PEOPLE’s ‘Wicked’ Special Edition Goes Behind the Scenes of the Film (Exclusive)

There’s no need to go over the rainbow somewhere to get all the scoops Badthe highly anticipated film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical. The special edition of PEOPLE, which goes behind the scenes of the dazzling spectacle starring Ariana Grande, 31, and Cynthia Erivo, 37, will be available here starting Friday, November 1.

Bad tells the emotional origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West, the villain from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the iconic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

But before the Wicked Witch was feared throughout the land of Oz, she was simply Elphaba Thropp, a reserved and misunderstood young woman who happened to be born with green skin and special powers. At Shiz University she meets fellow student Glinda, a vibrant (and yes, popular) aspiring sorceress (and future good witch).

Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande) become roommates and then unlikely friends – until outside forces come between them and test their bond.

The cast and makers of the film (part 1 can be seen in cinemas from November 22, part 2 will be released in 2025) include PEOPLE in the extensive production. Read on for some solid secrets from the special edition, which also includes interviews, photos and an oral history of the original Broadway show.

Grande hid candy in her costume

As Glinda, the pop star wore lots of pink costumes reminiscent of cotton candy — and according to costar Michelle Yeoh, Grande’s outfits also sometimes hid sweet treats.

“For example, she’s eating candy, and suddenly she puts it in her corset. We say, ‘What difference does it make?’ She says, ‘When I open my corset at the end of the day, all these things will fall off!’” says Yeoh, who plays Mrs. Morrible, headmistress of Shiz University.

Erivo and Grande provided pastries – and Uggs!

Newcomer Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s younger sister Nessarose, remembers acts of kindness from both Erivo and Grande. Bode says Erivo brought home-baked cookies to set, and made vegan and gluten-free varieties “just in case” anyone had dietary needs. “(It) was so sweet that she was thoughtful,” Bode tells PEOPLE.

The actress also remembers complimenting Grande on her Ugg boots. “I thought, ‘Oh my God. I always admire them, but I don’t have a pair or anything.’ Just in passing. And the next day she literally bought me a pair of these black glitter Uggs,” says Bode. ‘Who does that? That’s so nice.’

Between takes, the cast sang songs from other musicals

When director John M. Chu shouted “cut,” Bowen Yang, 33, and Bronwyn James (who respectively play Pfannee and ShenShen, Glinda’s spiteful sidekicks) played tunes from Rent And Besides Normalwith Grande and Erivo participating. “Cynthia had to be incredibly distant and reserved and follow Elphaba’s attitude. So it was refreshing to see her loosen up between takes,” Yang recalls.

Grande and Jeff Goldblum, who plays the Wizard of Oz himself, broke into songs from the musical Dirty rotten villains. “We sang it together, and then she did it again on my phone. Oh my God in heaven – it was music, music, music,” says Goldblum, 72.

Michelle Yeoh was afraid to sing

In his own words, the Oscar-winning one Everything everywhere at once actress, 62, is not a natural belter. “I love singing. But normally that is in the shower, not when there are other people around,” she says. But to play Madam Morrible, she needed a tune, so she worked with a singing coach before heading to set. “I made nuts I never thought I would try,” she says.

Yet fear of failure was always present in the beginning. “I definitely saw a little fear in her eyes,” Chu recalls. But Yeoh says Chu and Erivo put her at ease. “Most of my singing parts are with Cynthia. She said, ‘Sing it out, girl. I hear you singing. Just come out with it.” That’s why they made me feel at ease.”

Farmers planted nine million tulip bulbs to create Oz

You’d expect a big-budget film like Wicked to go all-in on CGI for its effects. But director Chu and production designer Nathan Crowley wanted a realistic feel for the land of Oz. “People want to touch things,” Crowley says. To this end, he hired farmers to plant nine million – yes, you read that correctly – tulip bulbs on sound stages in London and rural Norfolk.

Grande and Erivo influenced the set design

The film’s leads didn’t just show up and say their lines. Crowley picked the stars’ brains about Elphaba and Glinda, which helped him make decisions about the set. Crowley says, “There were a lot of conversations with the actresses to see how they see their characters and how the props relate to that character.”

Buy PEOPLE Bad special edition here.