:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(728x447:730x449)/wicked-for-good-screening-Allie-Trimm-Aaron-Simon-Gross-Ariana-Grande-102825-dfabccd47fe746aabad6d4c1e17dd280.jpg)
Ariana Grande Reunites with Her Former Broadway Costars 17 Years Later at Special “Wicked: For Good ”Screening (Exclusive)
They're not 13 anymore! Nearly two decades after starring together in the short-lived 2008 Broadway musical 13, Ariana Grande, Allie Trimm and Aaron Simon Gross came back together on Monday, Oct. 28, for a very special occasion. The three actors — who were teens themselves when they led the Jason Robert Brown stage show — reunited at a special screening of Wicked: For Good, held in New York City for members of the Broadway and touring companies of Wicked. PEOPLE captured the sweet moment as the trio hugged, reminisced and posed for a series of photographs in front of artwork for the film. Grande, 32, and Trimm, 31, saw one another first, each flashing huge smiles as they hugged. Though Trimm wore Elphaba green, she's currently starring in Wicked's Broadway production as Glinda — the role Grande has made famous on screen. After posing for a photo with Lencia Kebede (who is actually playing Elphaba on Broadway now), Grande and Trimm caught up more. The two then waved Gross over to join them, the actor beaming with joy as he hugged his former costars. Of course, it's not uncommon for Grande and Gross, 32, to spend time together. The two have been friends since before 13, meeting as children growing up together in Boca Raton, Florida. They still remain an active presence in one another's lives, Grande bringing Gross as a guest to Monday's screening. 13 ran for just 22 preview and 105 regular performances on Broadway, opening on Oct. 5, 2008 and closing on Jan. 4, 2009. The original musical — with a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn — followed a group of friends growing up in small-town Indiana through the eyes of a newcomer Evan Goldman, who moved there from New York City after his parents' divorce (and months before his Bar Mitzvah). Though its time on Broadway was short-lived, 13 still made history, as the first (and still only) musical to feature an all-teen cast and all-teen band. Other stars in its production included Graham Phillips (The Good Wife), Brynn Williams (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical) and Grande's future Victorious costar, Liz Gillies. In the years since closing, the musical has become a fan favorite, its popular original cast recording propelling songs from Brown's pop-infused score — like "The Lamest Place in the World," "What It Means to Be a Friend," "If That's What It Is," "A Little More Homework" and "Brand New You" — into showtune staples. The musical remains one of the most produced across high schools nationwide. Netflix, in 2022, released a film adaptation of 13, starring Eli Golden, Josh Peck, Debra Messing, Peter Hermann and Rhea Perlman. The film was celebrated online by many of the members of 13's original Broadway cast. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. That same camaraderie and appreciation between stage and screen stars was alive at the Wicked: For Good screening on Monday night. The film's director Jon M. Chu kicked that off, taking the stage before the screening to thank those from the original creative team in attendance, including book writer Winnie Holzman, composer Stephen Schwartz, musical director Stephen Oremus, producers Marc Platt and David Stone, and even Gregory Maguire, who wrote the novel off of which Wicked is based. Grande joined him. "This was done with so much love and respect for all of you who have done, and still do, eight shows a week of this," she said. "We love you, we share this with you. You're a part of this. It's an honor to be here and share it with you first. I'm so excited and grateful." "It is as much an offering as the last one is to you, to this legacy, to this show and to all of your performances over the years," Cynthia Erivo added, in a video message. "I hope you will be as proud of it as I am." Wicked: For Good is in theaters Nov. 21. Tickets to Wicked, at the Gershwin Theatre, are now on sale.