 1 Nov.

Evil tells the emotional origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West, the villain from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the iconic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

But before the Wicked Witch was feared across the land of Oz, she was simply Elphaba Thropp, a reserved and misunderstood young woman who happened to be born with green skin and special powers. At Shiz University, she meets fellow student Glinda, a bubbly (and yes, popular) aspiring sorceress (and future Good Witch).

Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande) become roommates and then unlikely friends—until outside forces come between them and test their bond.

Cast and creators of the film (Part 1 hits theaters November 22nd, Part 2 in 2025) bring PEOPLE into the extensive production. Read on for some insider secrets from the special issue – which also features interviews, photos and an oral history of the original Broadway show.

Grande hid candy in her costume

As Glinda, the pop star wore many cotton candy-like pink costumes — and according to costar Michelle Yeoh, Grande’s outfits sometimes hid sweets, too.

“She wants to eat candy and suddenly she stuffs it down her corset. We’re like, ‘What the hell?’ She says, ‘When I’m done, when I open my corset, all these things fall off!'” says Yeoh, who plays Shiz University principal Madam Morrible.

Erivo and Grande provided baked goods – and Uggs!

Newcomer Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s younger sister Nessarose, remembers acts of kindness from both Erivo and Grande. Bode says Erivo brought home-baked cookies to set and made vegan and gluten-free varieties “just in case” someone had dietary needs. “(It) was so sweet that she’s thoughtful,” Bode tells PEOPLE.

The actress also recalls complimenting Grande on her Ugg boots. “I was like, ‘Oh my God. I always admire them, but I don’t have a pair or anything.’ Just by chance and then she had literally bought me a pair of these black glitter Uggs,” says Bode. “Who does that? That’s so kind.”

Between takes, the actors sang songs – from other musicals

When director John M. Chu called cut, Bowen Yang, 33, and Bronwyn James (who star as Pfannee and ShenShen, respectively, Glinda’s crafty sidekicks) performed tunes from Rent and Next to Normalwhere Grande and Erivo joined. “Cynthia had to be incredibly aloof and reserved and in Elphaba’s demeanor. So it was refreshing to see her let loose between takes,” recalls Yang.

Grande and Jeff Goldblum, who plays the Wizard of Oz himself, burst into songs from the musical Dirty rotten scoundrels. “We sang it together and then she did it again on my phone. Oh my God in heaven — it was music, music, music,” says Goldblum, 72.

Michelle Yeoh was afraid to sing

By her own admission, the Oscar-winning Everything everywhere at once actress, 62, is not a natural belter. “I love to sing. But usually it’s in the shower, not when other people are around,” she says. But she needed a tune to play Madam Morrible, so she worked with a vocal coach before going to stage. “I hit notes I never thought I’d try,” she says.

Still, performance anxiety was always present in the beginning. “I could definitely see a little fear in her eyes,” Chu recalls. But Yeoh says Chu and Erivo reassured her. “Most of my singing parts are with Cynthia. She said, ‘Just sing it out, girl. I can hear you sing. Just come out with it.’ So they made me feel comfortable.”

Farmers planted nine million tulip bulbs to create Oz

One would expect a big budget movie like Wicked to go all in on CGI for its effects. But director Chu and production designer Nathan Crowley wanted a realistic feel for the land of Oz. “People want to touch things,” says Crowley. To that end, he hired farmers to plant nine million—yes, you read that right—tulip bulbs on soundstages in London and the Norfolk countryside.

Grande and Erivo influenced the scenography

The film’s leads didn’t just show up and say their lines. Crowley picked the brains of the stars about Elphaba and Glinda, which helped inform his decisions about the set. Crowley says, “There were many, many conversations with the actresses to see how they see their characters and how the props relate to that character.”

Buy PEOPLE’s Evil special edition here.