Does she perform “Defying Gravity”, “No Good Deed” or any other major musical number, Cynthia Erivo manages to hit every note with her tight routine.
The 38-year-old Grammy and Tony-winning actress has wowed fans around the world with her voice, thanks in part to her role as Elphaba in Wicked and its sequel. “Evil: For Good” over the past two years. She will next star in the West End production of Dracula, where she will play 23 different roles.
Ahead of preparations for the show's premiere next year, Erivo spoke with Hollywood Reporter about her busy schedule over the past few years and how she managed to maintain her voice.
“I always take care of that,” Erivo told the publication. She also shared that she constantly communicates with vocal coaches Joanne Lader and Anthea Birchett and warms up before all her performances.
She added: “I don't drink. I don't smoke. I'm crazy. I don't eat anything on planes.”
Erivo then shared one tip to help keep her vocal cords healthy: drink tea.
“I take everything with me: tea, water. Someone made a meme of the mug I carry with me because I have it everywhere,” she continued. “I have it in several colors. I won't be without it because I want my tea to always be warm enough to hydrate me.”
She said strict rules became instinctive.
“That's just the way I am. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's okay, except for a break, obviously,” she said.
The break will have to wait. Erivo spoke with the publication a day before her first full week on the job. “Dracula” Rehearsals began. The musical, adapted and written by Kip Williams, will run from February 4 to May 30, 2026 at the Noël Coward Theatre. It is described as “an intoxicating, heartbreaking reimagining of timeless gothic horror.”
Speaking about the challenging role, Erivo said, “My head is full of information. It's not just about the words, it's not just about the characters, it's about the movement on stage with those characters and the changes that happen on stage with those characters. Costume changes happen in real time in front of you; a character becomes another character with a rhythm in which there is no costume change; at the same time, I'm putting in teeth.”
Despite the fact that the actor has mastered many performances on screen and stage, she noted that the performance will be a new experience for her.
“This is unlike anything I've ever done before and my brain is definitely stretched to the limit,” she shared.
But she said she knows when to say no if her full-time schedule becomes too demanding.
“If I feel like (the opportunity) might be something that I have to learn—it's really scary, it's going to force me to find something else in my character, something else in who I am—then I say yes,” she explained. “The problem is that a lot of these things are coming up right now, so I don’t say no very often, but I do say no.”
In addition to her West End performance, Erivo is also expected to be recognized in the upcoming awards season. She has already been nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) at 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awardsaired on January 11, for her role as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good.
