ARIANA GRANDE: SECRETS FROM THE SET!

THE SURE-TO-BE BLOCKBUSTER ABOUT TWO WITCHES HAS PLENTY OF BUZZ AND JUICY BEHIND-THE-SCENES GOSSIP.

WHEN Ariana Grande was 10, her mom took her to see Wicked on Broadway, followed by a backstage visit with the original Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth, who gifted her with a witch's wand and shower gel the tween treated like a special potion. "Dipping a tiny little pinky in," the 31-year-old recalled, adding, "I really think it was magical now."

No wonder: After 10 years of publicly vying for the pop-u-lar role, the former Nickelodeon star will hit the screen alongside British actress Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in the movie adaptation of the Broadway hit, in theaters Nov. 22. As the "Thank U Next" singer put it, it's her "dream role." But the movies (part 2 will come in 2025)-based on Gregory Maguire's novel about the complex friendship between two witches in the land of Oz-faced plenty of drama on their way to theaters, from production challenges to cheating rumors and even a feud. Star goes behind the curtain.

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