Just before Wicked actor Marissa Bode accepted her honor as this year’s recipient of the ReelAbilities Film Festival’s Spotlight Award on Thursday night, her Oscar-nominated co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo made a surprise video appearance.

In a taped message, the duo celebrated Bode’s historic performance and her dedication to disability inclusion as the first authentically cast disabled performer to play Nessarose — Elphaba’s (Erivo) sister and a character who uses a wheelchair — in the Wicked musical’s 20-plus years. “Marissa took the role of Nessarose to new heights and brought authenticity to the role like never before,” Erivo said in the prerecorded video.

“We were beyond thrilled to be a part of such a groundbreaking film and the inclusion it created for people with disabilities is going to open doors for actors for years and years to come,” Grande added. “It was such an honor to...