Wicked - Price Prediction

So if you care to find Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, look to the 2025 Oscars stage.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this:

I had the privilege of witnessing an extraordinary opening at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2nd. The enchanting duo from “Wicked,” Ariana and Cynthia, graced the stage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre and treated us to a mesmerizing musical tribute inspired by the magical land of Oz.

Ariana donned a custom Schiaparelli gown reminiscent of Dorothy’s ruby red slippers, while Cynthia chose a white Vivienne Westwood number adorned with floral patterns and a hint of green at the hem, honoring her “Wicked” character Elphaba.

The performance began with Ariana singing the timeless “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” originally sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” Following this, Cynthia paid tribute to her role in “Wicked” by performing “Home,” a number made famous by Diana Ross in the 1978 film adaptation of “The Wiz.”

To conclude their performance, the pair joined forces on stage to belt out “Defying Gravity,” a powerful number from the Broadway sensation “Wicked.” The crowd was left spellbound, rising to their feet in a standing ovation at the end.

In the audience, it was heartwarming to see Ethan Slater (Boq from the film adaptation of “Wicked” and Ariana’s partner) and Lena Waithe (rumored to be dating Cynthia) expressing their emotion as they cheered from the crowd. Their affectionate moment can be seen in the video above.

Tonight, both Ariana and Cynthia have been nominated for Oscars in recognition of their portrayals as Glinda and Elphaba in “Wicked”. If Cynthia, who was previously nominated at the 2019 Academy Awards for her leading role in “Harriet”, wins this time around, she will achieve EGOT status (an abbreviation for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards).

“Wicked” has earned ten nominations in total, including one for Best Picture. You can follow the winners as they are announced throughout the evening here.

As Cynthia strolled down the red carpet prior to the awards ceremony (take a peek at her outfit here), she pondered on one of the most unexpected self-discoveries she made while portraying Elphaba.

“I realized I’m not as fearful about exposing my vulnerability as I believed,” the actress, resplendent in a custom Louis Vuitton gown, shared with Zuri Hall during Live From TopMob: The Oscars. “In fact, the more exposed I am, the more present I can be. And that’s something that truly surprised me. Throughout this journey, I’ve revealed more of myself than ever before and it’s felt wonderful. It’s felt liberating.”

Fans eagerly await Cynthia and Ariana in part two of the musical film: Wicked: For Good, set to release on Nov 21, 2025.

In the meantime, continue scrolling to view more looks from the 2025 Oscars.

(TopMob and Universal Pictures are both part of NBCUniversal).