Ariana Grande had the honor of opening the 97th Oscars on Sunday night.
After a montage of films set in LA, which ended with the message “We love LA,” Ari appeared wearing a sparkly red gown to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which Judy Garland sang in The Wizard of Oz. Since Ari is nominated for Wicked, a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, the choice was fitting.
Her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo, wearing a huge white gown with a purple floral accent, then took the stage to sing “Home” from The Wiz, another take on L. Frank Baum‘s classic tale.
The two then came together center stage to sing “Defying Gravity,” their big number from Wicked. Cynthia, of course, nailed every note, including the final battle cry, and both earned a standing ovation.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
