Cynthia Erivo to Narrate New Audiobook of Gregory Maguire's ELPHIE

BroadwayWorld previously reported that Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba in the big-screen adaptation of Wicked, was recording a new audiobook version of Gregory Maguire's original novel. Now, People has shared that the Tony Award-winning performer will return as audiobook narrator for Elphie, Maguire's prequel novel that was released in March. The new audiobook will be available on July 29.

Elphie is a coming-of-age story following young Elphaba before the events of the original story. With a backstory that differs from the musical adaptation, Elphie chronicles her childhood with her mother, Melena, her pious father, Frex, her sister, Nessarose, and brother, Shell. 

“Narrating Elphie has been an extraordinary experience,” said Erivo. “Exploring Elphaba’s earliest years — before the world knew her as the Wicked Witch — allowed me to connect with her in a profoundly new way.”

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was first published in 1995 and was made into a global phenomenon of a musical in 2003. Maguire followed up the novel with several sequels, including Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. Last December, during the film's theatrical run, the novel reached #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list for the week of December 15, a prestigious honor for a book title. Check out BroadwayWorld's exclusive interview about Elphie with author Gregory Maguire here.

Part 1 of the Wicked movie, based on the book and subsequent musical, received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. The film won 2 awards at the ceremony: Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

Following the success of the first Wicked film, Erivo will next be seen on screen as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good, which will hit theaters this November. In the meantime, she remains busy this summer, having hosted the TONY AWARDS in June and starring in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl in August. She also recently appeared in Season 2 of Peacock's Poker Face, and released her second album of original music. Other upcoming projects include a film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone and a solo production of DRACULA on the West End in 2026.

Wicked: For Good, the conclusion of the film adaptation, picks up after the 2024 blockbuster. Elphaba, now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard. 

Check out our trailer breakdown for Wicked: For Good here.

The movie stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose. The first part was released on November 22, 2024, with Wicked: For Good hitting theaters on November 21, 2025.