Cynthia Erivo helped kick off the Oscars by paying homage to The Wiz, singing Stephanie Mills’ 1974 hit “Home.” Wearing a stunning white dress with purple accents,

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the 97th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2, with knockout performances of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (Grande), "Home" from The Wiz (Erivo) and "Defying Gravity" (the two of them together). But a Wizard of Oz Easter egg embedded in the back of Grande's gown arguably stole the show.

The actress performed "Defying Gravity" alongside 'Wicked' co-star Cynthia Erivo Ariana Grande paid a special style homage to The Wizard of Oz during her 2025 Oscars performance. The singer and actress opened the Sunday,