WICKED NOTCHES $19M+ AT THURSDAY PREVIEWS

Wicked is working its magic on the box office, painting it pink and green to the tune of $19m+ at Thursday previews, according to an unofficial tally reported by Deadline.

The total adds figures from Amazon Prime fan screenings for the Ariana Grande/Cynthia Erivo prior to its official opening today (11/22).

The witchy excitement is being stoked by Republic/Verve's concurrent release of the flick's soundtrack album, which is accompanied by the single and video "What Is This Feeling?," featuring both Grande and Erivo. You can peep it below.

Commenting on the release, composer Stephen Schwartz said, "These world-class singers and this wonderful full orchestra have given me and my music team the chance to make a recording that I think will excite both fans of the Broadway cast recording and audiences hearing these Wicked songs for the first time."

Both fans and critics are feeling the love for the Universal release, boosting its Rotten Tomatoes score to 99% and 90%, respectively.

Ticket-holder enthusiasm is so strong that AMC is airing a 30-second plea for them not to sing along. That sure-to-be-ignored warning, which reads, “No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No flirting,” will be lifted on Christmas Day, when official sing-along screenings will begin.

Now, if HITS only had a brain...