Why Ariana Grande Had the A/C Cut Off on The Voice Set: "People Started to Notice"
And goodness knows, Grande's special request was worth it considering her bewitching Wicked performance.
While it's no secret that Wicked star Ariana Grande is a powerhouse talent, the Season 20 Coach of The Voice revealed a behind-the-scenes request she made on the set of the NBC singing competition that proves just how seriously Grande takes her craft.
Considering the smash reception both Cynthia Erivo and Grande have received following Wicked's premiere, it's hard to imagine a time before the dynamite duo slipped into their bewitching roles of Elphaba and Glinda. Still, alongside a legion of Wicked cast hopefuls, Erivo and Grande went through a rigorous audition process to land their parts — and Grande was willing to pull out all the stops for the role of her dreams.
RELATED: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's Wicked Audition Tapes Go Wicked Viral (WHERE TO WATCH)
During her appearance on Variety's Actors on Actors series alongside December 7 SNL host and Gladiator star Paul Mescal, she discussed the pre-audition training she embarked upon before stepping into Glinda's glamorous shoes.
Ariana Grande talks coaching The Voice during Wicked auditions
Grande got to work crafting Glinda while mentoring Artists on The Voice during an "insane" 3.5-month period ahead of her life-changing Wicked audition.
"I was going from my vocal coach, to my acting coach, to doing The Voice Live Shows," Grande told Pascal, while explaining that production keeps the set relatively cold during filming days. Grande had spent months training to deliver the Glinda goods, and after noticing the set was particularly cold the evening before her Wicked audition, she made a special request. "I remember I was so nervous about my voice being in good shape because my audition was the next day..."
"I asked them to cut the air conditioning because it was so cold..." Grande explained. For non-crooning readers: Our voices are fragile instruments, and a cold, dry room can quickly lead to a scratchy throat and vocal issues. "I asked [The Voice production] to turn it off just because I had to sing opera the next day. It's very high, and I had to sing 'No One Mourns the Wicked.'"
True to the role, it's something Glinda would do, and the singing competition was happy to oblige the Coach's request. However, Grande soon noticed members of the production and the audience commenting on the temperature change. "I was very self-conscious about it," Grande confessed humorously. "People started to notice. I was like, 'I'm sorry, it's my fault.' I was like, 'So sorry, I'm going in for this audition.'"
Ariana Grande's journey from Galinda Auditions to a Golden Globe nomination
Following Grande's Wicked audition, there was a grueling multi-week waiting period to hear if she got the Glinda gig, but Grande remained confident that she'd done everything she could to stick the landing — cutting The Voice's A/C included.
"I just kind of trusted that I had I had done the work," Grande told Pascal. "I had prepared as much as I possibly could have. I had a whole pink section in my closet that I had, you know, purchased little things to have a Galinda-fied section. I did everything I possibly could; I left it all. And I knew that if it wasn't meant to be, that's OK."
RELATED: Golden Globes 2025: Wicked, Conclave, The Wild Robot & Twisters Land Major Noms
Nowadays, Grande is celebrating a 2025 Golden Globe nomination as Wicked is slated to rock the awards season. All of Grande's hard work has paid off for good.
"I truly am an absolute mess. I'm so grateful. I have just been crying on FaceTime with my mom," Grande told Variety following the Golden Globes nominations announcement. "I have tissues in my hand just in case because I've been crying on and off nonstop."
