This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley. There's a moment in the new movie, Wicked for Good,

when Elphaba, the so-called Wicked Witch, stops defending herself to a world that has misunderstood her

and simply exists on her own power. My guest today, Cynthia Arrivo, brings that moment to life with a

depth that is also personal.

In part two of Wicott, Arrivo captures Elphaba's evolution from outcast to someone who claims her own story.

A journey Arrivo also explores in her new memoir, simply more.

The book traces how she learned to shed other people's definitions of her as a woman,

as a black artist, and as someone who was sometimes told she was too much.

Arevo first broke through on Broadway and the color purple, winning a Tony Award for her

portrayal of Seeley. She went on to earn an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman and later

portrayed Aretha Franklin in Genius Aretha, for which she was nominated for several awards,

including an Emmy. Arrivo is also a recording artist, blending gospel, soul, and cinematic pop.

Last year's Wicked, and the new film, Wicked for Good, are adapted from the Tony Award-winning

Broadway musical.

The new film continues Elphaba and Glinda's story, exploring what happens after their fates

diverge and the myth of the Wicked Witch takes hold.

And Cynthia Arrivo, welcome back to Fresh Air.

Hello, thank you very much.

You know, there is something extraordinary about watching Wicked and then Wicked for Good and reading your memoir at the same time. There's so many parallels there. When did it click for you,

that your personal life and that connection to Elphaba were so close?

I think I had an inkling that there was a connection soon after I started doing the music,

singing the music, learning the music.

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