Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo Open Oscars 2025 With ‘Wicked’ Medley
The awards ceremony opened with renditions of “Over the Rainbow,” “Home,” and “Defying Gravity.”
CYNTHIA ERIVO, ARIANA GRANDE: Courtesy of Getty Images, photographed by Patrick T. Fa
CYNTHIA ERIVO, ARIANA GRANDE: Courtesy of Getty Images, photographed by Patrick T. Fallon
Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the 97th Academy Awards with their renditions of songs from the world of Wizard of Oz and beyond on Sunday, March 2 (March 3 Philippine Time).
After a montage of film scenes inspired by Los Angeles and landmarks in California — a nod to the wildfires that rampaged LA earlier this year — Grande, in a sparkling red gown, emerged from a cloud. She sang a heartfelt rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” which was featured in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, which won Best Original Song at the 12th Academy Awards in 1940.
The pop star was then joined by Erivo, who entered the Oscars stage in a flowing white gown and followed up with a powerful performance of “Home,” from the 1975 Broadway musical and 1978 film The Wiz, originally sung by Diana Ross. Then, the two came together to perform “Defying Gravity,” featured in Wicked, delivering a powerful finale to the enchanting three-song medley.
Both Grande and Erivo were nominated for their respective roles in Wicked, with Grande for Best Supporting Actress and Erivo for Best Actress.
Grande competed against Felicity Jones for The Brutalist, Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown, Isabella Rossellini for Conclave, and eventual winner Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez. Meanwhile, Erivo was up against Karla Sofia Gascon for Emilia Pérez, Demi Moore for The Substance, Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here, and eventual winner Mikey Madison for Anora.
