Ariana Grande explained why she chose her full name for 'Wicked' credits: 'That was my name when I went to see the show at 10 years old'
For Ariana Grande, filming Wicked felt like going back in time.
Ariana Grande.
Universal Studios
The singer, who plays Glinda the Good Witch in the forthcoming film, is credited as Ariana Grande-Butera — her hyphenated last name combines the surnames of her mother, Joan Grande, and father, Edward Butera.
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In the film's end credits, Ariana addressed her choice not to use her stage name, saying that it was a reference to her younger self and a reflection of how she felt while working on the musical.
"Technically, it's my little girl name," she remarked in a preview of her appearance on The Streaming Service with Justin Hill and co-star Cynthia Erivo, which premieres November 4. "Technically it's little Ari's name."
"But, no, I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me," Ariana explained. "I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways through what I learned from Glinda, from [Cynthia's character] Elphaba and, you know, that was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10 years old—and it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that."
The vocalist of "One Last Time" explained that the choice "felt really full circle, and it just felt like something I really wanted to do."
Ariana agreed when the reporter described it as "a love note to" her younger self.
The decision to be recognized with her entire birth name isn't the only modification Ariana made for the Broadway production. The "thank u, next" singer also increased the tone of her voice during her performance.
"There is a part of the world that isn't familiar with what it takes to transform your voice," the actress told Vanity Fair in September, "whether it's singing or taking on a different dialect for a role or doing a character voice for something."
Ariana noted that such creative permissions are seen differently by men and women.
"When it's a male actor that does it, it's acclaimed," according to her. "There are some jokes made, but they are always followed by praise: 'Oh, wow, he was so lost in the role.'" And that's simply part of the job.
Finally, the Grammy winner stands behind her performance in Wicked, which is already earning Oscar talk.
"It's something I'm really proud of," Ariana explained. "Part of the reason I wanted to communicate with critics is that I am really proud of my hard work and the fact that I gave this part my all, including my physique. I'm proud of that, therefore I wanted to safeguard it."
