During the 2025Oscarsopening, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sing a medley of songs honoring the legacy ofThe Wizard of Ozand looking forward toWicked: For Good. The awards show is known for its live musical performances, and the opening forOscars 2025is no exception. One of the most anticipated musical movies of the past year wasWicked, an adaptation of the eponymous Broadway musical. AlthoughWickedcouldn’t get any “Best Song” nominations, the awards show still gave a nod to the film, bringing together the two lead actors as the Oscars' opening act.
Of course,Wickedwould be nowhere if it weren’t for the incredible work of the largerWizard of Ozfranchise, which started with the books by L. Frank Baum and came to the big screen with Judy Garland’sThe Wizard of Oz. Keeping in theme with the award show’s tone, the Oscars pay respect to what came before in its song selections. Rather than just performing one number fromWicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo did more than one song that all connected back to the incredible legacy ofThe Wizard of Oz.
3Somewhere Over The Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Ariana Grande’s Solo During The Oscars Opening
The first song during the Oscars' opening was Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which was written for The Wizard of Oz. Judy Garland first sang the song in her role as Dorothy Gale, and it gained the 1940 Oscar for Best Original Song. It has been covered dozens of times since then. Interestingly, the song was almost cut from The Wizard of Oz because MGM executives thought it slowed down the movie too much. Luckily, associate producer Arthur Freed threatened to walk if they removed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (viaColumbia News) and the song made the final cut, becoming legendary.
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While nobody will ever live up to the performance of Judy Garland, Ariana Grande’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” brought so much heart and emotion to the song, showing her clear passion for the franchise. This should come as no surprise to anyone, as she’s previously spoken about her adoration for both The Wizard of Oz and Wicked. The former has been her favorite movie since she was a child, and she’s loved the latter since she first saw it on Broadway when she was 10 years old. Grande’s performance did Judy Garland proud.
2Home From The Wiz (1978)
Cynthia Erivo’s Solo During The Oscars Opening
After Ariana Grande finished her performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Cynthia Erivo then stepped in to perform “Home"fromThe Wiz: The Super Soul Musical. The Wiz is a groundbreaking fantasy music retelling of L. Frank Baum’sThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), rather than retelling the movie. The film, which features an all-Black cast, is infused with the Black American culture of the ’70s. The musical opened off-Broadway on June 04, 2025, at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, and moved to Broadway on Jun 19, 2025.
Like Wicked,The Wizgained numerous Tony awards, including Best Musical. The musical received an onscreen adaptation in 1978, starring Diana Ross as Dorothy Gale and Michael Jackson as Scarecrow. Cythnia Erivo had a strong legacy to live up to with her performance of “Home,” as Diana Ross performed the best-known version of the song. Luckily, she gave the song her all, offering viewers a deeply moving rendition that is nothing less than awe-inspiring. Hearing Erivo’s rendition of the song, it’s unsurprising that she is onlyone award away from an EGOT.
1Defying Gravity From Wicked (2024)
The Duet Between Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande
After each of them sang their own song, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande came together to sing “Defying Gravity” fromWicked. In a way, this song is the modern symbol of the franchise The Wizard of Oz. Even people who aren’t familiar with Wicked know “Defying Gravity.” Erivo and Grande put so much joy into their Oscars performance, increasing the hype for the awards ceremony.
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The final song in the opening set the tone for therest of the achievements and moments at the Oscars. The song appears in one of the Oscar nominees,Wicked, but it’s also representative of the hard work the actors, directors, costumers, and sound designers put into their respective films this year. In a way, bringing movies to the big screen for a global audience requires every person on the project to defy gravity in their efforts and dedication.
