Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo Belt ‘Defying Gravity’ Live at the Oscars, Plus ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and ‘Home’ in ‘Oz’ Medley

by

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the 97th Academy Awards by performing a mix of songs from “The Wizard of Oz”, “The Wiz” and “Wicked”. They introduced us to Oz at this year’s Oscars.

Following a touching homage to Los Angeles, recovering after destructive wildfires, Grande began the performance with an emotional rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Erivo then powerfully sang “Home” from “The Wiz.” Together, they performed the spectacular “Defying Gravity,” which concludes the first act of “Wicked.

In “Wicked,” the exceptionally gifted artists Grande and Erivo portray Glinda, a lively character fond of pink, and Elphaba, a green-skinned figure, respectively. This musical retelling follows the early stages of the popular long-running Broadway play. Notably, it has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, with categories such as best picture, actress (Erivo), and supporting actress (Grande).

As a movie critic, I’m eagerly looking forward to the upcoming performance segments during the show. Queen Latifah, Doja Cat, a Blackpink member, “The White Lotus” cast member Lisa, and British singer Raye have all been confirmed to appear at various points throughout the event. Unfortunately, we don’t know yet what songs they will be performing, but it won’t be any of the original song nominees from “Emilia Pérez” (“El Mal” and “Mi Camino”), “Sing Sing” (“Like a Bird”), “Elton John: Never Too Late” (“Never Too Late”), or “The Six Triple Eight” (“The Journey”).

As a movie enthusiast, I’m excited to share that this year’s Oscars will take a different approach by skipping live performances of the best original song nominees. While the anticipated “Wicked,” which is like a prequel-sequel to “The Wizard of Oz” and boasts an unforgettable soundtrack, was not disqualified for song contention, it’s because all the melodies were previously showcased in its Broadway performance instead.

Occasionally, the Oscars have highlighted songs that haven’t been nominated. An example of this occurred in 2022 when Luis Fonsi, Becky G, and Megan Thee Stallion came together to perform “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s “Encanto.” This unexpected hit was popular on TikTok but didn’t compete for the award for original song. Instead, Disney chose to submit another song from the film, “Dos Oruguitas,” for nomination consideration. Unfortunately, this song lost to Billie Eilish’s ballad “No Time to Die” from the James Bond movie of the same title in the category.

Conan O’Brien is set to present this year’s 97th Academy Awards, being broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The highly anticipated movies “Emilia Pérez” on Netflix, a musical depicting a former drug lord’s journey through gender-affirming surgery, “The Brutalist” by A24, an epic historical drama focusing on the immigrant experience, and Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” are the frontrunners with the most nominations this evening.

Regardless of whether “Wicked” wins at the 2025 Oscars, Grande and Erivo’s promotional journey won’t be ending anytime soon. The second part of the fantasy musical, titled “Wicked: For Good,” is set to premiere in theaters on November 22.

Read More

2025-03-03 03:16