Ariana Grande had an odd request from ‘The Voice’ production team and fans are saying the same thing
Ariana Grande had a very brief but significant stint as the mentor on 'The Voice.' The pop star, who served as a coach for Season 21, grabbed major headlines for her warm and emotionally intelligent mentorship. However, there was an unexpected instance when the Grammy winner reportedly had the air conditioning turned off on 'The Voice' set. While this revelation may seem minor at first, it is actually connected to her best-performing film, 'Wicked.'
During her Variety 'Actors on Actors' conversation with Paul Mescal, Grande reflected on the intense preparation she underwent before auditioning for Wicked, including a unique move during her time on 'The Voice,' as per NBC. "I just kind of trusted that I had done the work," Grande said. "I had prepared as much as I possibly could have. I had a whole pink section in my closet that I had, you know, purchased little things to have a Galinda-fied section. I did everything I possibly could; I left it all. And I knew that if it wasn't meant to be, that's OK.” She further revealed that her preparation even included cutting the A/C on 'The Voice' set to protect her vocals, all in anticipation of landing the role of Galinda Upland.
"I was going from my vocal coach to my acting coach to doing 'The Voice' live shows," Grande told Mescal. The night before her life-changing audition for Glinda, she grew concerned that the cold set might impact her voice. "I remember I was so nervous about my voice being in good shape because my audition was the next day." To protect her voice, she made a unique request as she revealed, "I asked them to cut the air conditioning because it was so cold..." she said.
Understanding how dry, cold air can affect vocal health, she added, "I asked [The Voice production] to turn it off just because I had to sing opera the next day. It's very high, and I had to sing 'No One Mourns the Wicked.' Though production obliged, Grande quickly noticed reactions around her. "I was very self-conscious about it," she admitted with a laugh. "People started to notice. I was like, 'I'm sorry, it's my fault.' I was like, 'So sorry, I'm going in for this audition'."
Talking about Grande's 'The Voice' journey, her team failed to make it to the finale. After joining the show, Grande quickly bonded with fellow coaches Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson. Their bond grew so much closer that she even released a Christmas duet with Clarkson titled 'Santa, Can't You Hear Me.' She also received guidance from friend Kristin Chenoweth, who mentored Team Ariana earlier in the season, as per ScreenRant. On Twitter, Grande shared her appreciation for the experience, writing, "To have met & worked with such brilliant artists is the greatest gift and honor of all of this. I can't believe there wasn't a time I didn't know you all." Despite the close bond, her last remaining team members, father-daughter duo Jim & Sasha Allen, were eliminated, meaning Grande would not be part of the season finale.