Ethan Slater landing the role of Boq in 'Wicked' has an element of magic to it

You could say that Ethan Slater's yellow brick road to getting cast in the big screen adaptation of “Wicked” had an element of magic to it.

On the day he was asked to submit a tape of himself for the role of Boq, Slater was playing the part of actor Christopher Fitzgerald's identical twin in a table read for a potential musical. Fitzgerald originated the role of Boq in “Wicked” on Broadway. “I didn’t tell him about it ‘cause I didn’t want to explain when I didn’t get it,'” admitted Slater. Instead, he marked the occasion by asking Fitzgerald to take a selfie with him for seemingly no reason, which he still has.

After getting the job, Slater was determined to master the delicate dance of keeping the essence of Fitzgerald in a role that was now his.

“I look up to him so much,” Slater said of Fitzgerald. “I wanted to honor the Boq he created who’s just, like, a burst of energy. But I also wanted to make him my own because I could never be Chris Fitzgerald. He's too singular and too amazing. It would be a fool’s errand to try to be him.”

In turn, Fitzgerald, who has seen the film, gave Slater's performance a glowing review. Slater says he plans to print and frame a text message that Fitzgerald sent him afterward.

“Ethan has this perfect balance of soulfulness and funny bones as an actor,” Fitzgerald said in an email to the AP. “His Boq is earnest, daffy, and generous of heart. It was such a pleasure and a gift to watch a pal use the spirit of something that’s come before and spin it into something new and wholly original. He is Boq.”

“Wicked” is a prequel to the events of “Wizard of Oz.” It stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Jonathan Bailey plays a prince, Fiyero, who encounters Glinda and Elphaba at school.

The story was conceived by Gregory Macguire for a novel called “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Slater says filming the big-budget movie directed by Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians" and “In the Heights”) actually felt much smaller. At its heart, the cast is just a bunch of theater kids who love to perform.

“I keep quoting Johnny Bailey who said while we were shooting, ‘it just feels like a student film until suddenly it doesn’t,'" said Slater.

Erivo, Grande, Bailey and Slater all come from a musical theater background. In 2018, he was nominated for a Tony Award for his leading performance in “SpongeBob SquarePants" on Broadway. He was also in the revival of “Spamalot" in 2023.

“We all cared so much. We cared in the way that theater kids care and want to protect this show and want the opportunity to do it. It was really, really joyful and familial," said Slater.

Because the experience was so magical, Slater said the actors find themselves reminiscing even when they're not promoting it.

“Going to dinner last night, we were all still talking about ‘Wicked,’ and it’s like another theater kid thing, you know, hyper-fixating on this thing that we love so much," he said.

The actors sang live on set which Slater said makes for a better performance.

“You are using your voice in the same way from scene into song, into scene. And there’s no break at all. You’re not thinking about syncing. You’re not thinking about dubbing later. You’re just performing it," he said.

“Wicked,” premiering Nov. 22, will be released in two parts. The second film is scheduled for a November 2025 debut.

Slater recognizes that breaking up the film is a “controversial decision.”

"I empathize with that, but when you see this movie, I think it’s a really full movie with a beginning, middle and end. You get to know these characters and love these characters. I think the first thing you’re going to want to do is watch the movie a second time. I’m on pins and needles waiting for the second one."

On screen, Boq has an unrequited crush on Glinda. Off screen, Slater and Grande are a couple in real life.

“Her fans are going to be blown away," he said. "Anybody who’s a fan of Ariana knows how talented she is. They know that she has, you know, one of the best voices, of our generation — or ever — and can do anything with it. I think that her acting is like above and beyond. It’s incredible. Her comedy is ridiculous."

Slater also stars in the film “Lost on a Mountain in Maine," now in theaters. And he's developing “a really beautiful play about humanity” where he would star as French mime Marcel Marceau.

“The thing in theater is you can’t really celebrate it until opening night and then you really shouldn’t until it closes either. But we’re really excited about its future, and hopefully there will be more news about it soon.”

Actor Ethan Slater poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Ethan Slater arrives at the premiere of "Wicked" on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Ethan Slater arrives at the premiere of "Wicked" on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Actor Ethan Slater poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actor Ethan Slater poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actor Ethan Slater poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actor Ethan Slater poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actor Ethan Slater poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actor Ethan Slater poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actor Ethan Slater poses for a portrait on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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NEW/DEVELOPING

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OBIT-TED-OLSON; TRUMP-RETURNS; TRUMP-UNITED-NATIONS; SPAIN-FLOODS; MMA-IRELAND-MCGREGGOR-LAWSUIT; AMAZON-DISCOUNT-STOREFRONT; GUANTANAMO-9/11; CALIFORNIA-NEIGHBORHOOD-REPARATIONS; APARTMENT BROKER FEES; TRUMP-ATTORNEY GENERAL; TRUMP-RETRIBUTION TIME; SUDAN-CHAD; MED-BIRD-FLU; MED-MCDONALDS-OUTBREAK.

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ONLY ON AP

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CHINA-RAVES — By day, Xing Long works in an office for a state-owned company in Changchun, an industrial city in the northeastern rust belt of China. By night, he’s a DJ and underground rave organizer, a side gig that offers an escape from the humdrum of reviewing corporate contracts. For a growing number of Chinese young people, techno dance parties are an escape from the intense pressure and high expectations of the society around them. In recent years, even as space for culture and creativity has been shrinking in China, underground rave culture is growing in hidden corners of the nation’s cities like air raid shelters. By Elsie Chen and Dake Kang. SENT: 1,010 words, photos, video, audio.

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TOP STORIES

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TRUMP-BIDEN — President-elect Donald Trump has made a victor’s return to Washington, visiting the White House for a nearly two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power despite actively working to disrupt the same process four years ago. By Will Weissert, Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, video, audio.

TRUMP-TRANSITION — President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general. Trump also taps Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state, and selects Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress, to serve as his director of national intelligence. By Michelle L. Price, Adriana Gomez Licon, Jill Colvin and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,240 words, photos. Also sent: TRUMP-PICKS — Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far. TRUMP-RETURNS — Trump promises to turn Washington upside down. He’s being welcomed back anyway; TRUMP-UNITED-NATIONS — The United Nations faces uncertainty as Trump returns to US presidency. TRUMP-PENTAGON — President-elect Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary. Upcoming: TRUMP-ATTORNEY GENERAL — Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz, was once embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he’s been tapped to lead. TRUMP-RETRIBUTION TIME — Trump has had few defenders in Congress as reliable as Matt Gaetz.

Find a selection of Trump returns to Washington photos in AP newsroom.

CONGRESS-SENATE REPUBLICANS — Republicans elect South Dakota Sen. John Thune as the next Senate majority leader, completing a momentous shift in their leadership that elevates a top deputy of Sen. Mitch McConnell into a key position as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. By Mary Clare Jalonick and Stephen Groves. SENT: 1,190 words, photos. With CONGRESS-HOUSE REPUBLICANS — Speaker Mike Johnson begins his fight to hold the gavel in Trump’s Washington; (sent).

LEBANON-ISRAEL-GAZA-CHILDREN — Seven-year-old Halima Abou Yassine was brought to Lebanon from Gaza for treatment after an Israeli strike left her near death with a gaping wound in her skull. She’s one of a dozen Palestinian children from Gaza being treated in Lebanon under a program set up by a British-Palestinian surgeon. But now the children are caught up in another war as Israel escalates its bombardment of Lebanon in a campaign against the Hezbollah militant group. By Abby Sewell. SENT: 1,190 words, photos, video. With MIDEAST-WARS-THE-LATEST.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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ELECTION-2024-EDUCATION-TRANSGENDER-STUDENTS — Transgender youth in the United States have been flooding crisis hotlines since the election of Donald Trump, who made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign. Many teens worry about how their lives could change once he becomes president. The Rainbow Youth Project, which serves LGBTQ+ young people, has received more than 5,500 calls to its crisis hotline in the past 10 days — nearly 2,000 more calls than it typically gets in an entire month. By Jocelyn Gecker and Sharon Lurye. SENT: 1,220 words, photos.

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MIDEAST WAR

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UNITED-STATES-ISRAEL-DOCUMENTS — A man who worked for the U.S. government has been charged with leaking classified information assessing Israel’s earlier plans to attack Iran, according to court papers. SENT: 220 words, photos. UPCOMING: 400 words, photos by 6 p.m.

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RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — The Biden administration is determined in its final months to help ensure that Ukraine can keep fighting off Russia’s full-scale invasion next year, sending it as much aid as possible so that it might hold Russian forces at bay and possess a strong hand in any potential peace negotiations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. SENT: 500 words, photos, audio.

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MORE NEWS

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AMAZON-DISCOUNT-STOREFRONT — Amazon has launched a low-cost online storefront featuring electronics, apparel and other products priced at under $20, an effort to compete with discount retailers that have increasingly encroached on the e-commerce giant’s turf. SENT: 540 words, photo.

OBIT-TED-OLSON — Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson, who served two Republican presidents as one of the country’s best known conservative lawyers and successfully argued on behalf of same-sex marriage, has died at age 84. SENT: 550 words, photos.

APARTMENT BROKER FEES — NYC bans unusual practice of forcing tenants to pay real estate brokers hired by landlords. SENT: 660 words, photos.

SPAIN-FLOODS — New storms in Spain have caused school closures and train cancellations, two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes. SENT: 270 words, photos.

MMA-IRELAND-MCGREGOR-LAWSUIT — Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor has testified that he had consensual sex with a woman who is suing him for sexual assault and claimed she had told nothing but lies. SENT: 240 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS

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BIDEN-XI-TRUMP —President Joe Biden will hold talks Saturday with China’s Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an international summit in Peru, a face-to-face meeting that comes as Beijing braces for Donald Trump’s return to the White House. SENT: 650 words, photos.

SUPREME-COURT-NVIDIA — The Supreme Court seems likely to keep alive a class-action lawsuit accusing Nvidia of misleading investors about its dependence on selling computer chips for the mining of volatile cryptocurrency. SENT: 430 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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GUANTANAMO-9/11 — A U.S. military judge at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has scheduled hearings in early January for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants to enter guilty pleas in exchange for life sentences despite Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s effort to scuttle the plea agreements. SENT: 630 words, photo.

CALIFORNIA-NEIGHBORHOOD-REPARATIONS — Black and Latino families displaced from Palm Springs neighborhood reach $27M tentative settlement. SENT: 530 words, photos.

LOUISVILLE-BUSINESS-EXPLOSION — Two employees have died following an explosion at a Louisville, Kentucky, factory that caused a partial collapse of the building and blew out windows in nearby homes and businesses, the company says. SENT: 730 words, photos, video, audio.

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INTERNATIONAL

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GERMANY-POLITICS – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he will ask for a vote of confidence on Dec. 16, paving the way for early parliamentary elections in February. He declared his plans during a speech in parliament, a week after his three-party coalition government collapsed. SENT: 680 words, photos.

SUDAN-CHAD — Sudan’s military-controlled government said Wednesday that a key border crossing with Chad will stay open to keep much-needed humanitarian aid flowing into the western Darfur region which has been a center of fighting in the country’s ongoing war. SENT: 480 words, photo.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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MED-DRUG-OVERDOSES — New government data shows that U.S. drug overdose deaths appear to be showing a sustained decline. There were about 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30. That’s according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. It’s down 14% from the previous 12-month period. SENT: 590 words, photos.

MED-ABORTION-CONTRACEPTIVES — Doctors say requests for permanent sterilizations and long-term birth control like IUDs have surged across the nation since Donald Trump was elected president last week. People who feel uncertain about access to birth control and abortions in the coming years are stockpiling emergency contraception and abortion pills in case they need them. SENT: 840 words, photos.

MED-BIRD-FLU — Health officials on Wednesday confirmed bird flu in a British Columbia teen and said the virus was related to a poultry outbreak in the province. SENT: 270 word

MED-MCDONALDS-OUTBREAK -- At least 104 people have been sickened, with 34 hospitalized, in an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, federal health officials say. SENT: 360 words, photos.

BE-WELL-WALKING -- Health experts say walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. Getting steps in also helps lower the risk of heart problems, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many types of cancer. Walking also improves blood sugar levels and helps people lose weight and sleep better. SENT: 670 words, photos, video, audio.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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ENT-FILM-OSCARS-BOND-PRODUCERS — James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are being honored Sunday with an honorary Oscar. The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award celebrating producers is rarely given out, only 39 have been bestowed since its inception in 1937. But this honor is especially meaningful for the siblings: Their father, the late Albert “Cuddy” Broccoli, got one himself over 40 years ago. Broccoli and Wilson occupy a unique space in Hollywood as the custodians of Bond and have a big decision ahead of them: Who will be the eighth actor to portray 007? SENT: 980 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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BBW--WOMEN’S-PRO-BASEBALL-LEAGUE — Seventy years since the last professional women’s baseball league, another one hopes to give women a chance to shine in baseball. The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is set to launch in 2026, the first professional women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League dissolved in 1954. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.

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Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana celebrates the wicket of New Zealand's Will Young during the first ODI cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Viraj Kothalawala)

Pedro Pascal, right, adjusts the dress of Lux Pascal as they pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Gladiator II' on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú, co-owner of the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, poses for a photo next to an official Miss Universe crown during a media presentation at the Mexico City Arena, in Mexico City, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Police detain an anti-government protester on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

President-elect Donald Trump, escorted by House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., for a meeting with the House GOP conference, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Manchester City's Laura Blindkilde, center, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the women's Champions League soccer match between Manchester City FC and Hammarby IF in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Mike Tyson works out ahead of his boxing match against Jake Paul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Office-goers walk amidst a dense layer of smog as the air quality index indicates 'severe' category early morning in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo)

A resident wades through a flooded street caused by heavy rains from typhoon Toraji in Ilagan City, Isabela province, northern Philippines on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Noel Celis)

Members of ZAKA rescue services clean the blood stains at the site where a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a storage facility in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya, killing two people on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Adam Afana, 5, who was brought to Lebanon from the Strip for treatment after he nearly lost his left arm in an Israeli airstrike that killed his father and sister, receives physiotherapy at a clinic in Mar Elias Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)