Ever since “Wicked” hit theaters final November, Cynthia Erivo has been defying gravity.
From starring in considered one of 2024’s greatest motion pictures to embarking on a press tour with co-star Ariana Grande throughout which interview after interview went viral, the British singer and actor is headed for one more landmark yr. On Wednesday, Erivo was introduced because the host of the 78th Tony Awards. A day earlier than, it was revealed that she would play the lead in “Jesus Christ Superstar” on the Hollywood Bowl.
The primary-time Tonys host will welcome the ceremony again to New York Metropolis’s Radio Metropolis Music Corridor for the primary time since 2022. Nominations will likely be introduced Could 1 and the awards present will happen June 8.
“I am so proud and excited to take on this glorious honor,” Erivo stated in an announcement. “I am looking forward to ushering the theatre community at large through a night that celebrates the wonderful performances we have witnessed throughout the year. I hope I can rise to the occasion.”
A couple of months after the internet hosting gig, she’s going to play Jesus as part of the Hollywood Bowl’s 2025 season. The musical will make its long-awaited return to the Bowl after a pandemic hiatus. The three-night manufacturing (Aug. 1-3) will likely be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo.
Erivo can also be up for an Academy Award subsequent month for her portrayal of Elphaba in “Wicked.” The box-office juggernaut — the highest-grossing film primarily based on a Broadway musical — earned 10 nominations.
Erivo is solely an Oscar away from EGOT standing — she gained a Tony in 2016 for her efficiency as Celie in “The Color Purple,” a Grammy for musical theater album for a similar function and a Daytime Emmy for a efficiency on NBC’s “Today” present with “The Color Purple” solid.
“Someone said to me that I was going to fall in love with the green more than my own face. Strangely enough, the opposite happened,” Erivo beforehand informed The Occasions of enjoying Elphaba. “I loved being green. I think Elphaba is beautiful. But every time I took the makeup off, I had an appreciation for the skin that I live in every day. I’ve always had appreciation for it, but this made it really clear.”
The second installment of the “Wicked” adaptation, “Wicked: For Good,” opens in theaters Nov. 21.
