During the 2025 Oscars opening, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sing a medley of songs honoring the legacy of The Wizard of Oz and looking forward to Wicked: For Good. The awards show is known for its live musical performances, and the opening for Oscars 2025 is no exception. One of the most anticipated musical movies of the past year was Wicked, an adaptation of the eponymous Broadway musical. Although Wicked couldn’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, Wicked would be nowhere if it weren’t for the incredible work of the larger Wizard of Oz franchise, which started with the books by L. Frank Baum and came to the big screen with Judy Garland’s The 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 from Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo did more than one song that all connected back to the incredible legacy of The Wizard of Oz.

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Somewhere 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, ᴀssociate producer Arthur Freed threatened to walk if they removed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (via Columbia News) and the song made the final cut, becoming legendary.

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 pᴀssion 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.

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Home 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” from The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical. The Wiz is a groundbreaking fantasy music retelling of L. Frank Baum’s The 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 October 21, 1974, at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, and moved to Broadway on January 5, 1975.

Like Wicked, The Wiz gained 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 only one award away from an EGOT.

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Defying 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” from Wicked. 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.

The final song in the opening set the tone for the rest 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.