The press tour for “Wicked” has been a long blur of pink and green outfits and a seemingly endless run of interviews with the film’s two stars, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

One of their appearances, however, has stood out among the dozens of others. In a conversation that has been clipped and shared widely across social media, the journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist, reporting for Out magazine, asked Ms. Erivo to respond to an observation that she had made: “I’ve seen this week people are taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that,” Ms. Gilchrist said, referring to the musical’s anthem.

“That’s really powerful,” Ms. Erivo said. As Ms. Grande sympathetically held onto her pointer finger, she added, “That’s what I wanted.”

Whether it was the phrase “holding space,” the earnest and melodramatic reactions it elicited from Ms. Erivo and Ms. Grande, or the delicate finger-hold — or some combination of the three — the interview has spurred a range of reactions online. Some wondered if Ms. Gilchrist was serious. Others were simply baffled by the exchange.

Ms. Gilchrist, a vice president of editorial and special projects for the L.G.B.T.Q. media company Equal Pride, shared her point of view. This interview has been edited and condensed.

Hi, Tracy. Can you give us a little bit more context about that interview?

This was on the Universal lot earlier this month, on Nov. 7. It was very Hollywood — there was a whole yellow, brick road and Munchkinland set up outside. Typically, you have a window of time where you go in to do your interviews. For this one, I was slated for three interviews: Cynthia and Ariana, Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater, and Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey. I had four minutes to ask two people questions. You have to get in there and really have a moment. I like to try to get to something real.