NBC Censored ‘Wicked: One Wonderful Night’ Star Marissa Bode’s Reference To “Power Hungry Dictators” Like Donald Trump

The cast of Wicked: Part 1 reunited for a powerful evening ahead of its upcoming sequel in NBC’s new special, Wicked: One Wonderful Night. But the broadcast reportedly featured some glaring omissions according to outlets that attended the live taping.

Deadline and Entertainment Weekly report that actress Marissa Bode called out “power-hungry dictators” in her introduction for Cynthia Erivo‘s powerful performance of “Defying Gravity,” but the moment was seemingly cut from the final version of the broadcast.

“Wicked is filled with so many incredible songs, but there is one that stands out. It’s connected with so many people from all over the world. I’m talking of course about ‘Defying Gravity.’ The song is an ode to authenticity and about believing yourself no matter what obstacles the world puts in your way,” she says in the special.

However, EW reports she praised the song’s celebration of “authenticity” and “believing in yourself” when having to stand up to “power hungry dictators,” a moment which reportedly earned massive applause and a standing ovation from the audience, according to Deadline.

The applause to Bode’s remark about dictators reportedly lasted long enough that she had to “completely pause mid-sentence and wait for the crowd to regroup before continuing her lines.”

Bode did not call anyone out by name, but her statements align with the central theme of the movie, which sees Erivo’s Elphaba standing up to the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) after realizing he plans to further oppress the animals.

But NBC’s decision to cut the moment entirely suggests the network is worried it could spur some backlash from President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump recently lashed out at NBC’s late night host Seth Meyers, and he loudly supported Sinclair’s decision to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live after Kimmel – who is one of Trump’s most vocal critics – commented on Charlie Kirk’s murder.

Wicked: One Wonderful Night also featured performances of “No One Mourns The Wicked” and “I’m Not That Girl,” as well as special sneak peeks of Wicked: For Good, which is set to premiere in theaters soon. Erivo and Bode were joined that evening by most of their Wicked castmates, including Goldblum, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang and Ethan Slater.

How To Watch Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Wicked: One Wonderful Night is streaming now on Peacock.

Peacock currently offers two subscription types: Premium with ads and Premium Plus ad-free. Peacock Premium costs $10.99/month, while Premium Plus costs $16.99/month.

You can save a bit by subscribing to one of Peacock’s annual plans, which give you 12 months for the price of 10. These cost either $109.99 with ads or $169.99 without ads.

Peacock Premium Plus is also available to subscribe to via Prime Video with a seven-day free trial that you can’t get by subscribing directly on Peacock.

Wicked: For Good premieres in theaters Nov. 25.