Haley Kalil stepped into full Oz-glam for Monday night’s Wicked: For Good premiere, channeling shimmer, fantasy and just the right amount of red-carpet magic. Wearing a custom Marc Bouwer gown that caught every light, the model-creator invited PAPER behind the scenes as she got ready — from glam chair to final dress reveal to stepping onto that emerald-lined carpet.
The night carried the usual New York premiere energy: crowds gathering outside Lincoln Center, green lighting washing over the plaza, and pockets of fans arriving in everything from simple splash-of-emerald outfits to full Glinda-and-Elphaba-inspired looks. Even before doors opened, it already felt like an event people had been waiting on for a while.
Inside David Geffen Hall, the film played to a packed house. The room reacted immediately — first to Cynthia Erivo’s entrance as Elphaba, then again when Ariana Grande appeared, the audience clocking every detail. Cast members including Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Colman Domingo and Ethan Slater took their seats, while director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt received an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd.
Haley took the whole thing in from the carpet. “Ariana and Cynthia are a true power duo… they’re not just unbelievably talented, they’re also the sweetest, most genuine people,” she tells PAPER. And stepping out in her custom Bouwer gown brought the moment into focus. “It really felt like I’d stepped straight into the world of Oz.”
Below, Haley shares her favorite moments from getting ready, plus what it was like to walk a carpet for a film that helped define an era of musical theater for an entire generation.
Photography: Derrick Javon
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