It’s good to see them, isn't it? Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the Wicked stars and Oscar nominees, kicked off the Oscars 2025 with a rousing perf
It’s good to see them, isn’t it? Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the Wicked stars and Oscar nominees, kicked off the Oscars 2025 with a rousing performance of songs from the many musicals inspired by L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Firework content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Grande and Erivo starred as frenemy witches Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked, the smash hit movie-musical directed by Jon M. Chu, adapted from the beloved Broadway musical. Rumors of their opening night performance began circulating in the weeks leading up to the Oscars, with both Erivo and Grande staying tight-lipped about their performance. On Monday, February 24, it was announced that Grande and Erivo would open the show with a musical tribute to Wicked.
But that’s not exactly what happened. The show opened with a clip of Dorothy from The Wizard of clicking her heels three times saying the iconic words “there’s no place like home.” Then we saw a brief tribute to Los Angeles, recently devastated by the California wildfires: a montage of clips from movies set in Los Angeles, including Barbie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, ending with a low and sweet message: “We
Firework content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Rather than singing a medley of songs from Wicked, the pair paid homage to Hollywood’s many Oz-set musicals. While she didn’t arrive by bubble, Grande vocally soared as she kicked off the evening with a gorgeous performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” the Oscar-winning timeless classic sung by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Wearing a ruby red dress, Grande had a little nod to Dorothy with a red ruby slipper on the back of her dress. Then it was Erivo’s turn to stun with her rendition of “Home” from The Wiz, the 1978 Black reimagining of The Wizard of Oz starring Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Diana Ross as Dorothy.
For the final song, both women stepped out of their Dorothy moments, and stepped into their respective Wicked characters. Grande looked on proudly as Cynthia took center stage and delivered the iconic ending to “Defying Gravity” as the stage lifted her into the air for her final battle cry. At the end of their performance, the audience leapt to its feet. Sometimes, it seems the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.
This year, in conjunction with our Oscar-week events, Vanity Fair is supporting the efforts of two local organizations helping Angelenos: the Motion Picture & Television Fund and Baby2Baby. We encourage you to donate to these or other charities supporting the city and families.
COMMENTS