Comedian Bowen Yang, widely recognized as a core cast member of Saturday Night Live, initially joined the show as a writer before stepping into an onscreen role. While he continues to entertain audiences on the iconic sketch program, Bowen has also ventured into other acting opportunities, most notably with his recent involvement in the Wicked franchise.

In a surprising turn, Bowen appears eager to broaden his reality TV presence. He caught both viewers and judges off guard when he auditioned for the latest season of The Voice, delivering a performance of a song from Wicked.

Bowen’s audition for The Voice seems to have been a playful gesture aimed at promoting the upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good. When the season’s judges arrived on set, they were greeted by a whimsical backdrop reminiscent of the Land of Oz, complete with a vibrant pink and green forest scene.

Bowen Auditioned With The Wicked Song ‘For Good’

It seems like Bowen’s audition for The Voice was meant as a silly stint intended to promote the second Wicked movie, Wicked: For Good. When the season’s judges took the set, they found that it was decorated to look like a scene out of Oz, with a lush pink and green forest behind them.

As the judges wondered what was going on, judge Reba McEntire noted that it “smell[ed] different,” and that’s when Bowen popped out from the mysterious forest. He welcomed them to the fake Oz, proud of the setting.

Playing into the joke, the judges asked Bowen if he wouldn’t mind guiding them back to the actual stage where they were meant to be. Seizing his opportunity, Bowen teased that he wouldn’t be able to do so:

With that, Bowen sang a few lines from the musical’s hit song “For Good,” putting on the theatrics as he did so. When he finished singing, the judges’ backs were still turned like he had asked. He looked disappointed, joking, “Wow, no chair turns… Well, I appreciate your honesty. Just know that I’ll never get over this.”

Bowen Offered To Join The Show In Another Way

Though it seemed like Bowen’s dreams of being a participant on The Voice were dashed, he did shoot his shot in another way. Before he left the set, he told the panel of judges that he was willing to join their ranks, if they would have him:

When Bowen asked for more concrete feedback from the judges, they appeared to be at a loss for what to tell the comedian. The best that judge Michael Buble could offer was pointing out that Bowen had a broken button on his outfit.

In the meantime, the actual singing competition forges on—new episodes of The Voice will air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, only on NBC. Eager fans won’t have to wait much longer for the movie, either—Wicked: For Good officially premieres in theaters on Friday, November 21st.

Release Date

April 26, 2011

Directors

Alan Carter

Franchise(s)

The Voice