03-03-2025
Oscars 2025: Conan O'Brien hosts Hollywood's biggest night
The awards opened with an Oz-focused love-letter to L.A. — after a montage featuring L.A. set movies from La La Land to White Men Can't Jump, Ariana Grande pulled out her Judy Garland hat. The Wicked star sang a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, the iconic song from The Wizard of Oz, upon which her film is adapted. Then, co-star Cynthia Erivo performed her own version of Diana Ross's Home, from the other Wizard adaptation The Wiz. Then, the two launched into Defying Gravity from Wicked.
The 'We Heart L.A.' intro makes sense, and was expected after the fires that ravaged the area. And Grande and Erivo's covers were also somewhat expected — organizers had previously announced there wouldn't be original song performances at the ceremonies this year. A little bizarre, but it gives them the opportunity to pull up crowd pleasing nostalgia-bait.
