Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the 2025 Oscars ceremony on Sunday with a show-stopping performance, even though the show had just begun. Wicked might not take home the Oscar for Best Picture tonight, but Grande and Erivo have already won the hearts of the audience.
Grande took the stage first in her sparkly, ruby slipper-inspired dress, singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which, of course, was the Wizard of Oz song made famous by Judy Garland. It was a particularly moving performance, given that it was immediately preceded by a montage tribute to the city of Los Angeles, which is still recovering from last month’s devastating wild fire.
Then she was joined on stage by Erivo, in a gorgeous white dress adorned with flowers, who sang a rendition of “Home,” the 1989 hit from R&B singer Stephanie Mills, no doubt another nod to the city of Los Angeles. Then, because they had to do it, the Wicked stars came together to belt out a powerful live performance of “Defying Gravity.” How could they not?
That is the number that really got the crowd going. The camera cut to a shot of an estactic-looking Jon M. Chu, who directed the film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s Tony-winning musical, which is nominated tonight for Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, But Original Score, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.
It was the perfect tribute to Los Angeles, because there is no movie that better encapsulates the Golden Age of Hollywood than The Wizard of Oz. And there’s nothing like Erivo delivering that perfect last “ohhhOHHohhh!” note in “Defying Gravity” to get the crowd ready for a four-hour broadcast. Nothing’s gonna bring them down now!
Can’t get enough of the 2025 Oscars? Follow along with Decider’s coverage, including: