A short day in New York City, the cast of Bad connected Fashion for one exciting special screening of the film at the Museum of Modern Art. Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode and Bowen Yang hit the red carpet during their press tour; Erivo ditched her statement green hue for a black Dior dress and ASMR-worthy intricate nails. Wearing a bright pink Louis Vuitton dress, Grande got a confidence boost when her co-star hypnotized her on the carpet: “Yes! Come on, shoulders!” Erivo shouted. The couple strolled down the red carpet until a signature bob and sunglasses approached them, prompting them to turn and shout, “Annaaa!” sang. That could only mean one thing: the show was about to start.

Guests, dressed in various shades of green and pink, grabbed boxes of red vines and water before heading to their seats. Producer Marc Platt warmed up the audience and gave special thanks to the person who helped make his 20-year dream of a Bad film becomes reality or, in his words, how director Jon M. Chu brought this project “over the rainbow.”

Chu introduced each cast member as the proud coach of a team; one by one they ran down the aisle before lining up in front of the screen, locking hands. When they were all together, they shouted in unison, “Enjoy the show!”

For the next two hours and forty-one minutes, a packed house experienced the film; clapping after each song as if it were a live theater performance. The energy was palpable, especially because there were several of them Bad super fans in the theater – but the film is just as delightful for someone who hasn’t seen the Broadway show yet. It pays tribute to the original score with a dash of novelty, and the cameos are unmissable. As the film neared its final moments and Erivo held her breath for Elphaba’s iconic riff, a petite blonde in a white tuxedo dress jumped to her feet in the audience. It was Kristen Chenoweth, and she started off to a standing ovation in the theater.

There was silence for a nanosecond and then a conversation broke out. The best place to debrief? The MoMA lobby about an Ozmopolitan of course! (The Ozmopolitan’s special addition was a nitrogen bubble on top of the glass, reminiscent of Glinda’s “entry level vehicle”). Gnocchi stations, taco stands and pass hors d’oeuvres left a crowd hungry for more than just part two of the film. It was the swankiest place in town that evening as the party lingered until the guests followed the yellow taxiway home.