Nikki Rojas
Harvard Staff Writer
February 6, 2025 3 min read
Actor, singer Cynthia Erivo celebrated as Hasty’s 2025 Woman of the Year
Cynthia Erivo braved frigid weather in a parade through Harvard Square on Wednesday as she was honored as Hasty Pudding’s 2025 Woman of the Year. Later the Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning actor and singer finger-painted and belted out “Defying Gravity” during the theatrical group’s annual roast at Farkas Hall.
Erivo, who captivated movie audiences last year in her role as Elphaba in “Wicked,” was celebrated before previewing Hasty’s 176th production, “101 Damnations.” Hasty Pudding producers Willow Woodward and Daisy Nussbaum, both ’26, co-hosted the roast, which poked fun at Erivo’s close relationship to her “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande.
The British actor was joined by “Finn Finger Painter” to make a painting for Grande in front of 200 of her “closest friends who have all paid to be here.” To help her along, the theatrical group brought out their own Ariana.
Proving to the audience that she was the “real Wicked Witch of the West,” Erivo delivered an electrifying rendition of “Defying Gravity” from the “Wicked” soundtrack.