Wicked: For Good may be months away from hitting theaters, but Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s 2025 Oscars performance will hold Us over until then.
The Wicked leading ladies took to the 97th annual Academy Awards stage on Sunday, March 2, to perform a medley of songs from The Wizard of Oz movie adaptations over the years. The Academy announced that Grande, 31, and Erivo, 38, would be performing during the ceremony earlier this month, confirming online rumors that the pair would treat fans to a spellbinding performance.
Grande kicked things off singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in a ruby red dress, a nod to Judy Garland‘s iconic role of Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. Erivo took to the stage to pay tribute to the musical The Wiz by singing Dorothy’s notable song “Home.”
Grande joined her costar to sing Wicked‘s “Defying Gravity.” Grande kissed Erivo’s hand before taking a step back as the stage lifted Erivo up to sing the song’s epic climax. The performance served as part of a tribute to Los Angeles in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires earlier this year.
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Prior to taking the Oscars stage, Erivo and Grande continued their Wicked press tour trend of sporting green and pink looks on the red carpet. Grande looked etherial in a blush structured and strapless gown, while Erivo’s dark green velvet dress was a tribute to Hattie McDaniel, the first Black actress to be nominated for and win an Oscar.
Wicked, based on the long-running Broadway musical of the same name, is up for a total of 10 awards at this year’s Oscars, tied in second place for the most nominations with The Brutalist. Emilia Pérez, meanwhile, leads the pack with a total of 13 nods. The three films are all up for Best Picture alongside Anora, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys and The Substance.
In addition to Best Picture, Wicked is also up for wins in categories such as Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. Erivo and Grande received recognition, as well, scoring nominations in the Best Actress in a Leading Role and Supporting Role categories, respectively. The nods mark Erivo’s second Oscar acting nomination and Grande’s first.
“I cannot stop crying, to no one’s surprise,” Grande wrote in reaction to her nomination via Instagram last month. “I’m humbled and deeply honored to be in such brilliant company and sharing this with tiny ari who sat and studied Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow just before the big, beautiful bubble entered. i’m so proud of you, tiny.”
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Erivo wrote that she was “grateful” to The Academy for the nomination in an Instagram post of her own, adding, “[I’m] grateful to be a part of something that makes people feel seen, grateful to be a cog in the wheel of a piece that makes us believe in magic, grateful to have experienced a dream come true, and deeply, deeply grateful for this unbelievable recognition.”
Wicked, which hits theaters in November 2024, tells the story of the witches of Oz prior to the events of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Starting off as rival roommates, Elphaba and Glinda form an unlikely friendship during their time at Shiz University.
The upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good, will follow the events of the original musical’s second act. The movie will see Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship be put to the test as they embrace their respective roles as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
“Wicked 2 is definitely a lot darker in a lot of ways,” Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this year. “So, I’m excited for that aspect of it.”
She went on to tease, “There’s a time jump for sure, and I’m excited to see visually — because I haven’t really seen any of the footage yet — how the characters have changed for good or maybe not for good.”
Wicked will begin streaming on Peacock Friday, March 21. Wicked: For Good hits theaters Friday, November 21.
