elphaba flies into the skies.o, cody. [ cheers and applause ] that's the answer you're looking for. i'm sure you can watch it now. it's guillermo's birthday. when you sing happy birthday in a group of people -- >> yes. >> jimmy: do you shame everyone by really lighting it up or do you hold back and sing with the group? >> i like the homer simpson where you sort of go back into the bushes. because there is an expectation that i will be the one that's presenting the happy birthday song. >> jimmy: i see. >> but i like for it to be a group effort. >> jimmy: yes. >> however, there are some friends that will get, you know, happy birthday voice notes where i will do a happy birthday song for them. >> jimmy: oh. a special song? >> the happy birthday song, but my way. >> jimmy: would you do a little bit of it for our friend guillermo here on his birthday? [ cheers and applause ] ♪ happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you ♪ >> guillermo: wow. ♪ happy birthday dear guillermo ♪ >> guillermo: wow! ♪ happy birthday, happy b

. >> reporter: opposite ariana grande, erivo plays elphaba in this prequel the wiz aroundard of oz. ♪ i saw all of the people online doing takeoffs of your defying gravity. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> it's really fun the people have taken and made it their own. i'm glad that that moment brings so much joy to people. ♪ find me to the western sky ♪ >> reporter: what do you think you brought to elphaba? >> her humanity. >> reporter: what's that vulnerability for you personally? >> i think always wanting to do well and not wanting to fail. not wanting to let family down. those are the insecurities. finally owning how i look. >> reporter: what do you mean by that? >> i think not necessarily, you know, aren't the prettiest girls and the only person that is thankfully is your mother. it's up to you to figure that out for yourself and to start owning what beauty is to you. >> reporter: you are really close with your mom. >> yeah. >> reporter: you are not with your dad? >> no. >> reporter: as you have had more success and visibility, how much do you think about your dad? >> i don't necessarily think about him to

it turns out we didn't really know the wicked witch or elphaba after all.amazingly successful broadway musical running 21 years and counting. and now the new film. >> i acknowledge all of those as i'm designing it, but with the intent of creating new images, new icons, new ways of seeing who these characters are, and a new way of telling the story. and i delight in that. reporter: the wiz was the first show paul tazewell designed and also acted in it as a high school student in akron, ohio where his mother taught him to sew. he went on to a hugely successful career in theater design notably, for hamilton in which he won a tony. most recently, with another tony nomination. he won a television me for nbc's 2015 the wiz live, and the first oscar nomination for steven spielberg's 2021 film version of west side story. so you are grabbing images, on the internet, whatever? >> that this really speak to me. they could be abstract or random, but collectively they start to create a world. reporter: for we could paul tazewell has created icons like the witch hat and m

you won a tony for playing elphaba in "wicked."t was top secret. i don't think we did a very good job. kristin chenoweth -- they were doing it in london. everyone knew they were shooting in london, and then they flew kristin chenoweth and myself into london. and then she and i would go and go have lunch and dinner in little corners of restaurants. probably looked like we were having an affair to everyone. [ laughter ] >> jimmy: yeah, yeah, no. i didn't know about it until i saw the film that you were in it. >> yeah. >> jimmy: and everyone went nuts in my theater. >> yeah, it was -- they did? >> jimmy: yeah, of course. >> oh, that's nice. >> jimmy: you're the one and only. on top of that, by the way, a a huge year. in october, you were awarded the national medal of arts by president biden. >> isn't that crazy? [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: congratulations. >> thank you. >> jimmy: that's amazing. >> i think that's -- i think that's a topper right there. >> jimmy: that's probably the best thing. i mean, that's -- >> that was cool.