The Real Reason Jonathan Bailey Wasn’t in Wicked: One Wonderful Night—Producers ‘Tried to Move Mountains’ For Him
FIYERO! One major cast member of Wicked wasn’t in attendance of Wicked: One Wonderful Night. So, where was Jonathan Bailey amid all the music and fanfare?
NBC aired the special Wicked: One Wonderful Night on Nov. 6, 2025. The recorded special featured the stars of the hit 2-part movie musical, including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Jeff Goldblum, and Ethan Slater. During all the musical numbers, the cast was accompanied by a 37-piece live orchestra led by Tony-winning musical director Stephen Oremus.
It seemed like everyone who was involved in the success of the musical phenomenon appeared in the special—including the original Glinda and Elphaba, Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, director Jon M. Chu, and Wicked’s composer Stephen Schwartz. But why wasn’t the sexiest man alive, Jonathan Bailey, absent?
Why Was Jonathan Bailey Not in Wicked: One Wonderful Night?
Jonathan Bailey wasn’t included in Wicked: One Wonderful Night due to scheduling conflicts. The special was taped at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sept. 24. Entertainment Weekly reported that he was in production on one project and a press photoshoot, both in London at the time.
However, Wicked producers put in all the effort they could to have the Bridgerton star in the special. “They were trying to move mountains to make it happen,” Choreographer Christopher Scott told Variety. Bailey pre-recorded a segment for the special.
That doesn’t mean that the character Fiyero was totally omitted from the special. Bowen Yang and Ethan Slater performed a whimsical version of “Dancing Through Life,” which is the character’s big song break in the movie.
“We wanted to honor Jonathan, and honor the show, and give the fans something fresh and new that was fun for them,” Scott said. “It opened up this opportunity to see another side of him.”
