Episode
Defying Gravity: The Audio Wizardry of Wicked's Live Vocals
- Podcast
- Twenty Thousand Hertz
- Published
- Nov 19, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1941
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://20k.org/episodes/wicked
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Summary
In movie musicals, the vocals are almost never recorded live on-set. Instead, the actors pre-record their songs, then lip sync to those recordings while filming. But on Wicked, they threw out the rulebook, and recorded all of the lead vocals live. In this episode, Production Sound Mixer Simon Hayes reveals how they pulled off this audio feat. From cleverly disguised lav mics and in-ear monitors, to “silent wind” machines, to a jaw-dropping live performance of “Defying Gravity,” this is the story behind a truly magical production. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound. Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit. Explore incredible speakers, soundbars and more at sonos.com. Get 50% off your first box of Factor Meals, plus free breakfast for a year at factormeals.com/tth50off. Subscribe to Working Smarter wherever you get your podcasts. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial at shopify.com/20k. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices